Autoblog

Click above image for the 2009 Dodge Challenger brochure

In the gallery below, you'll find the full brochure for the 2009 Dodge Challenger, and yeah, there's some good stuff to be found in there. We're particularly fond of the R/T Classic package (above), which gets a coat of B5 Blue, 20" torq-thrust lookalikes, throwback R/T stripes, and the old-school script Challenger badge on the front fender. Unfortunately, while Chrysler was cooking up the retro badging, they neglected to order up some nouveau Fratzogs to really finish off the look, so the Ram-head shield sits on the hood, instead. Too bad. As for the rest of the car? Badass. There are some pretty cool stripe and wheel options to be had regardless of trim level, plus what's sure to be a bevy of aftermarket parts from Mopar and other third parties. Finally, Chrysler's offering a factory R/T Track Pack that, in its most aggressive form, combines the 6-speed Tremec with 20" wheels and a 3.91 rear axle ratio. Bring money for tires. Ford is the king of leveraging its heritage to keep the Mustang interesting. Chrysler has a shot at doing the same thing here with the Challenger. From the looks of things, it's off to a good start. That R/T Classic? Yeah, we could roll like that. Thanks to Challenger64HEMI for the heads-up!


[Source: Flickr user mnhotrod]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Dodge Challenger SRT8.

There isn't much mystery left to the Dodge Challenger, but for those of you who like to geek-out on suspension geometry and torsional rigidity, the SRT crew from Dodge is making itself available to answer all your burning questions online. The SRT chat session will take place tomorrow from 6 pm to 8 pm EST at 300cforums.com, where members can submit a maximum of two questions each to be answered by Dodge's in-house tuners. While the topics of conversation will generally center around the LX platform and the SRT models on which they're based, this will be the first time that engineers will be able to answer questions about the Challenger SRT8 in an enthusiast forum. You can log on two hours before the discussion begins to start submitting questions and for those of you planning to attend, drop us a line if anything juicy appears.

Thanks for the heads-up Jay.

Chrysler has released some video of the Challenger zooming around on some desert tarmac. We think that this video is from the same shoot that produced the teaser pics we all salivated over before the Challenger was officially unveiled. With that, on to the video, after the jump. Hit the gallery for more stills, while you're at it.

[Source: Chrysler]

click above to view the video

The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is a racing machine, that's what the three letter suffix denotes (American Club Racer), of course. You don't even have to be within 100 feet of the Viper ACR to know what it is, that wing on the back clues you in. Somewhere, a 737 is missing an elevator flap. If you were to somehow miss the gigantic horizontal stabilizer, the ACR's paint scheme with its wicked-looking asymmetrical stripes announce what it is from a mile away.

The current Viper enjoys a reputation as a natural at the track, though it needs to be handled with a steady, heavy hand. The ACR strips a lot of equipment away in the name of weight savings, and some componentry is swapped out to bring unsprung mass down, as well. The result is a car with even sharper responses than the already born-to-run "regular" Viper. PentastarVideo has supplied us with a very entertaining video, apparently from Chrysler Design Veep Ralph Gilles, of some ACRs ripping it up at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana. Here we sit, using a corporate high-speed internet connection to live vicariously through a heavily compressed piece of video media. Oh cruel world, why can't we just have a Viper and a road course at our disposal?

Follow the jump to watch the action

Gallery: 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR

It's no secret that Chrysler's going through a rough patch right now as it sets its turnaround plan in motion. Just last week, the automaker announced additional job and manufacturing cutbacks and killed off four underperforming models. Of interest to enthusiasts, however, is the news that SRT, the in-house tuner responsible for niche vehicles like the Dodge Charger SRT8 shown above, went unscathed.

In an interview with Edmunds Auto Observer, SRT marketing head Michael Accavitti weighs in with his thoughts about SRT's current position and future direction, how the Daimler split affects it (not much, apparently) and how it'll fare under new Chrysler boss Bob Nardelli (Accavitti is extremely "up" on the former Home Depot chief). We encourage you to read the interview in full, but based on his comments, it seems that SRT remains very much in the plan for Chrysler. It has received support from new sales/marketing/product czar Jim Press, who understands the need to have halo cars such as the SRT models, and for his part, Accavitti doesn't come across as someone who's worried his toys might get taken away from him anytime soon. Check it out by clicking here or hitting the "Read" link below.

[Source: Edmunds Auto Observer]

Photo Copyright ©2007 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.

So, it's a couple days late - call it a summer vacation hangover and let's just move on. We had a busy weekend covering both the Woodward Dream Cruise and the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, which pushed our schedule back. Once in front of our mics, we start Autoblog Podcast #75 by mulling the 2008 Honda Accord. Damon regales us with the story of the Cadillac CTS media launch out at Laguna Seca. GM's made enough progress that we can just drop the "for a GM" modifier from the sentence "The new CTS is a great car." No longer able to heap abuse on the General, we look to Europe and find MINI. It seems nobody considered that the clamshell door setup on the Clubman should be engineered to swap sides, so it would always be on the passenger side, even in right-hand-drive countries. Whoops. Continuing with entertaining small cars, the Dodge Caliber SRT-4's pricing was announced. $23 large for 285 horsepower - such a deal. Big horsepower was also stuffed under a Toyota Aurion's Australian hood. The 320-odd horsepower Camry spinoff slaps our mamby-pamby weak-kneed Joe Camel Camry around pretty well. Don't change it, just send it. Speaking of car-lust, new DeLoreans are coming! $57,500 will buy you a hand built car that will net endless stupid-ass questions about the flux capacitor.

That's it - a meaty 51 minutes this week, enjoy!

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Click image for photo gallery

If you're looking for new, interesting, and not-too-expensive ways to immolate front tires at a prodigious rate, Dodge's compact rocketship, the Caliber SRT4, will arrive at dealers with a price tag of $22,995, the automaker has announced. In addition to the 285-horsepower/265 lb-ft turbo four tucked behind the Caliber's pugnacious mug, that sum also nets buyers the full suite of SRT performance modifications (6-speed Getrag DMT6 manual, SRT bodywork, 19" painted wheels, brake and suspension upgrades, etc.) plus an interior that features bolstered SRT-branded sport seats, a unique gauge cluster, and standard equipment like the Chill Zone cooled storage bin, illuminated cupholders, and other assorted items. Chrysler also listed the prices of three options it figures to be popular selections. A power sunroof will tack on $795, the Kicker/SRT audio system runs an additional $1,190, and 19" polished aluminum SRT wheels will carry a $400 surcharge.

Follow the jump for Chrysler's full press release.

[Source: Chrysler LLC]

Some of the most valuable muscle cars in the world today come from the Chrysler group, with Challengers in some cases auctioning for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The automaker certainly does a great job of making interactive displays for auto shows, and the expertise carries over to Woodward, as well. The Chrysler group display was chock full of tuners, muscle cars, chromed Hemi engines, and things to do for the kids. We stopped by the huge display, and we've got video after the jump for you to enjoy. Take a look!

Information is more than scant, but Chrysler will be kicking off the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise by pulling the wraps off a new vehicle later this morning. Not just any new vehicle, but a limited production model. Judging from the fact that Larry Lyons, VP for the FWD product team, will be in attendance, our money's on the Caliber SRT-4, which we've seen before at shows and been promised in showrooms before the year's out. Woodward is a good place to unveil such a vehicle as the Caliber SRT-4 with its performance bent and 280 nasty horses funneling through the front wheels. The Caliber's forebear, the Neon, already established the SRT moniker as a furious buzzbomb to be reckoned with, and the SRT's certainly got more powder in the charge. We should note, however, that Chrysler has unveiled a special edition model right before the Dream Cruise for a few years in a row now, and in the past it's always a special edition of the PT Cruiser. We think it will be the Caliber SRT-4 this time, but we could be wrong. What we find most amusing is that the unveiling will take place at an Irish pub. At 8:30AM. Right on.

UPDATE: We're wrong. It's the PT Cruiser Sunset Boulevard edition.

[Source: TAC]

It's taken about a year and a half to get the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 to market, but by September the newest and smallest SRT vehicle will be available for purchase. Chrysler's turbocharged 2.4-liter world engine will still boast a best-in-class 280 HP and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. All that power to the front wheels will be kept under control by an electronically-tuned brake lock differential that controls throttle, spark advance, and boost, while a Getrag six-speed manual transmission will round out the powertrain. To make sure the Caliber SRT-4 holds the same value quotient of the Neon SRT-4, Dodge is working hard to deliver a stripped-down model at just under $20,000.

When we heard that the Caliber would be FWD and have 300 HP, we were skeptical that such a light vehicle would be able to handle that much grunt being sent to the front wheels. 280 HP isn't a drastically lower number, but Dodge engineers are at least trying to keep the prodigious understeer in check. If Dodge can deliver a budget hot rod under $20,000 that boasts 280 useful horsepower and a road-holding suspension (plus those trick 19" SRT wheels), then the Mazdaspeed3 and VW R32 are going to be in for some stiff competition.

[Source: AutoWeek]