Autobytel has awarded the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee their SUV of the Year award. In their words, “The Autobytel 2014 SUV of the Year category had a clear winner since day 1.” Their choice for the 2014 Pickup Truck of the Year? Ram 1500. Again. Details at Autobytel. It may be time to buy a new trophy case.
Dodge is sponsoring Motley Crue’s “The Final Tour” of 72 US and Canadian cities followed by international stops in 2015. Fast cars and rock ‘n’ roll children! In other news, Ford is sponsoring American Idol. More on the tour at Cars & Parts.
Check out these pics posted by Jalopnik of Kowalski calmly avoiding two 18-wheelers during some icy mayhem in Clanton, Alabama. Another pic of the white Dodge Challenger after the jump!
Boy, FCA is gonna take some getting used to… Anyway, Alfa Romeo, also a part of Fiat, is close to rolling out a new rear wheel drive platform that will find its way under Chrysler and Dodge vehicles and is said to be competitive with sedans from BMW and Mercedes. There’s also talk that this new platform may be the basis for the new….wait for it…. SRT Barracuda (that rumor won’t see to die). The LX platform that Chrysler developed with Daimler sure worked out well. Here’s hoping. More info at CarBuzz.
This supercharged 6.4-liter Hemi is predicted to produce as much as 600 horsepower. Check out the video of a Hellcat-powered Charger doing testing after the jump!
SRT CEO Ralph Gilles talked to the folks at Automotive News at the recent Detroit Auto Show and explained why the Viper and the Corvette do not run in similar circles:
We’ve never tried to be Corvette. We never will be. We’re handmade. It takes 18 hours to paint the stripe on a Viper. We color sand the entire car, inside and outside. All the panels are beautifully finished. We’re trying to build a custom show car that you can own. This is not a disposable device here. … Whoever buys a Viper is someone special. They’re not normal. It’s someone who really wants to rock and roll and feel alive and not have a filtered experience. It’s a car we designed for pleasure.
Read the full interview at Automotive News.
This body in white Challenger has been built into a Rolex Sports Car Series contender. Reportedly never raced, it sports the 6.1 and lots of carbon fiber body pieces. Anybody wanna go racing? See it here on eBay. More pics after the jump!
Left Lane reviews the 2013 Charger R/T. “Refined road manners combine with a ferocious powertrain and more swagger than any other four-door to make this sedan worth coveting.” Looks good in blue, too! Read the entire review at Left Lane News.
Do you want to personalize your Ram truck with every available Mopar option to decide what works (and looks) best? You can now do so with a new app from Mopar that was introduced recently in Detroit. Using your iPhone or iPad, you can configure your truck from the large list of accessories, view it from different angles and, if you wish, bring it to your dealer and tell them that this is what you want. Get the details at Mopar.
Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has confirmed that the new Wrangler will be lighter with a new updated architecture. Purists fear this means no more live front axle. Sales are extremely strong so if it were to adopt an independent front suspension, the reasoning may be to increase Chrysler’s corporate average fuel economy standard. Possibly for the same reason, there are rumors of a diesel option. We’ll know for sure at the unveiling in approx. ten weeks. Read more at Car Buzz.
