2010 Dodge Grand Caravan Crew on 2040-cars

Auto blog

FCA recalling Chrysler and Dodge minivans, Dodge Nitro SUVs for faulty airbag covers

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said on Friday it would recall about 925,239 of its older model vehicles in the United States to replace airbag covers on their steering wheels after 14 potentially related injuries. The recall is limited to 2007-2011 Dodge Nitro SUVs, 2008-2010 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans, the Italian-American automaker said. The move follows an FCA investigation that found these vehicles were equipped with certain clips that may loosen and disengage over time, and in case of a driver-side airbag deployment the clips could act as projectiles. Fiat Chrysler said none of the potential injuries involved occupants of front-passenger or rear seats and that the airbags were not supplied by Takata. Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel. Related Video:   Recalls Chrysler Dodge Minivan/Van SUV

Hennessey Dodge Demon sets hellishly fast quarter-mile time

The Dodge Demon doesn't strike us as a muscle car much in need of a performance makeover. After all, this 840-horsepower MoPar machine's voracious quest for straight-line speed means it trims weight by jettisoning everything from a front passenger seat and rear seat, to its stereo and all carpeting in the trunk. The folks at Hennessey apparently think that's not nearly extreme enough. So, the Texas-based tuning outfit has turned the Demon into a 1,035-horsepower mega beast that runs a quarter-mile in 9.14 seconds at 152 mph. That's fast, really fast. In fact, the HPE1000 is now the world's fastest Dodge Demon, having set its record-setting pace at Lonestar Motorsports Park on May 8. "The 2018 Demon is a street-legal rocket from Dodge, but we wanted to take the car's impressive track times to an industry leading level." said president and company founder, John Hennessey. For comparison, the stock Dodge Demon is credited with running the quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds at 140 mph. The main HPE1000 modification involves replacing the stock 2.7-liter supercharger with one that's a staggering 4.5-liters in capacity. Also included in the Hennessey toy-chest are stainless steel long tube headers, a high-flow air induction system, upgraded throttle body, upgraded fuel pump and fuel injectors, along with custom engine management calibration. When all is said and done, the HPE1000 Dodge Demon delivers a total of 1,035 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 948 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. While the standard Demon accelerates from 0-60 mph in only 2.3 seconds, the Hennessey variant trims this down to only 1.9 seconds. That's quick enough to make a Bugatti Chiron blush. Hennessey hasn't stated what all this will cost, though the company did say production of these devilishly fast Demons will be limited to only 50 examples. Customers also receive a 1-year/12,000-mile warranty, which seems a nice touch for a car that's downright scary with its performance specs. Related Video: Featured Gallery Dodge Demon Hennessey HPE1000 View 30 Photos Aftermarket Dodge Coupe Performance supercharger Hennessey dodge demon quarter mile demon

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).