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2015 Dodge Challenger looks fresh, still plenty retro [w/video]

It was the Ford Mustang that kicked off the retro-styled muscle car renaissance back in 2005, but it was the Dodge Challenger that served as the movement's poster child, with its unabashedly retro looks. Over the years, though, as the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro were freshened and upgraded, the look of the big Dodge has remained largely consistent since its 2008 debut. For 2015, the Challenger has received a big freshening, boasting strongly revised front and rear ends and (finally, finally, finally) a redesigned interior.
Let's talk about that new cabin first. It's basically been plucked directly from the redesigned Charger, and boasts the same seven-inch IP display. The center stack's miserable, last-gen display has been replaced by an expansive, 8.4-inch UConnect system. Material quality should see a solid boost with the new cabin, as well.
The exterior, meanwhile, sees a revised front fascia with LED halo lights, as well as new grille inserts. A functional shaker hood scoop is a must-have extra on the V8 models, while the back of the car is highlighted by a new set of LED taillights that don't use the "Racetrack" design of Dodge's other models.

Ford leads top searched-for car brands on Google in 2014

With less than two weeks until 2014 takes its final bow, anyone and everyone is looking back on the past 50 or so weeks to see how they stacked up. For search giant Google, that means its time to check out its annual Trends report. Besides the most popular search term (the late, great Robin Williams), the most searched for gadget (the iPhone 6) and most searched for disease symptoms (quite worryingly, Ebola took the crown here), we have the most searched for automaker. With the long-awaited sixth-generation of one of America's most iconic vehicles, the Mustang, and a ground-breaking update for the US market's perennial best seller, the F-Series, it should come as no surprise at all that Ford was Google's most searched for automaker in 2014. Jeep captured second place, while Dodge, took third. We suspect introducing a pair of cars with 707 horsepower had something to do with that bronze medal... Scroll down to see the rest of this year's most searched for automakers, and then head into Comments and let us know if you're surprised by any of these. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2015 Ford Mustang: First Drive View 55 Photos News Source: Google via AutoGuideImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Dodge Ford Jeep Technology

2016 Dodge Viper ACR First Drive [w/video]

The Dodge Viper is not a comfortable car. Livable, yes. The interior is covered in fine materials. But you still climb over a hot door sill to enter the tiny cabin. And the frequency range of the engine's noises seem specifically designed to cause headaches. What happens, then, if you remove all pretense of civility from a Viper and add equipment solely aimed at improving lap times? You would have the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR. In terms of achieving its purpose, this car is a absolute success. In many ways it's also the most honest Viper of the current generation. Prices start at $121,990 (including $2,100 gas-guzzler tax and $1,995 destination), or $32,900 more than the least expensive Viper. In ACR trim, the Viper loses the under-carpet padding, 9 of 12 speakers plus amplifier, carpet and trim from the cargo area, and sound deadening in front of the rear wheel wells. The parts of the interior still covered add healthy amounts of Alcantara or optional carbon fiber. That weight loss is compensated by the addition of go-fast bits like the giant rear wing (or the larger "x-wing" on the Extreme Aero Package), 10-way adjustable Bilstein Motorsports shocks, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, a rear diffuser, and a front splitter. Total claimed curb weight is 3,392 pounds in Aero trim (standard ACR trim is 18 pounds lighter), which is within a few stone of the rest of the Viper lineup. The diffuser strakes and leading edge of the splitter are removable, made to be replaced after rubbing on track tarmac and make street driving slightly more practical. Not that you'd want to drive the ACR on the street, with the lack of noise insulation and spring rates twice as stiff as the Viper TA, but it is street-legal. Dodge claims the DOT-approved Kumho Ecsta V720 tires on the ACR allow faster lap times than some race compound tires. Our test was limited to on-track shenanigans at Virginia International Raceway. Which is fitting because we wouldn't have anything good to say about driving the car on the street. The ACR is, essentially, a race car sold in the showroom, although with the Viper's 1 of 1 customization program, your custom build can include as many creature comforts as you like. Lined up in pit lane at VIR, the Viper ACRs for our evaluation blur the air with heat shimmer. All of the test cars have air conditioning, but that shuts off at full throttle with a six-second reset.