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August 24, 2010

2011 Dodge Charger Revealed On Fast and Furious 5

by Chris Demorro on August 24, 2010
When the Dodge Charger first returned to the Chrysler lineup, many were furious that Chrysler could take an iconic muscle car name and turn it into a four-door sedan. Since then, the Charger has carved a nice niche out for itself as a manly sedan, and in many precincts, as a replacement cop car for the aging Crown Victoria.

One eagle-eyed AutoBlog reader spotted some 2011 Dodge Chargers in police guise down in Puerto Rico on the set of the fifth “Fast and the Furious,” and we like what we see for 2011.

Images: AutoBlog

The Charger has been long overdue for an update, and the subtle changes are numerous and drastically improve the character of the car. The most prominent difference comes at the rear end, where the a one-piece tail lamp stretching across the entire trunk lid replaces the old dual tail lamps. A new rear diffuser employs new exhaust tips as well, and it really looks great.

On the front end, the changes are less drastic. The new head lamps are more angular and aggressive, as is the bumper and hood. The inside has received a bit more updating though, with brushed aluminum and new gauges. There also appears to be a push-button start system, as well as steering wheel-integrated audio and cruise controls.

The 2011 Chargers were dressed up as police vehicles for a chase scene involving two 2010 Chargers dragging a safe down a busy Brazilian street. We’re definitely more excited about the Chargers than the movie, but we’ll probably go see it just to see Dodge’s new sedan in action. Enjoy the pictures and head over to AutoBlog to see some more.

Filed under: Affiliate News,LX Community News — Tags: 2011 dodge charger, autoblog, Dodge, dodge charger, Fast 5, Fast and Furious 5, Furious 5, Puerto Rico — admin @ 8:00 AM

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June 20, 2010

Senate designates July 9, 2010 Collector Car Appreciation Day

by Alex Nunez (RSS feed) on Jun 20th 2010 at 6:03PM

Cruise night is America – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re a collector-car owner, or simply one of the millions of Americans who celebrates the hobby by attending local car shows, weekly cruise-ins, and the like, you might want to make a special point of hitting your favorite Friday-night old-car haunt three weeks from now. That’s because the United States Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 513

last month, officially designating July 9, 2010 as Collector Car Appreciation Day.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Richard Burr

(R-NC), states “that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States.” Moreover, the text of the resolution points out that the hobby and the myriad related businesses supporting it provide jobs for people across all 50 states.

In observance of the occasion, the resolution “encourages the people of the United States to engage in events and commemorations of `Collector Car Appreciation Day’ that create opportunities for collector car owners to educate young people on the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the United States, including through the collection and restoration of collector cars.”

It’s easy to dismiss resolutions like this as pure frivolity, especially in the face of more pressing matters facing the nation. That said, these things get passed all the time in both houses of Congress, and Sens. Tester and Burr have a point. Not only does the collector car hobby help preserve important bits of Americana, those weekly cruises and shows encourage new generations to get involved and keep the pastime going (along with the industry that exists as a direct result of it).

So, on July 9th, grab your family and friends, head to the local cruisers’ gathering point, and celebrate what those men and women are preserving. It’s American history: the kind you don’t generally learn in schoolbooks.

Filed under: Affiliate News — Tags: 2010, American history, appreciation day, autoblog, car hobby, collector car, collector car appreciation day, Friday, Friday-night, jon tester, july 9, local car shows, richard burr, senate resolution 513, SenateResolution513, SR 513, SR513, weekly cruise-ins — admin @ 6:03 PM

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June 3, 2010

Cover lifted on 2011 Dodge Charger

by John Neff (RSS feed) on Jun 3rd 2010 at 1:52PM

2011 Dodge Charger spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve seen plenty of spy shots showing heavily cloaked prototypes of the 2011 Dodge Charger before, but our spy photographers just found the holy grail. Who knows how it happened, but the cover on this Charger prototype (we’re guessing it’s an R/T model) got flipped back to reveal the redesigned sedan’s new snout for the first time and our spies snapped the hell out of it.

The Charger’s new look will apparently be an evolution more than a revolution, with the current sedan’s squared off front end and angry expression receiving several tweaks. The grille, for instance, appears slightly taller and juts out farther creating a schnoz not unlike what you’ll find on the front end of a Mitsubishi Lancer (not a fan of the faux chrome, though). The Charger’s headlights always made the car look pissed off, but the new model appears to be in an even worse mood with a more aggressive scowl. The hood is definitely more chiseled as well, with what appears to be two recesses stamped in on either side of a center spine. Finally, the lower bumper receives new fog lamps and a larger lower air intake.

There were rumors that Dodge passenger vehicles would soon be sporting new badges that ditched the horned ram, in light of Ram trucks being spun off as its own brand. This prototype, however, is wearing a traditional Dodge badge with the hooved mammal’s head in relief like always. That doesn’t mean the brand couldn’t swap out badges at the last minute, but if that’s their plan, there’s no evidence here.