You've Got To Check Out Our Used Inventory Specials At David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Today!

You won't believe our amazing pre-owned inventory deals at David Dodge Chrysler Jeep today! Click HERE to see all our pre-owned specials.

Travis Pastrana signs with Dodge for another year, brings partner Bryce Menzies

Dodge and SRT Motorsports announced that the Dodge Dart will be returning for its sophomore season of the Global Rallycross Championship with a two-car team fielded by Pastrana Racing. Travis Pastrana drove his GRC Dart to victory lane in the fourth race of the car's inaugural season, and his race team is looking for even more success with the addition of off-road racer Bryce Menzies behind the wheel of the second car.

The 2013 GRC season kicks off on April 21 in Brazil with plenty of dirt-spewing, ramp-jumping action. Scroll down for a video from the cars' main sponsor, Red Bull, and a press release from Chrysler.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

Chrysler 300 diesel could get green light

Word has it Chrysler is keen to shove its new turbo diesel V6 into a range of models. Wards Auto reports Chrysler President and CEO Saad Chehab has made it clear the automaker is investigating the possibility of using the 3.0-liter oil-burner in the 300. While speaking at an Automotive Press Association luncheon, Chehab said, "It's a matter of how much the customer is willing to pay for that premium. That's the only issue with it."

The Chrysler 300 is sold as the Lancia Thema in Europe complete with a diesel of its very own, and since the Jeep Grand Cherokee is now available with the diesel V6 here in the States, it only makes sense that the engine could potentially show up on the 300 order sheet.

Chehab also said the engine could make an appearance in the next-generation Chrysler 200, which is set to debut next year.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

2014 Dodge Durango bows with eight-speed auto, updated looks

Dodge has significantly updated its full-size Durango for the 2014 model year, giving the seven-passenger hauler a fresh look and a well-rounded boost of competitive features as it enters its fourth year in the showroom.

Cosmetically, it is hard to miss the revised front end with projector-beam headlamps and LED daytime running lamps, "floating" crosshair grille, a taller front bumper and a new lower fascia. The rear end of the facelifted Durango has been redesigned with the automaker's now-signature LED "racetrack" taillamps and resculpted rear fascia. All of the wheels are new too, with 18- and 20-inch options for each trim level with a variety of factory finishes.

Inside the cabin, buyers can select the automaker's latest Uconnect infotainment system with a full suite of infotainment features and connectivity accessed through an 8.4-inch touchscreen. Other optional goodies include a heated steering wheel, heated second-row seating and a Blu-Ray player capable of running unique programs on the twin individual rear monitors.

Mechanically speaking, Dodge has fitted an eight-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment to both the 3.6-liter V6 (290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque) and the optional 5.7-liter V8 (360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque) which should improve both performance and economy. As an added benefit, the Pentastar V6 now boasts a best-in-class driving range of more than 600 miles on one tank of fuel, but thus far, Dodge isn't discussing much in the way of additional performance metrics, saying only that the Pentastar should get 25 miles per gallon on the highway cycle.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

2014 Dodge Durango teaser reveals new 'racetrack' taillights

Not wanting to let Jeep get all of the SUV attention for the 2014 model year, Dodge is unveiling a refreshed version of its Durango at the New York Auto Show. Teased in this image, all we can really tell about the 2014 Dodge Durango is that it will be getting Dodge's "racetrack" taillights similar to the Charger and Dart.

The chrome or painted strip currently between the Durango's Zorro taillamps have been removed to allow for a full-width LED array with "DODGE" lettering displayed more prominently above the license plate pocket. Parent company Chrysler also promises that the updated Durango will add "several new class-exclusive features," but stops short of saying what those are. Earlier reports suggest that among the changes, buyers will be able to look forward to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which ought to improve the three-row SUV's fuel efficiency.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

2013 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I fell in love with this car. It was starting down a nearly straight entrance ramp at 15 miles per hour when I buried the throttle. In a moment, I was thrown back into my seat as the big SRT8's engine came to life with commensurate sound, fury and force, bringing me up to 75 mph in what felt like two blinks of an eye. This thing feels so much quicker than its 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque would lead you to believe. And mashing the right pedal never, ever gets old.

But beyond sheer speed, I found a whole lot to like about the Charger SRT8 during my week with the Pitch Black test car here in Detroit. And while the whole Super Bee kit isn't really my style, it's really easy to overlook those badges for a package that offers so much for so little.

Driving Notes

• Like I said, the 392 Hemi engine feels much more powerful than its numbers might suggest. Chrysler estimates that the car will rip off 0-60 times in the high-four-second range, and you'll pass the quarter mile just before the 13-second mark.
• And then there's the transmission. Dodge fits a five-speed automatic unit to its 6.4-liter Hemi here in the Charger, and while that's almost an archaic piece of technology by today's standards (and considering that the recently refreshed Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT with the same engine uses an eight-speed auto), it's still well-suited to the big motor. Shifts happen quickly, both up and down the range, and because there are only five ratios, there's less hunting around between cogs.
• There are steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but the transmission felt best when left to its own devices. Just hit the throttle when you want to go, and you'll go. There's no drama, just speed.
• But this thing is just so fun to drive. You can get the rear tires to spin at every stoplight, but in an incredibly manageable and playful fashion. Likewise, it's easy to nudge the rump out around turns, and the thick, leather-wrapped SRT steering wheel is a joy to toss back and forth.
• This is a big, heavy car, though, and you won't forget it from behind the wheel. At no point would I describe its handling as nimble or precise, but it's not nearly as tough to wrangle as you might imagine. There are big Brembo brakes to keep all that power in line, and you don't need to turn off the traction nannies to have a good time.
• Visually, the Super Bee kit offers unique, double-five-spoke 20-inch wheels, decals on the hood and rear quarter panel, and a small graphic next to the SRT badge in the grille. Inside, unique trim is found on the cloth seats and there's another Super Bee graphic on the dash. It's not what I'd spec, but to each their own. The Charger is still a great-looking car regardless.
• This car offers a ton of bang for the buck in terms of performance. The standard 4.3-inch touchscreen display works well and is incredibly responsive, but combined with the large cubby underneath, it really reminds you that you didn't pony up for the big screen Uconnect system. 
• If anything, this SRT8 Super Bee reminded me just how awesome the Charger SRT8 is as a whole. And by offering so much punch underhood, the Super Bee package strikes me as being an excellent bargain for people looking for no-frills high performance.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

Jeep Wrangler diesel likely after 2015 model refresh

We automotive journalists aren't always the right people to ask about whether a US-spec vehicle should or should not be offered with a diesel powertrain (hint: the answer is usually "YES"). But when it comes to the iconic, off-road-ready Jeep Wrangler, we aren't the only ones who have been clamoring for an oil-burning engine behind that famous seven-slat grille. To that end, it appears there's good news on the horizon, as Jeep CEO Mike Manley recently told Ward's Auto that the "Wrangler is on the radar to get (a) diesel."

"I'm confident that the Grand Cherokee will show just how large a demand there is for diesel, and I think what that will do is reinforce the need for us to target Wrangler as a vehicle that can take a diesel," Manley told Ward's. The most rugged of Jeeps is scheduled to get an overhaul around 2015-16, and the diesel powertrain will likely be introduced around that time.

This year alone, Chrysler will be adding a diesel engine to the Grand Cherokee SUV, as well as the Ram 1500 pickup and Promaster utility van.

It's unclear if the Wrangler will get a new diesel engine or if Chrysler will use one of its existing oil-burners. The Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 will be powered by the new 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6, while the Ram Promaster uses a less-powerful 3.0-liter four-cylinder. In Europe, the Wrangler currently uses a 2.8-liter diesel V6, which we've had the chance to test (and enjoy). Of course, we won't get too excited until the ink has dried on an official announcement, but for now anyway, things are certainly looking good.

Courtesy of Autoblog.com

2014 Jeep Cherokee gets official in a hurry

Automakers work very, very hard to keep their new vehicles under wraps until they can present them in exactly the way they want them – typically choreographed under the bright lights of an auto show, or perhaps with photos or video in an idyllic location. Spy shooters and leaks, in other words, keep executives and public-relations types up at night.

Take for instance, when the team over at Jalopnik got a big scoop – the first undisguised shots of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, a model whose name wasn't even officially confirmed yet. The clandestine images taken inside of a factory were blurry and didn't exactly show off the crossover's radical new contours in the same sort of flattering light that Jeep probably would've wished for its product reveal. So the Auburn Hills automaker has wisely reacted by spilling at least some of the beans on the new model, giving us these four photos and confirming the Liberty replacement's name, Cherokee.

Jeep has only released a handful of shots of the trucklet's new nose, not showing off the profile or rear view, but they do give the best look yet at what is likely to be one of the most polarizing designs to come out in 2014. The crimped-back seven-slot grille is a big enough design change that it will take some getting used to, but add in the Cherokee's aggressive split-lens headlamp treatment and you've got the makings of a design revolution.

No word yet on powertrain or pricing, but previous rumors have the Cherokee riding atop an Alfa Romeo-derived platform, which will likely mean that the mid-size utility carries front- and all-wheel drive variants and four-cylinder power. Jeep promises the Toledo-built model will hit showrooms in the third quarter of this year and be as much as 45-percent more efficient than its predecessor.

Courtesy of autoblog.com

2013 Dodge Durango R/T

For the 2013 model year, practically every model in Dodge's lineup has an R/T trim level from the Avenger all the way up to the Durango. Although the R/T name used to signified models made for road and track, I doubt anyone would be delusional enough to assume the Durango – and some of the other models wearing this badge – are suited for any sort of track duty.

Still, when this 2013 Dodge Durango R/T rolled up for me to drive for the week, I couldn't help but take in its big, mean and imposing stance. Sure, if I had my choice of buying any of the Dodge R/T products, the Charger and Challenger would be my top picks for sure, but it's easy to say that the Durango would be a close third – far above the R/T versions of the Avenger, Journey and Grand Caravan.

Driving Notes

• The R/T package gives it more aggressive styling thanks to a monochromatic look. With the removal of just about all the chrome that comes on a Durango, this tester even looked good in what would normally be a boring shade of silver thanks to the body-colored front fascia, smoked headlights, 20-inch wheels and the sporty-looking rear fascia with dual exhaust outlets.
• The styling might be there to back up the badge, but there is no extra power under the hood of the R/T. In possibly one of the best moves Dodge made with this particular model, the only engine offered is the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The 360-horsepower, 390 pound-feet of torque engine feels adequate perfectly for this 5,331-pound utility. This is the only model of the Durango lineup that comes standard with the six-speed automatic transmission, too.
• Fuel economy is about what you'd expect from a V8-powered SUV weighing as much as the Durango does, with EPA estimates of 13 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. During my week with the R/T, this tester returned 15.5 mpg.
• The best part of the Durango R/T might be its exhaust system. Yes, the dual pipes poking through the rear fascia give it an aftermarket look, but it's the exhaust note that makes the R/T thrilling. Dodge gave the Durango R/T unique mufflers, pipes and resonators for a deep, throaty note, which makes the package a little more distinctive.
• Similar to the exterior styling, the R/T's interior has a sportier look and feel with plenty of red accents on the standard black leather throughout the cabin. This particular model came with the center-row captain seats limiting the overall seating capacity to just six, but it made accessing the third-row seat much easier. Not surprisingly, as the innovator of third-row seating for non-fullsize SUVs, the Durango's rearmost accommodations are spacious enough for two adults and can also fold completely flat quickly and easily.
• There are plenty of optional goodies including leather-wrapped door panels, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control and Chrysler's Uconnect navigation system. This test vehicle may very well have been completely fully loaded, and while it'd be a hard financial pill to swallow, it's certainly easy enough to option rivals to the same level.

Courtesy of autoblog.com

Take a look at our February service special!

If your car or truck is sounding like it’s a little under the weather, be sure to visit the “Offers” tab to take advantage of our great service special! Your car will thank you for it.

eCoupon Details

Mopar '13 Dart is a bruiser of a compact

For the fourth year in a row, Mopar is offering a limited-production car decked with a plenty of add-ons and a unique look. This year's black-and-blue car is the Mopar '13 Dart, which was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show with the now-signature paint scheme. Like previous Mopar models, only 500 of the '13 Darts will be built. Past models include the Mopar '10 Challenger, Mopar '11 Charger and the Mopar '12 300.

The all-black Dart gets a brightly contrasting, offset blue stripe running the full length of the car, and other styling mods like the aero-tuned body kit, gloss black grille, wheels and mirror caps. Curiously, Mopar chose to stick with the Dart's standard headlights rather than the darker, smoked lights. The interior gets a similar black-and-blue treatment, but this unique cabin features a blue leather driver's seat to go along with the black leather seating for the rest of the passengers.

More than just a styling package, the Mopar '13 Dart also gets some performance and handling goodies to complement the Dart's turbocharged 1.4-liter engine, such as upgraded brakes with slotted rotors, a lowered suspension, retuned electric power steering and a "sport-tuned" exhaust system.

Courtesy of autoblog.com

2013 Dodge Challenger R/T Redline revs into Chicago

When Dodge released the Challenger Rallye Redline last year, it brought a new dimension of styling to the car's classic muscle car lines, but it was only available in V6 form lacking the oomph to back up its sinister appearance. To remedy that situation, Dodge is unveiling the Challenger R/T Redline, powered by a Hemi V8 engine, at the Chicago Auto Show.

Other than the extra cylinders, most of the R/T's Redline package carries over from the Rallye model including the custom-look 20-inch black chrome wheels with red paint accents, but the R/T version of the package gets more of a retro look to the side stripes with graphite graphics featuring Redline lettering. Cars equipped with the six-speed manual transmission will get a performance-tuned, low-restriction exhaust allowing the engine to produce 375 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque; cars with the five-speed auto are rated at 372 hp and 400 lb-ft, but they do offer a bright chrome Mopar t-handle shifter and steering wheel paddle shifters.

The R/T Redline Group is offered only on cars painted in Billet Silver, Granite Crystal, Bright White and Pitch Black.

Courtesy of autoblog.com

Our Current Coupon is About to Expire!

There’s only one more day to take advantage of our great service special for our Facebook followers! Go to the “Offers” tab on our page to print out the coupon.

Our Current Offers - http://on.fb.me/WxnMSt

Dodge Dart GTs Then and Now

I was excited to hear that the Dart GT moniker is about to be revived for use on a sporty version of the 2013 Dart. Set to debut at the North American International Auto Show with production slated to begin in the second quarter of 2013, the GT is another addition to the Dart line-up, and adds a host of standard equipment designed to further enhance its already solid performance image. You get a sport-tuned suspension, 184 horsepower 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir engine, Nappa Leather heated seats, heated steering wheel, 5-spoke wheels wrapped in 18-inch high-traction rubber that look like they belong on a Challenger SRT8, and sinister-yet-inviting styling tweaks.

Going back half a century to 1963, the first Dart GT followed a similar path – but was more about style and looks than performance. In that first year, the Dart lineup consisted of three models: the 170, 270 and GT. Only the GT was offered as a 2-door hardtop or convertible. The 170 and 270 variants were strictly 2- or 4-door sedans (with full door frames and fixed B-pillars) or utilitarian station wagons. By contrast, the hardtop body style gave the Dart GT an open, airy feeling with all windows rolled down – even if they did tend to let more air in with the windows rolled up. I presently drive a ’63 Dart GT every day and have simply learned to live with the various whistles and swooshing sounds as wind slips past the shrunken rubber window seals at highway speeds. It doesn’t bother me…much.

Inside the original 1963 Dart GT, stylists included the hottest trend to hit Detroit since quad headlamps, bucket seats. Cribbed from 2-seat European sports cars, bucket seats were the ultimate statement of sporting intent. They implied freedom; just me and my honey hitting the road in carefree style. By contrast, lesser Dart 170 and 270 models proclaimed, “this is work, not play” with bulky bench seats – folding on 2-doors for back seat access, rigid on 4-doors. True, the ability to seat three across up front was useful, but again, buckets were – and continue to be –  much cooler. So much so that by 1968 virtually every domestic car in every size and price range had a bucket seat package on the option sheet – even on certain 4-doors and station wagons.

While the empty space created between the bucket seats creates an ideal place to mount a floor shifter and console, thus adding even more sporty overtones, let’s remember that in 1963 Dodge was still enamored with push-button transmission controls on automatic-equipped models. Thus, my ’63 GT (like subsequent ‘64s) lacks a sexy floor shift console. Rather, I shift my Torqueflite automatic via a vertical stack of five circular buttons protruding from the left side of the instrument panel. That said, by 1965 all of Chrysler Corp. had abandoned push-button transmission controls and the 1965 Dart GT finally got the centrally mounted floor shifter and console it lacked before.

Under the hood, my ’63 Dart GT is powered by the standard 225 cubic inch (3.7 L) Slant Six. The optional 273 2-barrel small-block V8 didn’t arrive until 1964. Though my Dart GT’s Slant Six is rated at 145 hp, we must remember that Detroit used a gross measuring system until about 1972. Later net power ratings include the parasitic losses incurred by normal accessories (power steering pump, alternator, etc.) and a full exhaust system. Under the net rating system, my Slant Six might be good for 90 hp or so. This is to say that the 184 hp rating of the new Dart GT’s standard Tigershark four is very real. In fact, even though it displaces 146 cubic inches (79 less than the six in my older Dart), the new Dart makes nearly twice as much real-world horsepower! If the Tigershark’s block architecture wasn’t so devoted to the complexities of front-wheel drive, I’d seriously consider an engine swap.

Fifty years of technological advances can be humbling, yet my intent is not to belittle the early Dart in any way. Rather, this is a fascinating opportunity to gauge just how far we’ve come in the last five decades. Going under my Dart, we see that it has rear-wheel drive with a live rear axle under the backseat area. The modern version has (as mentioned) front-wheel drive and a nearly flat floor. The benefits of each layout are solid and each is a product of its time. In a nutshell, when a light, small vehicle is the primary objective, it’s difficult to improve upon the front-wheel drive layout. The engine and transaxle are combined into a single unit, and the weight and complexity of routing power to the rear of the car is eliminated. That said, as rear-wheel drive platforms go, the Chrysler A-body (which underpins every Dart built between 1963 and 1975) has earned a well-deserved reputation for superior handling versus other rear-wheel drive cars in its price range and market segment. The compact torsion bar front suspension and Chrysler’s practice of positioning the rear axle one-third of the way back between the leaf spring eyes combined to deliver the best handling in its class.

While the modern Dart GT benefits from stiffer springs, bushing hardness adjustments and other refinements for sharper handling than the Dart Limited, the 1963 GT package didn’t address the suspension. There are no antiroll bars or heavy-duty shock absorbers triggered by the GT badges. That said, when the 225 cubic inch Slant Six was ordered, the rear leaf springs employed five plates. By contrast, the base 170 cube engine warranted four plates. The same 9-inch diameter drum brakes were employed on all Darts – GT or otherwise. Superior front disc brakes would arrive in the 1965 model year – while optional 10-inch diameter drum brakes debuted in 1964 (standard with V8). But again, the components were well suited to sane street driving. My daily driving experience is pleasant though I am frequently reminded a front disc brake swap would be a good idea when passengers are aboard.

Moving beyond mechanical and interior specifications, we get to that intangible thing called image. To set it apart from the nearly 154,000 Darts built in 1963, Dodge applied a specific set of emblems and badges to each of the approximately 34,300 GTs built in ‘63 (including hardtops and convertibles). On each front fender, the traditional tri-pointed Dodge “fratzog” (really…that was the term used by copywriters when they registered the tri-pointed Dodge emblem) is bisected by serious-looking GT letters. On the trunk panel, the rectangular decoration breaks ranks to a degree and reads Dodge GT (rather than Dart GT). Why? I do not know. Inside, each door is adorned with two-tone chrome and matte black Dart GT emblems, and up front the plastic insert within the centrally mounted metal fratzog reads GT (lesser models bear 170 or 270 inscriptions). Finally, full wheel covers were standard equipment versus the smaller hubcaps used on lesser base models (though these wheel covers were also offered on Dart 270 models).

The new 2013 Dart GT also employs a series of visual identification cues. Though this writer does not have close access to an actual production model as of this moment, long lead photographs indicate that black-out treatments and subtly shifted bumper caps will be part of the formula. I do wonder if the exterior design boys will revisit the well and revive the original low-and-wide fonts on the new GT badges. It’d be extra cool if they do. Stay tuned, in my next blog post we’ll take a look at how the original Dart GT evolved from its humble beginnings of 1963. Later, we’ll explore alternate uses of those two magical letters, G and T, and review how they were applied to numerous Dodge and Plymouth models for extra sizzle!

–Steve Magnante

Courtesy blog.dodge.com

Maintenance Monday Tip: Be patient during the break-in period

You’ve bought your dream car and now you want to make it last at long as possible in top condition. Here are some things to remember as you pull it out of the dealer’s lot:

• During the break-in period, typically the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km), keep your speed under 55 mph (88 kpm) or to the speed recommended by your car’s manufacturer.
• Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, such as towing trailers, and loading the roof rack or trunk with heavy construction materials.
• Do not allow your new car to idle for long periods — this is good advice for the life of your car, but especially during breakin. The oil pressure generated by doing so may not be sending oil to every part of your engine.
• Use only light to medium acceleration, keeping the engine rpms below 3,000 for the first few hours of driving.

Courtesy of www.rd.com

2013 Dodge Dart Registry Takes a Page From Bridal Playbook

The new 2013 Dodge Dart registry takes a page from the traditional bridal playbook by providing a unique way to raise money toward the purchase of a Dart.

Instead of pots and pans, participants can fund specific parts of the Dart, such as a steering wheel, seat or engine. The online registry is not limited to brides and grooms. It is an unexpected twist on funding a new-car purchase.

"Unless your friends are all rich, generous and powerful, it will be tough to raise the full price of a new car," the Dodge Dart registry notes. "But you might be able to raise enough for a down payment. Or a few thousand dollars to lower your payments. If you fall short of your goal, you'll still get the funds you've raised."

The registry lets participants donate as little as $1. It says that donation tiers don't reflect the actual cost of the part of the car

The Dodge Dart registry launches January 20 with a new 30-second commercial titled "How to Change Buying Cars Forever."

"Brides and grooms have been doing it for years," said Chrysler in a statement. "Now it's easier than ever for new car buyers, too."

Wedding registries now include such unusual items as "lifestyle requests" that fund guitar lessons or wine tastings and charitable requests that let guests give a donation to select charities.

Edmunds says: A clever approach that's bound to be copied by other automakers.

Courtesy of Edmunds.com

Listen to Coldplay if You Want to Stay Safe on the Road, Study Says

Want to stay safe on the road? Wear a seat belt, check your blindspots, avoid texting while driving and ... listen to Coldplay.

Strange as it may sound, the British band's soothing tunes could help you avoid accidents while driving. Coldplay's "The Scientist" landed on a list of "ultimate safe driving songs" compiled by Confused.com, the creator of driving app MotorMate.

From the data, London Metropolitan University professor Simon Moore concluded that the optimum music volume for driving is 55 to 65 decibels, while the ideal tempo should mimic the human heartbeat at around 60 to 80 beats per minute.

Based on Moore's findings, Confused.com created a safe-driving playlist that includes: Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me," Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," Radiohead's "Karma Police" and Elton John's "Tiny Dancer." For more, check out the video above.

On the other side of the spectrum, Moore cautioned against listening to music that is noisy, upbeat and increases your heart rate. For example, drivers should avoid the Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama," which topped Confused.com's list of top 10 dangerous driving songs.

Courtesy of Mashable.com

Cummins Produces Two-millionth Diesel Engine for Ram Trucks

Cummins Inc. has produced its two-millionth diesel engine for Ram Trucks, highlighting the latest milestone in a storied partnership that spans four decades.

The 350-horsepower, 6.7-liter, in-line 6-cylinder turbo diesel is distinguished by its “Cummins Red” rocker cover and breather.

But despite its 800 pound-foot peak torque rating, the historic engine—feted at a Cummins plant in Columbus, Indiana—will not see service. Instead, it will go on display, touring the U.S., according to a Chrysler Group news release.

“The Ram Truck-Cummins diesel partnership is one of the industry’s most enduring and certainly fitting of such a tribute,” says Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand and Chrysler de Mexico.

“Both companies have benefited greatly, but Ram diesel customers are the real beneficiaries. Every day they experience the toughness and capability a Cummins-powered Ram can deliver.”

Cummins began supplying engines to Chrysler Group in 1988. Today in North America, only Ram-brand pickups and chassis cabs feature the coveted Cummins “C” logo.

“I am immensely proud of our association with Cummins,” says Bob Lee, Chrysler Group Vice President and Head of Engine and Electrified Propulsion Engineering.

“And I have no qualms matching our truck diesels against those of any competitor for performance and durability.”

For 2013, Cummins-powered Rams boast capabilities and features include:

•     Best-in-class torque and a 10 percent fuel-economy improvement
•     Exclusive dual-inlet “Ram Active Air” that adjusts induction according to driving conditions for optimal performance
•     “Smart” exhaust brake for smoother driving characteristics
•     Best-in-class 15,000-mile oil-change interval
•     A new cooling system for improved performance and durability
•     B20 fuel capability
•     Next-generation Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and diesel exhaust fluid system with range of up to 4,000 miles between refills
•     Dual fuel filtration system for enhanced reliability and durability in virtually every climate and environment
•     Unsurpassed powertrain warranty – five years/100,000 miles

Cummins-Diesel-Built-for-RamThe Chrysler Group-Cummins partnership traces its beginnings to 1985, when development work began on a 5.9-liter 12-valve in-line 6-cylinder turbo diesel. When it launched in 1989, it was rated at 160 horsepower and 400 pound-foot of peak torque—less than half the numbers for today’s High-Output 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel.

In the 2013 Ram Heavy Duty pickups, the top-line Cummins engine makes 385 horsepower and a best-in-class 850 pound-foot of torque.

Other notable events in the evolution of Cummins diesels produced for Chrysler Group include:

•     24-valve design introduced in model-year 1998.5
•     Adoption of high-pressure common-rail fuel delivery in 2003
•     Named to Ward’s 10 Best Engines list in 2004
•     Displacement increased to 6.7 liters from 5.9 liters in model-year 2007.5
•     Met 2010 EPA emissions certification in 2007

Courtesy of Vogeltalksrving.com

Getting a grip on tire fundamentals

A tire's sidewall is packed with information. Each manufacturer's Web site has a detailed key translating the figures, but this quick primer will help you decipher the information. Look for an alphanumeric combination such as "P245/40R17 91Y." The "P" indicates the tire was designed to meet North American passenger-car standards. If it were "LT," the tire was designed for light trucks. A lack of a preceding letter means a tire designed for European standards. The "245" is the nominal section width (not exactly the same as tread width but close) in millimeters. The "40" is the aspect ratio: The sidewall height expressed as a percentage of the tread width. In this case, 40 percent of 245 mm, or 98 mm. "R" indicates a traditional radial tire design. "17" is the wheel diameter in inches. "91" is the load index-a larger number means the tire, if inflated properly, can carry more weight, in this case 1,356 pounds. "Y" is the speed rating, meaning this tire is capable of sustained speeds of 186 mph. Other common speed ratings are S = 112; T = 118; H = 130; V = 149; W = 168; Z greater than 149.

112 0504 Ic Tire Side Z Tire manufacturers have a size "window" in which to fit a nominal dimension. While all of Maker A's 245/40R17s will be identical, they may be ever-so-slightly wider, narrower, shorter, or taller than Maker B's 245/40R17s. A tire focused on performance will likely be in the wide and tall corner of the window, while one that prioritizes low cost will likely be in the narrow and short corner. Since the size windows overlap, some makers use one size mold to produce a pair of dimensions. "M+S" means the tire meets the standards for an all-season tire. This does not imply the tire performance rivals a dedicated snow tire, just that it's better in snow than one without the M+S designation.

Widely misunderstood, "Max Load/Max Pressure" is not the pressure at which the tire will burst. Instead, increasing pressure beyond this point results in no additional load-carrying capacity beyond that stated.

Uniform Tire Quality Grade is shown as numbers or letters after the words "treadwear," "traction," and "temperature," this is the tire manufacturer's self-assessment of how this tire compares to its other offerings. The treadwear number, determined by field testing on a government-specified course, is a percentage of a control tire graded at 100 points. Thus, a tire marked "200" means it lasts twice as long one graded "100." The traction rating comes from a straight-line wet (more like damp) grip test (not really stopping distance, as its performed on a traction trailer). "AA" is best. And temperature indicates the tire's resistance to heat generated by running at high speed. "A" is best. So many high-quality tires get "AA" and "A" in the last two categories, that they are of relatively little use, except to convince you not to buy cheap tires.

Courtesy of MotorTrend.com

Looking for a new Dodge? See how the new Dart stacks up against the competition.

Check out the comparison chart on our website.

Special Edition of Chrysler 300 to Honor Motown

Chrysler has announced that it will offer a special edition Motown version of the 300 sedan. To be introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and offered for sale in the spring, the car comes with the blessing of Berry Gordy Jr., Motown’s founder. Mr. Gordy also appears in a new television advertisement publicizing the Motown edition and promoting “Motown: The Musical,” a production based on Mr. Gordy’s life set to open on Broadway in April.

In the ad, Mr. Gordy is seen in the back seat of the new car. The car passes the famous Hitsville U.S.A. house, site of the company’s early offices and now the Motown Museum. To a soundtrack of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” the Marvin Gaye-Tammi Terrell Motown classic, the ad presents stills of Motown stars and clips of a drive from Detroit to Manhattan. It tracks a journey that begins with such Detroit landmarks as the Detroit Institute of Arts, but ends in New York, specifically in front of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater.

The Motown edition is visually cleaned up and accented. Its face is a good match, it turns out, for the face of the balding Mr. Gordy, a former boxer. Both are planar and rugged.

Unlike the Chryslers of Motown’s golden years, the Motown 300 offers neither eight-track stereo nor 8-cylinder engine. There is, however, an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission to make the most of the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, with 292 horsepower and 31 m.p.g. on the highway.

The custom look of the car is restrained but bold. It’s no blingmobile, but there is plenty of brightwork, including a seven-blade grille whose pattern is picked up by the 20-inch wheels and chrome accents on fascias and door handles.

The interior is based on a theme of white and black — like a piano keyboard. There is pearl white Nappa leather seating and a cockpit accented with piano black and black olive ash wood trim, a warm gray, to judge from the detail images Chrysler made available to the press.

The car arrives with 100 Motown songs preloaded on a memory card, part of the UConnect media info system. Sound comes from a 10-speaker Beats system with an 8.4-inch touch screen display. The Motown logo is visible outside, on the front quarter panels and insider embossed on the white leather seatbacks.

Chrysler has a history of nurturing sales of models with special editions. (Chrysler has sold 63,572 300s through November.) Previously it offered John Varvatos Luxury and John Varvatos limited editions of the 300C, each reflecting in different ways the style of Mr. Varvatos, a Detroit-raised fashion designer. (Mr. Varvatos is a music fan, too; he displays guitars and vintage records and audio equipment in his stores.) The John Varvatos Limited Edition offers a choice of the 5.7-liter Hemi engine.

The Detroit News reported that the Motown edition 300 will be joined by a Chrysler 200 8 Mile special edition, timed to the 10th anniversary of the film “Eight Mile” and extending the company’s relationship with Eminem.

Chrysler has something of a musical tradition in promoting and customizing its cars. Who can forget Snoop Dogg’s 2005 round of golf with Lee Iacocca? And decades before, when Mr. Iacocca was Chrysler’s chief executive, the company produced a 1981 Frank Sinatra edition Imperial.

The Motown 300 is available in bright white, gloss black, deep cherry red or jazz blue.

Courtesy of New York Times