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Dodge Charger SRT Widebody spied filming a commercial

The voice you hear in the video just below appears to be from Instagram user eviil_srt, and as you can tell, he's quite the Mopar superfan. Thing is, the car you see in that video appears worthy of such a fan's adoration. It's clearly a Dodge Charger Widebody, a vehicle that we've been anxiously awaiting ever since it was revealed in prototype form by Mark Trostle, head of design for Dodge and SRT, at Spring Fest 14. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Actually, we've been seeing hints of the wide Charger far longer than that – it was spotted testing on public roads before its officialish debut, and even prior to that, the car's rumored existence had the Internet rumbling with the force of a 700-plus-horsepower supercharged Hemi V8 for months. All that preamble brings us back to the present and the aforementioned Instagram post, in which this upcoming production Widebody was spotted presumably filming for an official television commercial debut. Note the body-color license plate on the Charger Widebody in the video, which indicates it's probably being used for an official purpose by Dodge. It's a short clip, but just long enough that we can clearly make out a big rear wing, vented bumper cover, and deep diffuser punctuated by large dual exhaust tips. We also see some extremely wide tires front and rear, which makes sense considering that there's very likely a whole corral's worth of ponies underhood. The current Dodge Challenger Widebody style is offered on the 485-horsepower R/T Scat Pack trim level, the SRT Hellcat trim level that bumps horsepower all the way to 717, and, for buyers who really hate their rear tires, the 797-hp Hellcat Redeye trim level. Dodge hasn't yet extended the excessively powerful Redeye engine to the Charger line, but the other two levels seem likely. And who knows – the Widebody's introduction might be the perfect opportunity to build a Charger Redeye. In any case, the fact that Dodge is filming commercials indicates that we won't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.

Dodge could return to NASCAR, Marchionne says

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said he'd "love to" bring Dodge back to NASCAR. The news could signal a potential shift in America's favorite motorsport away from today's three-manufacturer arrangement, but we're wondering just how much sense Dodge's return would make amid NASCAR's dwindling television ratings and attendance figures. It took a visit from Ferrari at NASCAR's biggest icon, Daytona International Speedway, for the Ferrari Challenge World Finals to get Marchionne on the subject of Dodge and stock car racing. When asked about the possibility on Sunday, the FCA boss revealed he'd just spoken to NASCAR executive vice president Jim France the night before about Dodge's return. Dodge announced its NASCAR departure in 2009, as it was in the grips of a major bankruptcy alongside cross-town rival General Motors. While GM's Chevrolet brand stuck it out and won three of the last four manufacturer championships, the final Mopar-powered team flipped to Ford in 2012. Marchionne takes the blame for the decision, citing reasons that are, frankly, very good. "I am the guilty party at the table. In 2009 we came out of bankruptcy; we couldn't [justify] racing in NASCAR when I was trying to pay bills and make payroll," Marchionne said, according to Autoweek. "I think we're in a different place now." NASCAR is in a different place, too. The sport has struggled with disappointing television ratings in the past several years, and it's not uncommon to tune into races at some of the sport's marquee tracks, like Bristol Motor Speedway, and see scores of empty seats. Sponsorship dollars are also drying up. That could explain Marchionne's non-committal follow-up comments. "We need to find the right way to come back in," Marchionne said, adding that he'd revisit the idea with Jim France and International Speedway Corporation CEO and NASCAR board member Lesa France Kennedy "in short order." Related Video:

2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack vs. 2018 Kia Stinger GT Comparison | Big bargain bruisers

The Kia Stinger GT is a sporty midsize sedan with a sleek hatchback roof and a luxurious interior, so it makes sense that it's frequently been compared to high-end German cars of a similar description. While it has generally faired quite well against the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe despite its commoner badge, it's unclear how many potential Audi and BMW buyers are going to also consider a Kia. So, what else can be thrown at it? Well, the Stinger has a bold, brash exterior the Germans can’t match, while boasting loads of space, features and performance at a discount price. You know what that sounds like? The Dodge Charger, which we recently had in the Autoblog garage. It's not exactly an apples-to-apples choice – bigger, no hatch, a pair of extra cylinders – but the two sedans are close on price, especially the 2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack that arrived at our office with an MSRP of $46,075. ThatÂ’s just a few hundred less than our long-term StingerÂ’s price of $46,620. So I decided to try them back-to-back to see which is the better bargain bruiser. 2018 Kia Stinger View 11 Photos The Charger takes an early lead with its 6.4-liter naturally aspirated V8, which generates 485 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque – a big advantage over the StingerÂ’s 365 horses and 376 pound-feet. But itÂ’s not just the power that gives it the edge, itÂ’s that it makes all the right sounds, and itÂ’s so smooth and responsive. Any amount of throttle yields a charmingly round, mellow sound, with just a hint of grit. ItÂ’s vintage American rumble in a modern(ish) wrapper. Additionally, power is so smooth and progressive that itÂ’s easy to dial in the right amount. ThereÂ’s one minor exception in its controllability at launch, as it takes a moment for the torque converter to spin up, and a lazy foot can get the tires to yelp (yours truly and a couple other editors ran into this). The ZF eight-speed automatic shifts seamlessly, whether youÂ’re in automatic or manual mode. The Kia Stinger GTÂ’s twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 is also a great engine, but it lacks the character and the finesse of the Charger's V8. While that giant 6.4-liter lets out a hearty roar, the Stinger keeps its mouth tightly shut. Only a low, generic mumble from the intake comes from under the hood. And as weÂ’ve talked about before, the throttle response is sluggish, and it takes a moment for boost to build.