Driving Sports

Dodge Launches Challenger - Driving Sports Takes a Hot Lap

Chrysler today celebrated the production launch of one of the industry's most highly anticipated vehicles -- the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. A full line-up of Challengers will follow in the 2009 model-year. Consumer interest in the Dodge Challenger has been some of the highest seen at Chrysler.

Driving Sports had a chance to get behind the wheel of the new Challenger SRT8 at Laguna Seca a couple weeks ago, and we were thrilled with the power and handling - far from creating a brutish, heavy throwback muscle car, Dodge and SRT have delivered a car with fantastic power, light steering feel, and predictable sporty handling. The manual transmission is smooth and fast, and helps make the new Challenger a joy to drive. If you've wanted one of the new generation of muscle cars and you're a Mopar fan, you have got to check out the Challenger SRT8.

Western Automotive Journalists Gather For "Media Days" At Laguna Seca

The Western Automotive Journalists organization gathered this week in beautiful Monterey, Calif. to test drive the 2008 sports and luxury car field from virtually every automaker doing business in North America. Journalists from up and down the west coast arrived to test the full fleet of 2008 cars on the winding mountain roads of Carmel Valley and at speed on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Yes, that's the new Nissan GT-R parked next to the NISMO Edition 350Z in the photo to the right. Yes, they're as good as you think they are.

Events such as this serve a number of purposes, including a rare chance for side-by-side tests of comparable cars from different automakers, and also to allow a relaxed atmosphere to talk shop with the manufacturer representatives. But I wouldn't lie to you and tell you it was anything like working - this event is big-time fun.

Mopar Signs Lux in World Challenge GT

Cindi Lux and Mopar announced today the addition of the veteran female road racer to Team Mopar for the 2008 race season. Lux, the 1999 American Le Mans Series Women's Global GT Series Champion, will represent the parts division of Chrysler in the highly competitive, road car-based Sports Car Club of America's (SCCA) World Challenge GT Series. NayKid Racing will enter the Lux Performance Group, LLC prepared and managed No. 2 Mopar Dodge Viper Competition Coupe starting at the April 20 Grand Prix of Long Beach (Calif.). The Long Beach event marks the first race of the 2008 SPEED World Challenge season for the Aloha, Oregon resident.

"Being part of the Mopar racing family holds more of significance for me personally due to my family heritage. My grandfather started our family Chrysler dealership back in 1925 and it is still running strong today. I have many memories as a kid sweeping our parts department on weekends with all of those Mopar parts surrounding me. And now I get the opportunity to represent Mopar on the race track. That is awesome. Our team has worked so hard over the winter months on our Vipers and I can't wait to hit the track at Long Beach. What a great place to debut our new paint scheme and partnership," Lux says.

Chrysler Takes it to the Streets

Moving on all fronts to re-engage its customers, Chrysler LLC launches a corporate campaign on April 14 with the theme line “If you can dream it, we can build it.” The campaign begins a dialogue with America about the Company’s culture and passion for delivering on customers’ dreams.

“Great companies are driven by a deep sense of who they are and their core values. We realigned our values and put the customer at the core of everything we do,” said Jim Press, Vice Chairman and President, Chrysler LLC. “We are driven to deliver the realization of their dreams through products that they are passionate about owning and driving. And we are poised to do it better, and in a way that no other company can.”

Dodge Challenger Unveiled - Way Cool!

Today at the New York International Auto Show, Chrysler LLC unveiled its full 2009 Dodge Challenger model lineup. Pricing will start in the low $20’s.

The all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger merges the best American muscle-car characteristics — unmistakable design, world-class handling, powerful engines and technology — to delight driving enthusiasts across several generations.

Chrysler Shows Off 2008 Dodge Challenger

The return of the iconic Dodge Challenger brings what pony car fanatics crave: ground shaking performance, unmistakable design cues reminiscent of the original Challenger, world-class ride and handling characteristics and benchmark braking. On top of that it features a wide variety of modern amenities and technology designed to delight a new generation of driving enthusiasts.

“The all-new Dodge Challenger SRT8 is engineered to give customers everything they want in a modern muscle machine,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing, Chrysler LLC. “The new version of Dodge’s American classic boasts tire-smoking performance and head-turning design while offering a wide array of state-of-the-art technology, such as GPS navigation, ‘Keyless Go’ entry, a MyGIG™ infotainment system and UConnect hands-free communication.”

Auto Industry Flashes the Green at Winter Auto Shows

Every year at the various Auto Shows around America, representatives of the big three U.S. automakers give a short presentation to the local media about their new cars.  Two years ago, the talk was all about big - bigger cars and SUVs with bigger engines than the year before. This year, the trend is mostly in the other direction, and you’ll be able to see the difference at this winter's Auto Shows.

Back in November, I went to the Los Angeles Auto Show to get an early look at the 2009 prototypes and concept cars. Every manufacturer at the L.A. Auto Show wanted to talk about green. Not just the color of money, but about alternative fuels, hybrid engines, and clean transportation.

First Production Dodge Challenger SRT8 Sells for $400K

The long-awaited rebirth of the Dodge Challenger was sure to spawn a feeding frenzy at the trendy Barrett-Jackson auto auction in Arizona this week. With original muscle cars that were sitting on blocks or being driven by guys with mullets just a few years ago selling for 7 figures to IPO bazillionaires, it was only natural that the first of the new line would fetch some serious coin, too.

But the folks at Chrysler are smart, and nice, so Dodge and notMYkid.org partnered to auction the first production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 at B-J. Not too surprisingly, the winning bid was placed by Craig Jackson, Chairman/CEO of the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company.

2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4 Reviewed

The new Dodge Caliber SRT4 has been compared to every other 4-cylinder pocket rocket on the market these days - and for sure, it’s a contender.  With 300 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.4-liter DOHC 16V engine, run through a 6-speed manual front wheel drive transmission, it’s got the power to  hit 60 MPH in under 6 seconds. And it will do this and still give you 21/26 MPG - nice at today’s gas prices!