1999 Dodge Dakota Club Cab Pickup on 2040-cars

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2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the Demon spawn

The Demon has passed from us, but the Demon's spawn are here, so please allow them to introduce themselves. A new demi-Demon trim level has been anointed as the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. Plus there's an updated Challenger SRT Hellcat and new Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody. Like with the Charger introduced this morning, they have inherited some of the best parts from the Demon. The Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon's howling supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi, making 797 horsepower and 707 pound-feet of torque. Dodge proclaims it the "most powerful production V8" and "quickest production muscle car," with a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds and quarter-mile time of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. Top speed: 203 mph. Dodge can claim these superlatives, of course, because the 840-horsepower Demon's limited production run has ended. The Hellcat Redeye's Hemi is paired with an eight-speed automatic. Dodge says the powerplant gets 25 major component upgrades, including a larger supercharger (2.7 liters, up from 2.4) with higher boost pressure (14.5 psi, up from 11.6), strengthened connecting rods, pistons and valve train, high-capacity fuel injection system and improved lubrication. It gets a second fuel pump and a higher redline of 6,500 rpm. Theoretically, if you were someplace where you could operate at full throttle without letting up, Dodge says the Hemi would drain the fuel tank in under 11 minutes. Yet the car gets a 22 mpg highway rating from the EPA. View 30 Photos It also has the Torque Reserve system that starts building boost before launching, as well as the air conditioned intercooler to provide extra cool intake air. Both of these were features in the Demon. Furthermore, if the standard 2.62:1 final ratio isn't quick enough for you, Dodge offers a 3.09:1 rear axle. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye also comes with the Demon and Hellcat Widebody's fat fender flares. It's an unsurprising inclusion, since you'll want as much tire as possible for all that power. Now, a mere clear-eyed Challenger SRT Hellcat gets a 10-horse boost for 2019 to 717 horsepower, and a smidge more torque at 656 pound feet. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and an eight-speed automatic is an option. Both Hellcat models get the new dual-snorkel hood we've seen in spy shots. It's meant to evoke 1970s Dodge muscle cars. Dodge says the airflow from the hood alone reduces engine temperature by 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chrysler Recalling Nearly 907,000 Cars, SUVs

Nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars are being recalled for alternators that can fail and heated power mirror wiring that can short and cause minor fires. The recalls, posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, push the total number of recalls so far this year 544, totaling a record of more than 52 million vehicles. The largest of Thursday's recalls covers nearly 470,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Durangos from the 2011 through 2014 model years. The alternators can fail, causing the 3.6-liter V6 engines to stall unexpectedly. The problem also can cause the electrical system to fail, as well as knock out power-assisted steering, antilock brakes and electronic stability control. It can even cause fire or smoke, according to documents Chrysler filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA opened an investigation into the problem in July, and Chrysler began its own probe in August. The company analyzed warranty complaints and alternators that had failed. The alternator generates electricity to recharge the battery and run other devices. Chrysler investigators traced the problem to heat fatigue in an alternator diode. Chrysler said it received 322 complaints about the problem, while 55 people complained to NHTSA. The company said it knows of one crash related to the problem, but no injuries or fires. The company will replace the alternators with upgraded versions for free. Owners will be notified in November. The company says customers who see warning lights or suspect a problem should contact their dealers. The recall affects cars and SUVs sold mainly in the U.S. and Canada, but some were sold in Mexico and overseas markets. The second recall covers almost 437,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011 through 2013. Water can find its way into the heated power mirror wiring harness and cause corrosion. That can cause a short and could cause a minor fire and smoke, as well as cause loss of function of the mirror. The problem was discovered in February after three Wranglers in Canada were damaged. Chrysler says it has 26 complaints about the problem, but it knows of no fires, crashes or injuries. Dealers will move the wiring and install a protective shield to keep water out at no cost to owners, starting in December. Most of the Wranglers are in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but more than 78,000 were sold overseas.

Junkyard 1983 Dodge Rampage has Franco-American roots

Lee Iacocca and the K-Cars get most of the credit for saving Chrysler after the company's 1979 bailout by the US government, but the success of the Simca-derived Omnirizon platform was a large, if overlooked, component of Chrysler's early-1980s resurgence. The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon were sold in the United States for the 1978 through 1990 model years, and variants included the 1983-1987 Dodge Charger and the Rampage, this well-worn example of which I spotted in a Denver self-service wrecking yard last week. The early Omnirizons came with a Volkswagen-sourced 1.7-liter engine, but all of the Rampage pickups (and their near-identical Plymouth Scamp siblings) came from the factory with a 2.2-liter K-Car engine making 96 horses. This truck has a 4-speed manual transmission, which would have made it reasonably quick by Malaise Era standards. This one had plenty of body filler and rust, even before the crash that sent it on that final tow-truck ride to this place, so it wouldn't have been worth restoring. Still, we can hope that some of its parts will live on in other L-body trucks. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1983 Dodge Rampage in Denver View 16 Photos Chrysler Dodge Automotive History Truck Classics dodge rampage