2012 Dodge Challenger Srt8 on 2040-cars

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Diesel Power finds the ultimate modified oil-burner

For nine years, Diesel Power magazine has run the Diesel Power Challenge, this year's grindfest being "a week-long torture test that features seven events, nine trucks, 8,000 horsepower, and nearly 15,000 pound-feet of torque." The road to being crowned "the most powerful truck" starts with a dyno run, and then continues through the completion of a CDL-style obstacle course, an eighth-of-a-mile drag race while towing a 10,000-pound trailer, a quarter-mile drag race without a trailer, a fuel economy test in the mountains and finally a sled-pulling test through a 300-foot-long packed-mud pit.
What kind of trucks get into such a fight? Last year's winner, for instance - who upgraded his truck this year to prove he didn't "luck into the win" - drives a 2008 Ford F-250 Super Duty with a 6.4-liter Power Stroke V8 upgraded with a custom intake, Elite Diesel triple turbos and a two-stage nitrous system. Another competitor has a 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 powered by a 5.9-liter Cummins inline-six, upgraded with Garrett turbos, dual-stage nitrous, a seven-inch exhaust stack and twin fans built into the bed to cool the Sun Coast Omega transmission. The numbers on that truck: 1,255 horsepower, and 2,063 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. Naturally, as the image above might suggest, things don't always end well.
You'll find all five videos covering this years challenge below. A scene in the dyno video sums it all up perfectly: a competitor leaves his nitrous on too long and the crew is treated to some ominous poppings, he leans out the window, throws both hands up and shouts, "Amer'ca!"

Man hits 153 mph on I-75 in Dodge Magnum

A man driving in Michigan took his 2005 Dodge Magnum practically to the limit in the wee hours of the morning on May 19 when the Michigan State Police caught him on radar going 153 miles per hour on Interstate 75 near Detroit. The 21-year-old driver was spotted around 3:00 AM, according to The Detroit News. Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Michael Shaw told Autoblog that officers initially saw the man on radar doing 79 mph in a 70-mph-zone, and they started following him. He eventually clocked 153 mph. However, First Lt. Shaw was clear that there was never a pursuit. "Speeding isn't necessarily a reason to put the public at risk," he said. The situation ended rather abruptly, though. The driver pulled off the interstate and behind a building. He remained in the vehicle, and police arrived and arrested him. According to First Lt. Shaw, the man was driving home from work and alcohol wasn't a factor. The Magnum has been impounded, and the driver was charged with reckless driving. Unfortunately, First Lt. Shaw said that he didn't know what engine was in the wagon, but as enthusiasts, we're curious. After all, the 2005 Magnum RT was governed to 130 mph and the SRT8 wasn't unleashed until 2006, which means either the wagon must've been derestricted to hit such high speeds or that police have the year wrong. We'll let you know if we figure that one out...

Dodge explains why it will build the Durango SRT Hellcat for only six months

Dodge will manufacture the 710-horsepower, Hellcat-powered Durango SRT only for approximately six months. The company explained that, while it won't stop production after building a pre-determined number of SUVs, it won't be able to extend the model's life cycle due to several manufacturing- and government-related hurdles. "The Durango SRT Hellcat is not limited, it's not serialized like what we did with the Challenger SRT Demon, but we're only building it for six months. With all of the changes we made in the plant to come back up to production post-COVID-19, with the sequencing and spacing in the plant, it's changed the numbers we can build," explained Tim Kuniskis, the head of Dodge, in an interview with enthusiast website Muscle Cars & Trucks. He added no one on his team knows precisely how many SUVs the Jefferson North factory on the outskirts of Detroit will put a Hellcat engine into. It largely depends on customer demand. Asked to provide an estimate, Kuniskis revealed he expects "less than 2,000" units will be made. They will all be 2021 models. In theory, Dodge could at least double that number by bringing the Durango SRT Hellcat back for the 2022 model year. It's not that simple in application, however, because the company won't be able to drop a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 in its biggest SUV after 2021 without leaning on the wrong side of looming emissions regulations. "When we switch to the 2022 model year, there are new evaporative emission requirements that come in that the Hellcat engine does not meet in that platform," Kuniskis said. He also noted the Jefferson North factory will be busy retooling for production of the next-generation 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee tentatively due out in 2020. Still speaking to Muscle Car & Trucks, Kuniskis clarified that the Hellcat-powered variants of the Charger and the Challenger will stick around in the foreseeable future; making them compliant with the upcoming emissions regulations is easier. And, he stressed the standard version of the Durango will carry on "completely interrupted." In other words: Act fast if you want a Durango SRT Hellcat. Dodge will begin taking orders in the fall of 2020, and production is scheduled to start in early 2021, with deliveries following shortly after. Pricing information hasn't been announced yet, but we expect its base price will be pegged in the vicinity of $90,000. Related Video: