RideLust

Thumbs Up: A vast improvement over the old Sebring, in every way.

Thumbs Down: Handling compromised by plush ride quality, lots of chrome.

Buy This Car If: You want a made-in-America midsize sedan with style and personality.

Calling the 2011 Chrysler 200 better than the outgoing Chrysler Sebring is damning the new car by faint praise. While both cars share the same platform, the Chrysler 200 is improved in every conceivable way; the exterior styling is fresh and distinctive, the 200’s interior is now-class-leading and even the optional Pentastar V-6 engine returns better fuel economy while producing more horsepower. The old Sebring was the quintessential rental car, and one you’d begrudgingly accept only if the last Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion or Mitsubishi Galant was gone from the rental fleet inventory. Read More…

Every now and then we get a story submitted to us by a faithful reader and member of the automotive community. Scott Vandekerckhove is such a person as he’s not only a rabid car enthusiast, but the man responsible for putting together last years über successful HEMI Highway Tour for Chrysler and a lead contributor to “Modern Mopar Magazine”. So when I read his latest story on how Huntington Beach, California resident John Fortuno had influenced the development of the new 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan I just had to post it. Click through for the entire article.
Read More…

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; every full grown male should, at some point in time, be able to mash the throttle in a big, high horsepower American muscle car. You see there is something very primal about huge torque, high horsepower and the ability to incinerate your rear tires at will. In fact if you’ve never done a knock-down drag out burnout, well then… you’re missing out on one of life’s great pleasures. Thankfully there are those in the auto industry who still feel this way and they’re working hard to not only make sure that this tradition continues, but they’re also dedicated to giving us some of the best performance cars on the market today. Don’t believe me, just take a look at the new SRT line-up for 2012.
Read More…

*Photo Credit: Autoblog

In 2006 Chrysler’s 6.1L HEMI made 425hp / 420 lb-ft of torque. In 2011 that number jumped to 470 hp / 470 lb-ft of torque thanks to a bump in displacement to 6.4L. Now for 2012 Chrysler is saying that they’ll be slapping a supercharger on their SRT8 Charger and 300 sedan’s and bumping power to a stump pulling 570 hp. We all figured that it wouldn’t be long before SRT CEO Ralf Gilles jumped on the horsepower bandwagon. You see this guy is a horsepower junkie and I have a feeling that he got a little peeved when he found out that the new 2012 Camaro ZL1 was going to have 570 hp. Chrysler’s SRT8 cars are brilliant automobiles, and I’m not just saying that because I own one. They ride and handle beautifully, have gobs of power and stop on a dime thanks to their fabulous Brembo brakes. If there is one caveat though, it would be their weight, as they’re a bit on the chubby side.
Read More…

Thumbs Up: Everything a big American sedan should be.

Thumbs Down: Seats you sit on, not in.

Buy This Car If: You want an American sedan with a nod towards luxury.

The Chrysler 300 nameplate dates back to 1955 and the introduction of the Chrysler C-300. Back then, the car was a factory hot-rod, built primarily to meet homologation rules for NASCAR. It was a “parts bin special”, borrowing the front clip from Chrysler’s Imperial, a midsection from their New Yorker and rear quarter panels from the company’s Windsor. Great lengths were taken to remove trim and minimize things like side view mirrors; some say this was for styling, while others argue that it was done to improve the car’s aerodynamics for racing. Most importantly, it came equipped with a 300 horsepower, 5.4-liter Hemi V-8. Read More…

The much maligned Caliber SRT4 was the last compact SRT offering. Image: Chrysler Group LLC

Based on on interview with SRT head Ralph Gilles in Ward’s Auto, the internet is abuzz with rumors of an SRT-tuned C-segment product. While such an animal may be in development, there’s no indication that it will be market ready any time soon. Gilles reflected on cars like the VW GTI, which represent entry-level performance at an affordable price. Of Dodge’s former Neon-based SRT4 turbo, Gilles said, “The Neon put the whole street tuning scene on its ear with the factory turbo. We have to figure out how to get an entry-level SRT product to capture the next generation.” Read More…

The Donut. It’s a right of passage for any car enthusiast and perfecting its art does not come easy. You see in order to do a proper donut you need three things. First you need a car, preferably one with a big honkin’ V8 engine up front and a solid live axle in the rear. Secondly you need a wide open space, so if you happen to lose control of your whip, you’ll be able to reel it in before you stack it into a wall. Third, you need tires – go with old ones if you can as the harder they are the better, plus they’ll make more smoke which onlookers really dig. Now, if for some reason you can’t adhere to the above three rules simply do what the guy in this video did. He found an old 21-foot long 1969 Chrysler Imperial Crown and simply mashed the gas and turned right. I have to say his antics are actually quite impressive as that sled weighs north of 5000 lbs. and is the size of a class II attack submarine. Let’s just be thankful he didn’t get that behemoth out of shape cause’ bringing that sucker back in line would’ve been an exercise in futility.
Read More…

ALCHEMYcreative, a production company based out of San Francisco, CA, has the ability to use motion design and live action footage to create some of the best social media programs around. “Marlowe” is a snippet of time in the life of a retired teacher and the love he has for his 40 year old Dodge Charger.

“The name was always something that had value, because people remember what the reputation of a Dodge Charger was. If you wanted something powerful, if you wanted something big, if you wanted something that was fun. If you had a family you had a station wagon, if you had a muscle car you had independence.”

Marlowe Boyd –
Read More…

For those of you out there with Jeep Wranglers in your garage listen up! This is the Hauk Jeep River Raider from Hauk Designs and it’s one bad ass off-road machine. Each vehicle is custom built to its owners exact specifications and can be done up as wild or mild as your wallet allows. For instance, engine choices range from a 5.7-liter HEMI rated at 405 hp, to a stump pulling 636 hp 7.2-liter HEMI. All of this power is transferred to the ground by way of dual Dana 60 axles with front and rear selectable lockers. Rims are custom fabricated 20″ Raceline DOT approved bead lock wheels with 40″ Toyo Open Country MT rubber. LED head and taillights, undercarriage armor system, baja light bar, and River Raider engine Snorkel system are also included, and will help you reach your destination, where ever it may be. As mentioned prices on the Hauk Jeep River Raider vary per build and option sheet, but feel free to head on over to the Hauk Design website to find out more information.
Read More…

With the price of fuel expected to top $6 per gallon by the end of the summer, Americans are doing everything they can in order to save a buck. Used fuel efficient cars, both new and used are flying off the lots, with big full-sized gas guzzlers being left out there to rot. One company however is thumbing it’s nose at the higher cost of fuel and has in fact come up with a vehicle that not only sucks it down, but holds upwards of 160 gallons of it. Meet the Ram “Long-Hauler” Concept, a pickup truck that could possibly be the ultimate road burner for long distance travel. According to Pickuptruck.com, the Long-Hauler has a 197.4-inch-wheelbase and is based on a Class 5 Ram 5500 medium-duty chassis cab commercial truck. However, it’s been fitted with an 8-foot cargo dually-based cargo bed, and two custom fuel tanks that enable this monster to carry a whopping 162 gallons of diesel fuel.
Read More…