The folks at Chrysler Canada are a pretty excited bunch this week, after watching the first 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 make it’s way out of the Brampton, Ontario plant on Thursday. The Canadian plant also manufactures the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can get our hands on one here in The Garage.

Press release after the break
Continue reading →

Popularity: 5%

This year’s CIAS began in style with the annual Chrysler media dinner, during which the 2009 Dodge Ram made it’s Canadian debut. It was pretty cool watching Chrysler’s VP of Ralph Gilles (who also happens to be Canadian) describe the process that went into developing the new Ram. Hearing that they worked with existing truck owners to learn what they want was encouraging, as is the fact that Gilles seems truly excited about the finished product. A quick glance around the interior showed lots of neat, functional features that will be appreciated here in The Garage. The truck on display was a base model, but you would never know it from the quality of materials used on the inside.
Continue reading →

Popularity: 6%

From the kool corner of The Garage comes the latest in an ever growing line of killer equipment. Herr Von Minden has been doing the paint work on this super rare 1958 Dodge Regal Lancer. I don’t know too much (anything really) about the 58 Regal Lancer, but it certainly looks related to that 58 Fury made famous by Hollywood.

Too kool. More pics after the break
Continue reading →

Popularity: 6%

All too often, a manufacturer offers a special “track ready” version of their sporty car that really isn’t track ready. When Nissan offered the 350Z in a track model, enthusiasts had something to cheer about. The only problem was that this was no stripper, in addition to Brembo brakes, you got leather, 6 disc cd changer and navi if you wanted it. So much for a track car. Where were all the option deletes?

Dodge on the other hand, has a history of doing things right. The Viper SRT10 ACR is a real track ready monster. Even the old Neon ACR was pretty close to race ready, with owners only needing to install the appropriate safety equipment. With the 2008 Challenger, the Dodge boys (and girls) are heading back to their roots in drag racing. It looks like they are planning to do it right.
Continue reading →

Popularity: 11%

Dodge announced the pricing for their new 2009 Journey crossover first reveled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this past fall. This is Dodge’s first plunge into the segment.

Offered at a little under $20,000, Dodge is hoping that the price point steers some potential buyers away from the Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Veracruz, Toyota Highlander, and Ford Edge.
Continue reading →

Popularity: 5%

In Part 1 of the Dakota road test, I mentioned that this was a perfect work truck. Big enough to be effective, yet small enough to park in a normal spot. I must admit that in traditional short cab pick ups, the close proximity of the rear glass has always felt a tad confining for me. The extended cab Dakota eliminates this issue as the extra length in the back of the cab makes it feel much roomier for the driver and front seat passenger.

The back seat, obviously is just for little ones or small cargo. Our boys loved the small, forward facing jump seats. Our 7 year old had a bit of a tough time finding a handhold on the way up, but thought the seating position was fun. Likewise, our 9 year old couldn’t wait to show off the cool red truck to his buddies. Our 13 year old didn’t even try.
Continue reading →

North Dakota Car Insurance free quotes

Popularity: 6%

It’s always nice when a road test can be done in nice sunny weather. Not only do you get the best pictures, but you can explore a vehicle’s performance. When the vehicle being tested is more about real world utility though, perhaps a bit of inclement weather is just what’s needed to show the real world character of the vehicle. We’re driving a 2008 Dodge Dakota SXT this week and as luck would have it, old man winter decided to deal an early dose of the white stuff.

Our extended cab tester model comes with utility and cargo packages, which means it has all the goodies needed to make this a solid work truck, with extra seating in the back for the kiddies. Even with flex fuel capability, the 4.7 L V8 puts a whopping 302 horsepower through a 5 speed automatic transmission. That 5 speed is a good thing, as this truck is tow ready with a 3.92 rear end with limited slip. I shudder to think what fuel economy would be like with an old school 3 speed! As it sits, the Dakota is rated to tow 7,100 pounds, making it a perfect choice for the club racer or contractor who doesn’t want a full size truck.
Continue reading →

Popularity: 6%

That’s right, we’ve got a big red truck in The Garage this week. The weather in Tdot today would have Noah scrambling to load up the animals, so you’ll just have to wait for our usual bevy of images.

The truck we’re driving is an extended cab, 4×4, 302 horsepower flex fuel model that looks tough as nails. So far, the ride is truckish enough to remind the driver that it is a work truck, but comfy enough to stay relaxed in the rainy day Toronto traffic.

The boys love the jump seats in the back and Dad loves the fact that Dodge used their head and included an Aux jack for my mp3 player. Oh yes, the V8 sounds killer, just don’t press the loud pedal too aggressively in the rain!

Later in the week, we’ll have a proper review of the Dakota.

Popularity: 5%

During the L.A. Auto Show, Dodge unveiled its 2008 Viper SRT10 ACR (American Club Racer) – a street-legal racecar. The vehicle features an aluminum V-10 engine that produces 600-horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque.

In order to really tear off, you have to actually tear out.

To minimize the car’s weight, Dodge indicates consumers can opt for the “Hard Core” package, which eliminates the audio system, under hood silencer pad, trunk carpet and tire inflator.

Dodge says the ACR will cost “under $100,000″ which to my way of thinking could very well end up translating to $99,999. The SRT10 ACR arrives in the second quarter of 2008. With a base Viper coupe running about $87,000, a $10-12,000 track pack is not totally unreasonable for a car on which racing stripes alone are a whopping $3000 option.

Popularity: 4%

You don’t lose billions of dollars without putting a lot of thought behind it. Chrysler seemed to have had a solid plan in effect over the last few years that consist of manufacturing overlapping body doubles. Bob Nardelli is getting out one of his old Home Depot hammers to take another swing at the production line. The most likely candidates to enter the Cerberus crusher will come out of these twofers. Who shall live and who shall die?

One new crossover seems to already be DOA. The mysterious code named JZ49, Chrysler brand’s proposed version of the forthcoming Dodge Journey crossover may have already been cut. I guess the camouflage is really a body bag.

Continue reading →

Popularity: 8%