Hasta La Gadget!

Diesel-powered automobiles aren’t all that common in the United States. There are a few automakers that offer cars that have diesel engines inside, and more are coming in 2014 model year cars. Where diesel power has been common for a number of years in the United States is in the truck market. Diesel-powered trucks are extremely popular in the United States.

Ram has announced that it will be building the industry’s only light-duty diesel-powered pickup. Diesel engines in trucks in the United States are limited to heavy duty vehicles designed for towing and other needs. The 2014 Ram 1500 will have an optional 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine mated to an eight-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

RAM promises that the engine will offer best in class fuel efficiency, best in class torque, and impressive overall capability. The V-6 engine is a turbodiesel and promises to produce 60% less emissions than was produced by diesel-powered trains of 25 years ago. The engine will be manufactured by VM Motori, the company who has provided the Chrysler Group with diesel engines since 1992.

The available EcoDiesel engine marks the first time that an American truck manufacturer has offered diesel power in a light-duty half-ton pickup. Ram didn’t offer horsepower or torque specifications for the new engine at this time. You can bet it will have a huge amount of torque and an impressive towing capacity, hallmarks of a power in the truck market.

[via Ram Trucks]

2014 Ram 1500 to get new EcoDiesel engine is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Dodge has been offering an interesting visual package on some of its more performance-oriented vehicles for a while now called the Dodge Blacktop special-edition package. Originally, the Blacktop package was available on the Challenger, Charger, and Avenger. The Blacktop package offers special styling cues to set the vehicles apart from other cars on the street.

The package includes lost black wheels, gloss black painted split-crosshair grill with gloss black matching grill surrounds, darkened head light bezels, and some unique Blacktop interior touches. Dodge says that the special packages have been very popular on the Challenger, Charger, and Avenger. The Blacktop package proved so successful that Dodge has decided to roll the package out to its line of three 7-passenger people hauling vehicles.

For the 2013 calendar year, the Blacktop package will be available on the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan, Durango SUV, and Journey crossover SUV. Dodge says that the Durango Blacktop edition will arrive at dealers in Q1 of 2013. The Journey and Grand Caravan Blacktop editions will arrive in dealer showrooms in Q2 of 2013.

The Blacktop package will be available on the Grand Caravan and adds 17-inch polished aluminum wheels with gloss black pockets. The interior the vehicle will be all black and the special package will cost $595. The Durango Blacktop will be available on the Rallye and the R/T models adding the black grille and gloss black 20-inch aluminum wheels for $295. The interior can also be upgraded with some special touches for an additional $595. The Journey Blacktop version will be available on both 4-cylinder and V-6 versions and adds special 19-inch black wheels, the black grille, and other styling upgrades for $995.

Dodge expands Blacktop Package to Durango, Grand Caravan, and Journey is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Police officers all around the country have a new vehicle to choose from when it comes to selecting pursuit vehicles. The Dodge Charger Pursuit offers the segments most advanced all-wheel drive system. The all-wheel drive system in the Charger Pursuit is designed to deliver maximum all weather traction and fuel efficiency.

The vehicle features an active transfer case, and front axle disconnect system that automatically enables all-wheel drive during slick conditions. At the same time, the special transfer case and axle disconnect system maintains the performance and handling characteristics of a rear-wheel drive architecture. What that means is the car uses all-wheel drive only when slick and otherwise operates as a standard rear-wheel drive vehicle.

The sophisticated all-wheel drive system is optional on the Charger Pursuit, but is available for police departments to choose along with the 5.7 L Hemi V-8 engine. Dodge says that police fleet customers will be able to order the Dodge Charger Pursuit with all-wheel drive for the 2014 model year. Criminals trying to evade police might want to give up when the Dodge Charger Pursuit steps into the fray.

According to Dodge, the vehicle delivered the fastest lap ever recorded at the Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation Test for the 2012 model year with the time of 1:33.70 at Grattan Raceway in Michigan. The vehicle’s 5.7-liter V8 engine produces 370 HP and 390 pound-foot of torque. It also promises 25 highway mpg with a four-cylinder mode.

Dodge Charger Pursuit offers sophisticated all-wheel drive system is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

NASCAR is one of the most popular sports in the world and one of the most heavily viewed motorsports anywhere. Regardless of how racing fans feel about NASCAR and how competitive the vehicles are, losing a major auto brand from such a big racing series isn’t a good thing. Dodge has announced that at the end of 2012 season it will withdraw from NASCAR competition.

That means that the recently unveiled Dodge Charger racecar won’t be in the NASCAR field next year. The last NASCAR racing team driving a Dodge product is Penske Racing. Penske announced back in February that at the end of 2012 season it would end its partnership with Dodge. That partnership saw the Penske team driving Dodge race cars since 2003.

Dodge says that it has been an “intense five months” working to identify and evaluate options in the NASCAR series. I would assume that means Dodge attempted to find teams willing to leave their current automotive brand and move to Dodge products. This isn’t the first time Dodge has left the NASCAR racing series.

Dodge left NASCAR previously in 1977 and didn’t return until 2001. The automaker has won 55 races since returning in 2001 and 215 in NASCAR overall. Penske Racing has announced that it will be driving a Ford in the 2013 NASCAR season.

Dodge announces plans to exit NASCAR competition at the end of 2012 season is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Dodge is going all out to push the new sub-$16k Dart as not only the best car for new drivers, but one which ticks boxes with what might be considered a “counter-culture” audience for traditional marques. The car company will the new compact with a 90s “How to Change Cars Forever” spot featuring in the Major League Baseball (MLB) 2012 All-Star Game, but Dodge has also been pushing promotions with deviantART, ReverbNation and other sites to encourage creatives to consider the Dart.

Meanwhile, companion promotions with Transworld and .Free Clothing Co., encouraging people “to create Dart-inspired works of art, songs, clothing and skateboard decks” under the tagline “Inspired by You”, will also run between now and the end of August. Dodge is hoping to engage with more than 25m of the “technicallyminded, creative individuals not necessarily reached through traditional media.”

It’s not the first we’ve seen of Dodge ticking more than the average number of boxes in an attempt to make the Dart’s appeal stick. The company has been lavish with its spec sheet, too, throwing a pair of sizable displays at the dashboard – an 8.4-inch Uconnect central touchscreen, and a 7-inch customizable instrument cluster – and releasing a smartphone app that can remotely start up the car. It will also feature wireless charging.

The splashy campaign is part of Chrysler’s attempt to spend itself our of financial ruin, a strategy which seems to be working reasonably well so far. The Dart is showing up in dealerships now, priced from $15,995.

Dodge targets creatives, oddballs and obsessives with 2013 Dart is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.