2003 Dodge Sprinter 2500 Extended Hi-top Cargo Van Diesel Runs Great Only 117k!! on 2040-cars

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Ralph Gilles shares how he imagined a modern-day Dodge Rampage in 1995

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) design boss Ralph Gilles kicked off the company's 24-hour Design Sketch Battle by sharing an image of a mini-truck he drew in 1995. Called Tomahawk GTR, it never reached production. Gilles sketched the Tomahawk GTR when he was about 25 years old. He was a designer at the time, he wasn't promoted to a managerial position until 1998, and his obsession with performance already permeated the cars he drew. The Tomahawk GTR takes the form of a two-door, two-seater pickup with a muscular-looking front end, pronounced wheel arches, and a sizable spoiler over the cargo box. The wheels look almost Porsche-like. "I guess I was dreaming up a modern-day Rampage back then. This must be what happens when a want-to-be racer draws a truck," he wrote on his Instagram page, referencing the small, unibody pickup Dodge made from 1982 to 1984. His sketch moved the company's then-current design language in a sportier direction. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge hasn't released a successor to the Rampage yet, at least not in the United States. The Fiat-based 700 that sister company Ram sells in Mexico is the closest thing available in 2020, but there's no indication it will be sold in America anytime soon. The firm used the Tomahawk name on a Viper-powered motorcycle concept introduced in 2003, and it dusted it off again for an SRT design study created in 2015 for Gran Turismo.  We may see a Rampage for the 2020s emerge from the Design Sketch Battle. The photo accompanying FCA's announcement depicted a Dodge Challenger Hellcat turned into a pickup and fitted with a front end borrowed from a Ram 1500. The contest's winners will be announced on Instagram today.  Instagram has recently turned into a window through which enthusiasts can peek into Gilles' mind. He published a futuristic-looking sketch in March 2020 that poked fun at the Charger and Challenger owners who leave the yellow protective stripes on their car while potentially shedding light on Dodge's next design language. Design/Style Dodge Truck

Dodge Charger and Challenger will live on, but a new Viper is unlikely

BALOCCO, Italy — As FCA's latest five-year plan was presented last week, most of the day was focused on four brands — Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. That left a lot of people wondering about the future of the Chrysler, Fiat and Dodge nameplates. At the last five-year event, Dodge was one of the main features. We heard plans for an expanded lineup that included refreshed versions of the Viper, Challenger and Charger, the last two riding on the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform. Times sure have changed. Dodge isn't going away, but the brand will be narrowed and focused. Performance is the name of the game, but don't look for a new Viper anytime soon. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne simply said it's "not in the plan." Marchionne thought it was a great idea but that it couldn't live on as a standalone product. If it does eventually return, expect it to share parts with other FCA products, possibly with one of the upcoming Maseratis. On the other hand, Marchionne confirmed that both the Dodge Challenger and Charger will continue to live on. In the last five-year plan, FCA said that the pair would share underpinnings with future Alfa Romeos. That was promising news for those hoping for smaller, lighter versions of each model that would be better suited to fight models like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. It seems the Alfa Romeo platform is off the table. Marchionne said the current LX platform would indeed live on, though it would be "unrecognizable" compared to what we have today. The LX architecture is ancient, and, although it's been continuously updated, its basic bones date back to the DaimlerChrysler days. Marchionne said that the Alfa platform just doesn't have the character American shoppers are looking for in those vehicles. It's unclear when the next iteration of the Charger and Challenger will arrive, but expect another refresh sometime before 2022. Look for an updated version of the tried-and-true Hemi V8. Rumors continue to swirl about a larger and more powerful 7.0-liter variant dubbed the Banshee, but we'll have to wait and see how that pans out. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Autoblog's guilty pleasure cars

Guilty pleasures are part of life – don't even try to pretend like you don't have one (or two, or six). In the non-automotive space, this could come down to that secret playlist in your iPhone of songs you'll only listen to when you're alone; or think of that one TV show you really do love, but won't admit to your friends. I've got plenty, and so do you. Going back to cars, here's a particularly juicy one for me: several years ago, I had a mad crush on the very last iteration of the Cadillac DTS. Oh yes, the front-wheel-drive, Northstar V8-powered sofa-on-wheels that was the last remaining shred of the elderly-swooning days of Cadillac's past. Every time I had the chance to drive one, I was secretly giddy. Don't hate me, okay? These days, the DTS is gone, but I've still got a mess of other cars that hold a special place in my heart. And in the spirit of camaraderie, I've asked my other Autoblog editors to tell me some of their guilty pleasure cars, as well – Seyth Miersma, as you can see above, has a few choice emotions to share about the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Read on to find out what cars make us secretly happy. Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG This decadent convertible is the epitome of the guilty pleasure. It's big, powerful, fairly heavy and it's richly appointed inside and out. It's a chocolate eclair with the three-pointed star on the hood. Given my druthers, I'd take the SL65 AMG, which delivers 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That output is borderline absurd for this laid-back convertible. I don't care. You don't need dessert. Sometimes you just crave it. The SL line is about the feel you get on the road. The roof is open. The air, sun and engine sounds all embrace you. It's the same dynamic you could have experienced in a Mercedes a century ago, yet the SL gives you the most modern of luxuries. An Airscarf feature that warms my neck and shoulders through a vent embedded in the seat? Yes, please. Sure, it's an old-guy car. Mr. Burns and Lord Grantham are probably too young and hip for an SL65. I don't care. This is my guilty pleasure. Release the hounds. – Greg Migliore Senior Editor Ford Flex I drove my first Flex in 2009 when my mother let me borrow hers for the summer while I was away at college. The incredibly spacious interior made moving twice that summer a breeze, and the 200-mile trips up north were quite comfortable.