2015 Dodge Challenger Srt Hellcat on 2040-cars

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Killing the Dart and 200 might lower FCA's fuel economy burden

Killing the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 could allow FCA US to take advantage of an intriguing quirk in the next decade's fuel economy regulations. By increasing its ratio of trucks versus cars, the automaker might not need to worry so much about hitting the more stringent efficiency rules. At first thought, it might seem harder for an automaker with a ton of trucks to meet the government's mandated 54.5 mile per gallon corporate average fuel economy for 2025. However, every company doesn't need to hit that lofty figure, according to The Detroit Free Press. The exact target varies by the product mix between trucks and cars. "While passenger car and light truck categories have separate CAFE targets, it's still true that more trucks versus cars in a company lineup means a lower combined CAFE target," Brandon Schoettle, Project Manager Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, told Autoblog. "While passenger car and light truck categories have separate CAFE targets, it's still true that more trucks versus cars in a company lineup means a lower combined CAFE target." FCA US' current product blend has 80 percent pickups and CUVs, which means the company stands to benefit from a lower fuel economy target. It might not seem entirely fair environmentally, but this is a great move from a business perspective. The new CAFE rules aren't set in stone, according to The Detroit Free Press, but potentially taking advantage of the regulation is just one more reason to cut the Dart and 200. Modern crossovers also aren't gas guzzlers like older SUVs, which could make it easier to hit the fuel economy target. "Utilities offer practicality and versatility that cars do not, and now, built on car architectures, they do not penalize consumers on fuel economy as they once did," AutoTrader Senior Analyst Michelle Krebs told Autoblog. Schoettle warns that FCA is still making a gamble by killing the small sedans. "Depending on the previous sales volumes and how much these vehicles might have exceeded their specific CAFE targets, it's possible that these cars helped earn CAFE credits for FCA that they could bank for future use," he said. "Future sales breakdowns [car vs.

Preserved truck found at the bottom of frozen lake

A fisherman in central Minnesota pulled more than bluegill and bass out of his local fishing hole earlier this month. While ice fishing on Mayhew Lake, a local man was startled when, using an underwater camera to scout for fish, he discovered a vehicle sitting on the lakebed, the SCTimes reported. He immediately called the Benton County Sheriff's office, which sent deputies to examine the vehicle. Once they arrived, the deputies used their own camera to have a look and discovered a late-90s to early-00s model Dodge Ram pickup in roughly 12 feet of water. The Sheriff's department dive team was then dispatched to search the truck and the area surrounding it for bodies or valuables. The truck was lifted from the lakebed through a huge hole in the ice. The Sheriff's office ran the plates and discovered that it was reported stolen in March of 2000 from a nearby address. Investigators believe that given the truck's location, almost 100 yards from the lake's public access ramp and 25 yards from the north shore, that it was driven on to the lake while it was frozen, then allowed to sink to the bottom once the ice melted. Thanks to the lake's frigid waters, the truck was surprisingly well preserved. Aside from a missing grille, a coating of mud inside, and a patina of rust on the sheet metal, there was little damage to the truck despite its long rest in the lake. With an engine full of lake water and the damage done by roughly sixteen freeze-thaw cycles, the truck will never run again, but its condition is a good testament to the build quality of those old Rams. It certainly held up better than that '57 Plymouth Belvedere they buried in the time capsule under the Tulsa city courthouse. News Source: SCTimesImage Credit: Benton County Sheriff's Office Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Truck water lake

Here's how to build the Hellcat-powered Dodge Magnum/Charger widebody wagon of your dreams

Dodge would undoubtedly offer a fire-breathing, Hellcat-powered variant of the Magnum if the model was still in production. It retired in 2008, and it's not coming back anytime soon, so Las Vegas-based tuner Jaye Fab is taking the matter into its own hands. It's developing a conversion kit that transforms an unsuspecting Magnum into a wide-bodied Charger wagon, and it plans to make it available to the public in the near future. If the name Jaye Fab sounds familiar, it's likely because it already made headlines in 2015 when it grafted the front end of a Charger onto a Magnum, gave the wagon a coat of can't-miss-it red paint, and drove it to SEMA. Its latest project takes the concept of a modern-day Dodge wagon a step further with a full body kit that includes wide fender flares and side skirts, among other add-ons. It's a work in progress, but we can already tell it's going to turn more than a few heads when it's finished. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We don't know which engine the donor Magnum was powered by when it drove into Jaye Fab's shop. What's more interesting is the one it will leave with: a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 from a Charger. The eight-cylinder develops 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration, and we wouldn't be surprised if it picks up a few additional horses before Jaye Fab lets it loose on the streets of Las Vegas. The firm has done a stellar job at documenting the build on its Instagram account, and AutoEvolution learned it plans to make the kit available to Magnum owners who want a more modern-looking front end in the not-too-distant future. The mighty Hellcat V8 isn't included, but Mopar sells crate engines in search for tires to roast.