Whoever the driver is, there's no denying that the long-haired fiend has got a pair; pushing old muscle up to 130+ mph in any instance has been known to get a little shaky. The last time yours truly tried such a feat in the old Stang, I recall a trail of white smoke about a mile long and desperately seeking an off ramp (but man was it fun).
The 3.6-liter V6 unit will be offered with different levels of output, the most powerful [for now] iteration being the one fitted on the upcoming 2011 Dodge Challenger, which will be rated at 305 bhp at 6,350 rpm and 268 lb.ft. at 4,800 rpm, representing a 55 horsepower increase over the previous 3.5-liter V6.
The car is motivated by the '86 Vette's power train - a 5.7-liter V8 and a 4-speed stick - so don't expect to be going anywhere in too much of a hurry. Inside is more of the 1980's, with the Corvette interior color-coded to line up with the Viper exterior (meaning it's the mighty played-out red and black).
T
he big news here, of course, is the Journey's newly crafted interior with higher-quality materials which puts the outgoing model's cabin to shame (not that it was hard..). Just about everything you see on the dashboard is new, including the sporty looking instrument panel with a standard electronic vehicle information center featuring a full-color display backlit.
The makeover is completed with a new multi-functioning three-spoke steering wheel, larger front storage bin with side nets, newly designed seats and controls, as well as an available Uconnect Touch media center with a touch-screen display. Dodge said the mid-size crossover offers six new interior color and trim options.
Being that the new Durango is heavily based on the 2011 Grand Cherokee, it comes to no surprise that -for the most part- the cockpit design is almost identical to that of Jeep's flagship model.
There are changes to the color schemes and trim, new steering wheel hub and instrument panel gauge designs, while certain switchgear such as the rotatable knob for the headlamps are unique to the Durango.
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Fo
r 2011, the redesigned Charger moves a little bit closer design-wise to the Detroit firm's 1999 concept model of the same name - though, not near enough to get us keyed up. At the front end, Dodge modernized the Charger with its new "split crosshair" grille, a restyled bumper and new headlamps. The aluminum hood design is also new and now features dual "scallops", while the windshield is laid at a "faster" angle.
Moving on to the car's profile, we see that the firm's designers took a good look at the 1999 Concept during the restyling phase adding similar body-side scallops. The big news, however, is at the rear as the 2011 Charger adopts a full-width tail lamp design that incorporates no less than 164 illuminating LEDs and is inspired by the late 60's Charger.
The new Dodge will make its debut at the Viper Owner's Invitational taking place in Salt Lake City, followed by a stop at SEMA in November on its way to Orlando.
If your car is on the list (scroll down), you should make sure to keep that chunk of metal locked down. As in, put a ring on it and don't let anyone near it.
Most Stolen Vehicles in the US in 2009:
Scroll down for the full details, but here's the gist of it. The base Challenger model gets the new Pentastar V6 that puts out 305 horsepower to truly compete with the other two V6 Pony cars (let's hope Dodge did something about that heft, though).
Most manufacturers are unwilling to do right-hand-drive conversions on what are essentially specialist models: cars like the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Viper, Ford Mustang and the like. There just aren't enough buyers to rationalize the cost.
Fortunately, a cottage industry (or rather a man-in-a-shed industry) has popped up offering RHD conversions of American muscle cars for eager buyers in countries like Australia, the UK and Japan.
The differences between the civilian and police versions of the 2011 Dodge Charger are limited to the decals and the necessary police car equipment, so what you see here in terms of sheetmetal changes is what you'll get when the sedan arrives in showrooms later this year.
