The TIV-2 is a 14,000-Pound Armored Dodge Ram Storm Chaser [Video]

A tornado is a force of nature that almost nothing can withstand. Therefore, when Sean Casey decided to see what was going inside a tornado, he had to build a very special kind of vehicle. And that’s how the original TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) was born back in 2003.
In 2008, and after the TIV made it on prime time television in a series called Storm Chasers that began airing on the Discovery Channel in October 2007, Casey and his team built the TIV-2 using a Dodge Ram 3500 as a base.
However, the six-wheel vehicle was plagued with problems leading Casey back to the drawing board for a series of improvements, which were completed in 2009.
The updated TIV-2 is armored with two-inch thick aluminum, Kevlar and steel. It is equipped with special steel plates that slide down to the road to prevent it from being lifted into the air by a tornado. If the situation calls for it, special spears shoot three-feet into the ground providing additional stability.
The truck also features a 360-degree rotating turret from where the cameraman does the shooting. It tips the scales at 14,000 pounds and is powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine producing 625-horsepower enabling it to reach a top speed of 100 mph (160 km.
Scroll down to watch three videos of the TIV-2, including the official IMAX trailer of “Tornado Alley”.

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Video: Dodge Takes a Stab on the 2011 Ford Explorer

The Chrysler Group continues to aggressively market the newcomers in its vehicle lineup with new advertisements. This time the automaker has released numerous television and online spots to tout the new generation of the Dodge Durango SUV, all of which will begin airing this week.

While you can check out all the ads in the videos after the break, we must say that four commercials captured our attention including one that refers to Ferrari to show off the Durango's leather interior, another one that depicts seven Stig-lookalikes running to get into Dodge's SUV, and two spots featuring the 2011 Ford Explorer.
For the latter commercials, Dodge used Ford's SUV to demonstrate the new Durango's best-in-class towing capacity. In particular, the Durango V6 can tow up to 6,200 lbs (2,812 kg) while the V8 model up to 7,400 lbs (3,357 kg). That's compared to the Ford Explorer 3.5L V6's max loaded trailer weight of 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg).

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Video: Meet the Jokes of Risk

Do you know how many people have tried to imitate the driving tricks of the Dukes of Hazzard in real life over the years? As you may have already guessed, the answer to that question is countless - as are the accidents related to these types of stunts.

In this edition, we have a doppelganger in a General Lee Dodge Charger replica trying to jump over a copy of Sheriff's Roscoe P. Coltrane patrol car. And while our driver managed to pull off thejump-over-the-vehicle part he failed miserably in the landing portion of the stunt.
Luckily for all the people that were gathered around to watch the act, the Dodge Charger crash-landed at a distance from the crowd. Watch the clip after the jump.

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Nearly 300,000 Chrysler and Dodge Minivans Recalled Over Airbag

The Chrysler Group has issued a recall on 299,718 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 model year to fix a problem that could cause the airbags to deploy unexpectedly.

The automaker said that the issue is related to the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) modules that controls the airbags. According to Chrysler, the OCR module may have been exposed to moisture. If this happens, it could lead to the airbag warning light going on while in some cases, the airbag could deploy for no reason.
Chrysler had previously recalled the same batch of vehicles in January of 2011 to replace the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) drain grommet, which had the potential to leak moisture into the area of the ORC module.
The company said that its engineers determined that "that the printed circuit board in ORC modules previously exposed to moisture could delaminate over time, despite the elimination of the source of prior moisture".
The Detroit automaker added that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the condition in vehicles that have had the prior recall completed.
“Despite the lack of field reports, we believe it is in the best interest of our customers to replace these modules to ensure the proper functionality of the minivan’s advanced safety system,” said David Dillon, Head of Product Investigations and Campaigns.
The majority of the affected minivans were sold in the United States, but Chrysler said there are also 50,251 vehicles in Canada; 3,748 vehicles in Mexico, and 13,633 export models.
The company will begin sending letters to the owners of the affected models in September to schedule an appointment with dealers to replace the OCR modules free-of-charge.

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Marchionne Says 54.5 mpg “Doable”, Hints at Retirement

Chrysler and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne gave a speech today at the 2011 CAR Management Briefing Seminars. He quoted philosopher Albert Camus, talked about the reason geese fly in a V formation (they create uplift for those that follow, thus extending their range by 70%) and even used an excerpt from Alice in Wonderland, specifically a dialogue between Alice and the Queen in “Through the Looking Glass”.

Marchionne did all this to convey the message that he feels vindicated. For effectively taking over Chrysler, for receiving the bailout money when most were skeptical or openly opposed it (and paying them back six years before schedule) and for wanting to merge the American group with Fiat.
The Group's CEO explicitly stated that the US administration’s proposed 54.5 mpg by 2025 is “very doable”. He cited the example of the new Chrysler 300 full-size sedan, which is rated at 31 mpg on the highway. Although it is a far cry from the proposed targets, he said that the automotive industry has 14 years to utilize current and future technology and thus should have no trouble conforming to the 54.5 mpg target.
Marchionne believes that Chrysler is on the right track, having presented “16 all-new or significantly refreshed products” and that the integration of the two management teams was inevitable.
He also warned his audience about the rise of China “which cannot be ignored. It is the largest car producer in the world. If it exported even 10% of this production, the risk we face at our home markets is enormous”. He also hinted at his own retirement, saying that Chrysler’s future “is up to guys after me… after 2015 or maybe a year later”.
Last, but not least, Marchionne revealed later, at a radio show, that his everyday car is a “black on black” Dodge Charger SRT8. Not a “green” car, but not a bad choice at all. After all signore Marchionne and his team have 14 years ahead of them to make even the SRT comply with the new rules.

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Tuned Dodge Viper ACR vs Koenigsegg CCXR

The Dodge Viper ACR is one of the fastest production cars around packing an 8.4-liter V10 with 600HP and 560 lb/ft (760 Nm) of torque that allows it to accelerate from 0-60 mph (96km/h) in less than 4.0 seconds. It has also proved its mettle by breaking lap records in famous and difficult tracks such as Laguna Seca and the Nürburgring.
But it's one thing going against a Corvette and totally different story when you're challenged by the likes of Koenigsegg and its CCXR that boasts a twin-supercharged V8 delivering close to 1,100-horsepower.
The Dodge Viper ACR you're about to see, however, has one more trick under its sleeve as this snake had been enhanced with a Paxton supercharger that gives it another 150 horses.
But is that enough to even out the battle with the CCXR in a quarter-mile drag race? Watch the video past the jump to find out.

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New Chrysler 2012 SRT8 Models With Prices

The Chrysler Group’s newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand has released pricing on its latest crop of models, which include the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

Prices together with an $825 destination fee start at $47,995 for the Chrysler 300 SRT8, $46,660 for the Dodge Charger SRT8, $44,077 for the Challenger SRT8 and $55,295 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

All four SRT8 models are powered by the Chrysler Group’s new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with Fuel Saver Technology that cranks out 470 horsepower (351kW) and 470 lb-ft (637Nm) of peak torque (465 lb.-ft. / 630 Nm in the Grand Cherokee SRT8).

The key performance numbers for the four SRT8 models are as follow:

• 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8: 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration in the high 4-second range; quarter mile in high 12-second range; 0-100-0 mph (0-160km/h-0) in less than 16 seconds, top speed of 175 mph (281km/h) and stopping power from 60-0 mph in 120 feet.

• 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8: 0-60 mph acceleration in the high 4-second range; quarter mile in the high 12-second range; 0-100-0 mph in less than 16 seconds; top speed of 175 mph (281km/h) and stopping power from 60-0 mph in 120 feet.

• 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392: 0-60 mph in the high 4-second range; runs the quarter mile in mid-12-second range with the automatic transmission (high 12-second range with the manual); goes from 0-100-0 mph in the low 15s, reaches a top speed of 182 mph (293 km/h) with the manual transmission (175 mph with the automatic) and stops from 60-0 mph in 117 feet.

• 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, 0-100-0 mph in the mid-16 second range, can cover the quarter mile in the mid-13 second range, has a top speed of 160 mph (257 km/h) , and brakes from 60-0 mph in 116 feet.

The Detroit automaker recently elevated the SRT in-house performance division to a separate company brand, which will design, engineer and build high-performance vehicles for the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands.

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Ferrari 458 Starts Drag Race In REVERSE!!

Before you watch the following video, take a minute to ponder this: You are sitting behind the steering wheel of an exotic, brand new Italian supercar, getting ready to drag race a V10-powered Dodge Viper on the quarter mile strip in front of a crowd of 100, or perhaps even more people. But when the race begins you start rolling backwards…

Oh yes, that’s right; the owner of the Ferrari 458 Italia that you’re about to see in the clip and who was pitted against a Dodge Viper at the ICAR motorsports complex situated just outside of Montreal in Canada, paddle shifted his car’s dual clutch auto transmission into reverse!

True, anyone can make a mistake, but can you really think of a more embarrassing moment on the track?

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Chrysler Recalls 243,000 Ram Pickup Trucks

Chrysler’s Ram brand has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Association that it is recalling 242,780 pickup trucks over a steering failure that could lead to “a loss of directional stability”.

The safety agency reported that the left tie rod ball may fracture during low speed parking maneuvers when the driver is making a sudden turn. This could lead to the loss of directional stability in the left front wheel.

The recall affects certain Ram 2500/3500 4x4 and Ram 3500 Cab Chassis 4x2 models manufactured from February 14, 2008 through March 28, 2011. It also affects the Ram 1500 Mega Cab 4x4 models manufactured from February 14, 2008 until August 15, 2008.

The company noted that it is also possible that a small number of 2003-2008MY Ram 2500/3500 heavy duty models may have received the faulty part as a replacement during regular servicing of the vehicles.

Chrysler dealers will inspect the tie rod ends and replace the outer left tie rod as required, as well as a front end toe alignment, all free of charge. Owners have not yet been notified, but they may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403 or the NHTSA Vehicle safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.

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New Alfa Romeo-Derived / U.S. Made Dodge Compact Sedan to Debut at 2012 Detroit Show

A new U.S. market compact sedan to be developed by Fiat and built by Chrysler is set to make its debut appearance at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the beginning of next year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The as-of-yet unnamed model will be badged as Dodge and powered by a Fiat-derived 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It’ll also do 40 mpg combined, or at least it will if Fiat wants to net itself a further 5% of Chrysler from Mr. MonopolyUncle Sam.

The Italian automaker wants to expand its 46% share in Chrysler & Friends by an additional 7.5% courtesy of the U.S. Treasury and Canadian government on top of the 5% it’s expected to get by pushing the 40 mpg envelope.

The new model will be built in Chrysler’s Belvidere plant in Illinois, which the brand is currently spending US$600 million retooling for the job. Production is expected to start later this year. Dealers, such as David Kelleher of David Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Glen Mills, PA are naturally very excited:

“We have never had a viable compact car. This will allow us to reach the entry level customer and it's a perfect fit for Dodge which has been faced with challenges.” [Like having to share a lot with the Chrysler Sebring, for one…]

The Caliber, the closest thing Dodge currently has to a Honda Civic / Ford Focus / Chevy Cruze competitor at present, does a paltry 24 mpg in automatic guise.

The new model will share the same basic floorplan as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback, which will also be used to underpin five new models over the next three years.

There’s no word yet on a name, but I’m willing to discount Aires, Neon and Stratus as possible contenders.

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