Dodge (Page 47)

When the 2013 Dodge Dart returns the Dart name to the Chrysler lineup, it will have a lot to live up to. Will it meet the challenge?

The Chrysler Group has announced that they are recalling select 2013 Dodge Durango sport utility vehicles in the 7-passenger configuration over a concern that the airbag modules could prevent the side impact airbags from working properly in the event of an accident – increasing the likelihood of injuries to rear riding passengers.

After receiving hundreds of complaints about ticking, stalling, power loss and misfire conditions (thus check engine lights) in select vehicles powered by the popular 3.6L Pentastar V6, the Chrysler Group has begun replacing the cylinder heads on some problematic vehicles – with as many as 7,500 vehicle affected in the US.

The hoards of faithful Dodge loving NASCAR fans around the country received some very bad news this week as SRT Motorsports President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph Gilles announced that Dodge would be pulling out of the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after the current 2012 racing season.

While the recent success of the Japanese automakers doing business in America have pushed the Chrysler Group out of the top spot in terms of year over year growth, Chrysler was able to continue their strong year as they were the only American automaker to show positive growth in July 2012.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into select Dodge Ram 1500 pickups over a concern that the rear differential may fail, causing the rear wheels to lock up while moving and vastly decreasing the driver’s ability to control the vehicle.

News has poured out of various German news sources this week that the famed Nürburgring race course is facing some 13 million Euros in debt with no way to pay said debt unless the managing group finds some massive infusion of money – money that the European government has said will not come from them – leading many to believe that the ‘Ring’s days are numbered.

This past Saturday, our spy cameras caught a 2013 SRT Viper GTS out cruising Metro Detroit area roads in a dark metallic blue that harkens back to the blue featured on the debut of the original Viper GTS Coupe in 1996 – a color choice that will almost certainly be a big hit with Viper enthusiasts should it become a production option.

This past weekend marked a major milestone in the life of the 2013 Dodge Dart as Travis Pastrana took his Discount Tire/Red Bull Racing Dodge Dart rally car to the winner’s circle for the first time – dominating the field at the 4th event of the Global RallyCross season at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The Chrysler Group’s aftermarket support brand Mopar plans to offer a great many accessories ranging from performance brakes to carbon fiber hoods and while Mopar hasn’t shown off any factory-offered striping packages, enthusiast forum Dodge-Dart.org leaked images of a few stripe packages coming later this year.

The Chrysler Group expects great things from the 2013 Dodge Dart when it hits showrooms at full steam later this month and to support the ongoing product launch – the company has published the first television ad for the new Dart with the small-screen debut expect to come during Tuesday night’s Major League Baseball All Star Game on Fox.

Even though Ford and GM have essentially pulled out of the minivan segment, it remains a hotly contested portion of the American auto industry and through the first half of 2012, the Dodge Grand Caravan holds a fairly substantial lead over the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna.

Last month, the Chrysler Group began handing dealerships all over the country their first 2013 Dodge Dart demonstration model and as the month came to an end, 202 of those dealerships opted to sell their first Dart but the number could have been much higher had a few things been different.

Zagato has graced us with stunning coach work on top on some of the most amazing cars in the past and this latest is no different. But is it an Alfa Romeo, a Dodge Viper or just another amazing exercise from the Zagato house?

June 2012 was another great month for the Chrysler Group as, with a year over year increase of 20% for the company as all five of the company automaker brands posted gains – including two of the top five biggest improvements by a single brand in Fiat and Chrysler.

Last weekend marked the third stop on the 2012 Global RallyCross season as the cars took to the Los Angeles street course of the 2012 X Games and when the final checkered flag dropped – rally legend (and Global RallyCross rookie) Sebastian Loeb ran away with the gold metal while Ford drivers Tanner Foust and Brian Deegan took home the silver and bronze.

Yesterday afternoon at the Palace of Auburn Hills, just a few miles from the Chrysler Group headquarters, around 250 Dodge dealerships from around the Michigan and Ohio areas received their first demonstration versions of the 2013 Dodge Dart.