1989 Dodge Shelby Dakota on 2040-cars

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Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

Dodge launches 1 of 1 Viper configurator

Get comfortable because you might be spending a good chunk of time in front of the computer on this. The configurator for the 2015 Dodge Viper GTC 1 of 1 is now online, and it's a ton of fun to play around with. Mechanically, the GTC is just like every current Viper with a 645-horsepower, 8.4-liter V10. But for the special editions Dodge lets buyers tinker with practically everything aesthetic thing. For the exterior alone, the choices include some 8,000 available body colors, two stripe styles in innumerable shades, two hood designs and various brake caliper hues. Plus, there are 16 upholstery colors inside, and options like red seat belts and carbon fiber trim. Dodge reckons there are over 25 million possible combinations, and the models are available to customers on a first-come-first serve basis for each model year. Although, two people wanting identical cars seems pretty unlikely. The configurator is a beauty too. It makes all of these myriad options extremely easy to pick from, and there are even four resolution settings to see your creation in the best possible way. Prices for the GTC start at $94,995 and deliveries are set to start in the second quarter of the year. Although, even if you have no intention of buying one, specifying these custom coupes is still highly entertaining.

2018 Dodge Challenger GT Drivers' Notes Review | The right car for the season

Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: Dodge uses the Challenger GT trim to denote its V6 all-wheel-drive model, but it seems apt for reasons besides that. The Challenger, even with a V6, is an excellent, affordable American grand tourer. It's still extremely stylish, despite barely changing looks since Dodge introduced it for the 2008 model year. The solid gray on this one was particularly attractive. It also seemed appropriate considering the Challenger's battleship size. This thing is truly massive. That's beneficial in the sense that it has an enormous trunk (perfect for touring), but not so much for maneuvering. But thankfully, it's easy to spot the corners, which helps a lot. The Challenger GT is a pretty able handler, too. It feels composed in corners, not too heavy, only mild body roll, and steering that weights up very naturally. The ride is relatively comfortable. It takes the edge off of most pavement imperfections, but you feel more than you might expect. So the Dodge Challenger GT has the style, space, and a decent balance of sportiness and comfort — which just leaves one thing left to address, the powertrain. And as it turns out, the V6 actually works quite nicely in the big Dodge. Under full throttle, you get an angry, throaty honk from the intake that, while not as smooth and classic as a V8, is still fairly satisfying. It also has more than adequate acceleration, if not exhilarating. It's a combo that makes not only a fun affordable GT car, but just a solid commuter with an extra dose of style. The only caveat is that if you need something more truly sporty, you may still want to look at a Camaro or Mustang. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I spent the latter half of last week in Idaho and Wyoming driving a pretty sweet Nissan 370Z in the snow. That car was equipped with tracks and skis and allowed me to do some pretty dumb things with few repercussions, though it was one of the loudest and most uncomfortable cars I've ever driven. Coming home to Detroit and a Destroyer Grey Challenger GT was a very nice change of pace. The thing is, this car is still plenty capable in the snow. I like the Challenger quite a bit, especially in the bonkers Hellcat and Demon guise. But not everyone needs a 700-plus horsepower brute that guzzles gas with a nearly unequalled thirst. The Challenger GT checks a lot of boxes. It looks good, it's comfortable, roomy and thanks to all-wheel drive, genuinely usable year round.