2000 Dodge Dakota Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-door 3.9l on 2040-cars

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Dodge Challenger R/T Shaker and Mopar '14 Challenger up the retro appeal

The reborn Dodge Challenger might be getting a bit long in the tooth, having been on the market in its current form since 2008, but Chrysler isn't going to give up on its brutish, full-size two-door just yet. For this year's SEMA Show, the Challenger will be getting a new Mopar edition, as well as a retro-cool shaker hood on the 5.7-liter, Hemi-equipped R/T models.
As we mentioned last night, the Shaker Package will cost $2,500, but includes the Super Track Pak (new steering rack, brake linings, upgraded shocks and 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 Super Car tires), a $595 option on its own. The shaker hood result in a performance bump of any kind, but the blacked-out, pop-up scoop is a nifty feature that hasn't been seen on a production car since the Ford Mustang Mach 1 in the early 2000s.
The Mopar '14 Challenger (pictured right) follows the cues of previous Mopar Editions, which have included the 2010 Challenger, 2011 Charger, 2012 300 and 2013 Dart. Only 100 Mopar '14 Challengers will be produced, and they'll include the new shaker hood, Mopar's distinctive blue graphics and wheels, and whatever is pilfered from the accessory catalog.

Dodge Charger R/T NHRA Funny Car is ready to burn rubber at SEMA [w/video]

The Dodge Charger R/T is all set to rocket down the drag strip in NHRA Funny Car competition with a completely redesigned body debuting at this year's SEMA Show. While only the front decal, side scallops and rear logo really signal this racer as a Charger, that doesn't take away from its promise of hitting absolutely ludicrous speeds.
The engineers' biggest tweak to the body was moving the cockpit further back. This created more clearance under the hood, and the change came with added advantage of giving the driver better visibility out of the car. Composites like Kevlar also helped make the one-piece shell even lighter, while not sacrificing strength.
The new design has already undergone extensive time in the wind tunnel and real-world runs to make sure that none of the changes negatively impacted the aerodynamics. With those tests out of the way, the Charger R/T Funny Car will have the first chance to truly prove itself in NHRA competition at the 2015 Winternationals from February 5-9 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, CA.

Detroit's new fleet of donated police cars have safety issues [w/video]

In a show of generosity in mid-August, Detroit's business leaders donated $8 million to the Police Department and Fire Department in order to buy 100 new police vehicles and 23 EMS ambulances. But now officers have discovered - and complained - that the police vehicles have glaring safety issues, Deadline Detroit reports. It is not made clear what models of the fleet vehicles - which include police versions of the Ford Taurus, the Chevrolet Caprice and the Dodge Charger - are affected by the safety issues.
Officers reportedly have complained that the Plexiglass partition separating front-seat officers and back-seat prisoners is easily breached, and that the front passenger seat is installed too close to the dashboard. Prisoners who manage to writhe out of their handcuffs can bend the Plexiglass and reach into the cockpit, and sitting too close to the dashboard can render airbags more dangerous and make officers more vulnerable to injury in a crash.
Mark Diaz, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, received the complaints and reportedly said the vehicles would get safety updates addressing the issues. But Deadline Detroit reports that it checked some of the offending police cars and, as of the last few days, they hadn't been updated.