News

Dodge is sending off the Charger and Challenger in their current evolution by bringing back three heritage colors, and putting “Last Call” plaques under the hood of every 2023 car.Originally offered as a one-year run in 2020, the Durango SRT Hellcat is back for the 2023 model year, retaining the same 710-hp Hellcat V-8.The Dodge Direct Connection lineup of parts is expanding and will now feature a Challenger Mopar rolling chassis featuring an NHRA-certified roll cage good for 7.50-second quarter mile runs. Get your orders in now: Dodge has issued the last call on the Charger and Challenger as we know and love them. Close your eyes and remember the high-pitched whine of superchargers and the sweet yet acrid smell of burning rubber as those thumping V-8s enter their final year. As they face their EV future, “Last Call” plaques will be featured under the hood of each 2023 Charger or Challenger to denote the final year of the cars. The Durango SRT Hellcat, originally offered as a single-year run for 2020, will now be back for 2023. 2023 ChargerDodge is teasing seven 2023 special-edition models during a promotional effort that it is calling “Speed Week.” Six of the models will share some connection to vehicles from the company’s past that it has deemed iconic. The seventh special edition, which the company say will be the last of its kind, is scheduled to be revealed at the SEMA tuner show this November. All 2023 Chargers will come with a commemorative “Last Call” plaque under the hood, with a silhouette and the vehicle name. The plaques will also say “Designed in Auburn Hills” and “Assembled in Brampton” as a nod to their origin.
Dodge is upping the number of exterior paint options to 14 while bringing back three heritage colors: B5 Blue, Plum Crazy Purple, and Sublime Green. 2023 Charger R/T models will now show off “345” fender badging to signify the 345-cubic-inch engine in the car. Jailbreak models, previously exclusive to the Hellcat Redeye will now be available on Charger Hellcat models. Pricing and ordering info is not available yet, but Dodge said the entire Charger lineup will be allocated to dealerships at one time in an effort to help customers achieve the car they want. 2023 ChallengerAs the bar closes for the Charger, so too will it close for the Challenger. Ending its V-8 era with seven special editions, six of which will share a connection to a past Dodge icon. The seventh special edition will debut in November alongside the Charger at SEMA. The same “Last Call” plaque with “Designed in Auburn Hills” and “Assembled in Brampton” will feature under the hood of all 2023 Challengers.
Paint options also increase for the Challenger, with the same three heritage editions and a total of 14 exterior options. 2023 Challenger R/T models will feature “345” fender badging to signify the 345-cubic-inch engine in the car. Dodge offered Challenger convertibles as production vehicles in two model years: 1970 and 1971. Again, following with the Charger, Jailbreak models, previously exclusive to the Hellcat Redeye, will now be available on Challenger Hellcat models.
For those on the hunt for a more modern Challenger convertible, Dodge wants to streamline the process. Dealerships will now offer a process allowing third-party convertible modifications for 2022 Challengers through Drop Top Customs. Customers will have to shell-out $25,999, but Dodge will ship the car directly from the factory in Brampton, Ontario, to the team at Drop Top Customs before sending it to the customer. Same as with the Charger, pricing and ordering info is not available yet, but Dodge said the entire Challenger lineup will be allocated to dealerships at one time in an effort to help customers achieve the car they want. 2023 Durango SRT HellcatDespite Dodge’s offering the Durango SRT Hellcat as a single-year run back in 2020, it’s back for 2023. Why? “Muscle enthusiasts also have families, and the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat can get those families where they want to go,” said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. That seems excessive, but we don’t really have a problem with excessive. The new Durango SRT Hellcat features the same 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V-8 that produces 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque. Accellerating those families where they need to go with speed means zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and a quarter-mile pass of 11.5 seconds. Six piston, two-piece front calipers fit over the 15.8-inch vented front rotors, while four-piston calipers cover the 13.8-inch vented rear rotors to bring the brawny SUV to a stop from its 180-mph top speed. Orders for the new Durango Hellcat are slated to open in September of this year, with deliveries scheduled to start in early 2023.

Dodge

Dodge Adds to Direct Connection Performance ListLaunched earlier this year, Direct Connection is Dodge’s performance parts portfolio. Dodge knows its customers enjoy a trip to the drag strip, so for the cool price of $89,999 they will sell you a rolling chassis equipped with a TIG-welded roll cage, NHRA certified for 7.50-second passes down a drag strip. The chassis comes ready with a four-link rear suspension and double adjustable Bilstein coil-over shocks. Mickey Thompson drag racing tires cover the rubber while Strange Engineering Pro Series II racing breaks help to slow the car down. Dodge is leaving the powertrain, driveline, and engine management to the customer.

Dodge

Direct connection is also working with Finale Speed to create a 1970 Dodge Charger body out of carbon fiber. According to Dodge, the Plymouth Barracuda and Road Runner are both part of plans for future licensed carbon-fiber bodies with Direct Connection and Finale Speed. Dodge will be announcing more news this week, and we’ll bring it to you as it happens.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Designed as a two-seat, open-cockpit speedster, the DBR22 draws heavily on styling cues from the automaker’s Le Mans–winning DBR1. Powered by a twin-turbo 5.2-liter V-12, the DBR22 is claimed to reach 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and achieve a top speed of 198 mph. While the current wording classifies the DBR22 as a concept, it’s likely that somewhere in the ballpark of 10 Aston Martin Q customers will be able to buy a production version. Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Aston Martin’s bespoke Q division, the DBR22’s styling draws cues from the Le Mans–winning DBR1 piloted by Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby, the only Aston Martin to earn an outright victory in the event. The automaker is also noting that it’s the 10th anniversary of its bespoke division, Q by Aston Martin, hinting that this car may be made in a limited edition of 10 to celebrate that milestone.

Aston Martin

The DBR22 features the same twin-turbocharged 5.2-liter V-12 found in a few other Astons over the last few years, with power down about 10 ponies, making 705 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. It accelerates to 60 mph in a respectable but not all that blistering 3.4 seconds. Thankfully, you can smile to the tune of a screaming V-12 through the open cockpit even while getting gapped by a Tesla Model S Plaid from the stoplight.

Aston Martin

Carbon fiber sits in for the usual metal weave of the grille, a design Aston said takes inspiration from the DBR1 and DB3S. The body features carbon panels without many to interrupt the flowing bodywork.

The DBR22 is slated for its official debut later this week at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, which is part of the Monterey Car Week in California. There are no official production numbers, though previous models were sold in low-double-digit numbers. It would be fitting that the DBR22 might follow suit. However, don’t expect to see one at your regular Cars and Coffee.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

When it comes to the modern lineup of supercar offerings, the McLaren 765LT ranks right up there with the most hardcore of the bunch. Thanks to the folks over at TopAutoNL, we have a chance to see this immense performance at work on the German autobahn.A true successor to the immensely sought-after 675LT, the 765LT is the latest limited-production Super Series vehicle to come out of Woking. Only 765 of these machines were slated for production, with each packing a ton of track-ready improvements over the 720s. The most notable of the tweaks comes by way of a shorter gearset in the transmission, which McLaren says provides 15 percent faster acceleration in gear compared to the 720s. That’s obscene in itself, but then McLaren went ahead and added improved engine hardware to the familiar twin-turbo V-8. The result comes out to 755 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, though many dyno-pull videos have suggested that figure is a bit low.

Regardless of the output, McLaren says that the car will do zero to 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds, before hitting 124 mph in 7.0 seconds flat. That’s despite the improved aero dragging through the air, which provides 25 percent more downforce than a standard 720S. That level of performance is on full display in this autobahn run, as is the McLaren’s awesome quad-exhaust note. After paddling along to a sizable ramp, the driver of the 765LT finally opens the taps. The numbers fly off the speedometer in a frantic, almost disorienting fashion. While the launching performance of this car can’t be understated, it’s clear the thing is traction limited until some speed is at play. Once you’re rolling however, there are few cars capable of keeping up.Just watch how hard the car pulls between 120 and 180 mph. The car seems barely bothered to push on to 202.5 mph, which is right below the car’s top speed of 205 mph. That’s not as fast as the standard 720S, but the 765LT will get there a whole lot faster. Those speeds were achieved with some bumpy tarmac (for Germany) underfoot, which only adds to the drama a bit. If you’re looking for a supercar to slice your way across the German autobahn, the 765LT might just have to find a spot near the top of that list. It may be a track-oriented supercar at its core, but that focus has helped transform the already wild 720S into something truly ridiculous. Isn’t that what we want from our supercars after all?

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Back in 1909, in the contested Alsatian French/German border town of Molsheim, the erudite artisans of the Milanese Bugatti family—son Ettore, backed by father Carlo—acquired a factory to begin producing their namesake automobiles. Engineered and designed to be the fastest and the loveliest cars in the world, intended to compete with Bentleys on the track and Rolls-Royces at the opera, Bugattis earned a name that soon became synonymous with speed, beauty, and exclusivity.

Bugatti Automobiles

This position was cultivated through the careful and early use of advertising, marketing, and promotional film materials, touting the cars’ careful construction and racing success. To further impress the aristocrats and nouveau riches in his demographic crosshairs, in 1928, company founder Ettore Bugatti purchased a mid-19th century Château adjoining his factory. Here, he entertained investors, hosted dinners and events, and met with clients to spec forthcoming cars and hand over their finished vehicles. He even fielded solicitous visits from prospective buyers.

“A story I’ve heard is that a potential customer once arrived in a taxi because his car would not start—it was cold out and the customer did not have a heated garage,” said Luigi Galli, the brand’s heritage and certification specialist, who toured us around the Château and its grounds, owned again by Bugatti since the marque’s 1998 revival as part of the VW Group. “And Ettore Bugatti would not sell the man a car, and said something like, ‘If you do not have a heated garage, perhaps you cannot afford a Bugatti.'”The Château serves much the same functions now. Brand club meetings and anniversary celebrations are held on the grounds. Customers meet with designers to configure, reconfigure, and take delivery of their seven- or eight-figure hypercars. And private luncheons and dinners are served. However, the majority of the fiscal vetting takes place elsewhere. “We meet with customers here who are in touch with our dealers,” Galli said. “Our dealers must make sure the customer is ready.”

Bugatti Automobiles

Because it was (and remains) a long trip to Molsheim, back in the day, visitors often spent the night in one of the Château’s lavishly decorated rooms. (Members of the Bugatti family also designed and produced opulent furniture.) But now, things have changed. The Château lacks accommodations. The first floor features a single ballroom-sized space containing historical displays and exhibits. And the upstairs levels are similarly open, occupied by the brand’s sales, statistical analysis, and heritage teams.

Michael Shaffer

Michael Shaffer

During our exclusive visit to the grounds, we spent the night on the front lawn in a geodesic plastic glamping tent. It was furnished with branded objects from the Bugatti Home Collection—including cashmere blankets, weighty leather chairs, and scented candles—as well as items decidedly not from the Bugatti Home Collection, such as a pair of portable air conditioners defeating the stifling European heatwave, and a bottle of French whiskey we nicked from the greenhouse after a game of billiards on a $300,000 Bugatti-branded pool table. This temporary setup reflects the fact that contemporary Bugatti clients do not desire, or require, local overnight accommodations. “Our customers are busy, so they either fly their jet into the Strasbourg airport or land their helicopter on a pad we have on-site—it’s very noisy, but you get used to it,” Galli said. They usually arrive around 9:00 am, are chauffeured to the premises, enjoy a test drive, meet with the designers in the configuration rooms to spec their cars, and then are served lunch in one of the renovated historical outbuildings. After four or five hours, they depart. (Because we know you want to know, Porsche Panamera sedans were previously used as airport shuttles, but have recently been supplanted by Cayenne SUVs. “They have more space,” Galli said. Still, some customers from Dubai prefer to bring in their own vans.)When partaking of a test drive—as we did, blasting around Molsheim in a black-over-caramel Chiron Super Sport—clients are paired with a professional driver. Riding right seat during our dalliance was Andy Wallace, a Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring-winning racer, and the man who famously piloted a Chiron to over 300 mph on a closed circuit. Though the folks who buy Bugattis tend to own dozens of other extreme vehicles, they may still be unaccustomed to driving a car with the Chiron’s outrageous power, and capacity for placing that power on the roadway.“They get out on these roads, and they drive too fast,” Wallace said, laughing, as we plowed through the vineyards, roundabouts, and plane tree-lined allees that dot the local countryside. “And then, if I take them on a track, they drive too slow.” We can relate. The Chiron’s capabilities—which make a 777 at takeoff feel comparatively sluggish—confound automotive logic.

Enes Kucevic Photography

The grounds also host Bugatti’s heritage collection. This includes a diminutive Type 35 racecar in classic French Blue, a Brobdingnagian two-tone eight-figure Type 41 (Royale) with bulletproof windows and a 12.3-liter straight-8, a supercharged dark-blue Type 51 racer (which we had the good fortune of driving LINK), and a teensy Type 56 one-off, an electric car that Ettore built in 1931 to drive around the factory and hound his workers. “He used to ride a horse,” Galli said, “but it was too noisy and they could hear him coming, and had time to stop messing around.”The original Bugatti factory, which is just 1000 feet from the Château, is now owned by a company that produces components for the aviation industry. But when VW purchased the brand, in the late 90s, it constructed a state-of-the-art atelier on site. Clients can stop by the spotless, silent, brightly lit space when they visit and witness the progress of their, and other venal oligarchs’, extortionate vehicles. “Nothing is manufactured here, it is all just assembled,” Wallace said, as he led us on a tour.

Bugatti Automobiles

Michael Shaffer

Every component seems made of something superlative and unobtainable, like Finnish glass, Austrian bull-hide, or 3-D printed titanium. The assembly tolerances are so tight that the actions of each worker are monitored by Bluetooth-enabled tools. Torque settings and usernames are uploaded to the cloud, so if an exhaust hanger comes undone at 250 mph, Bugatti knows just who to blame. “When customers visit, they’re allowed to put in a screw,” Wallace said. “But as soon as they leave, we back it right back out again and put it in properly.” The Château and its grounds weren’t always quite this lovely. When the Nazis invaded France in 1940, the Alsace region was among the first to fall. The Bugatti Château and factory were occupied by the Germans, and the site was used to produce componentry for the war effort. “The Nazis destroyed many cars for parts, for munitions,” Galli said. The Bugatti family fled to Paris. But, according to Galli, because Ettore Bugatti had never renounced his Italian citizenship, and his factory fell into the hands of the Germans, he was prosecuted after the war as an Axis collaborator. Whether there was any truth to this, we cannot confirm, but after years of legal effort, he was eventually exonerated. He died almost immediately afterward.Bugatti’s heirs attempted to develop cars in the post-war era, but the efforts came to naught, and the company went bankrupt in 1957. Its sad remains were acquired by the ravaged bones of Hispano Suiza, but that company soon expired as well. Once the Château exited private ownership, and no one was paying taxes on or maintaining it, the property reverted to the local municipality. “It was owned by the village and was completely abandoned,” Galli said. “There were homeless people living in it.” When VW acquired the Bugatti brand and purchased the Château, there wasn’t even a floor inside. A gut renovation brought it up to its current standard, but the neighborhood isn’t exactly exclusive. A McDonald’s sits just outside the gates.Recently, Croatian electric supercar startup Rimac purchased a controlling stake in Bugatti and is constructing a factory and modern campus for the merged Bugatti-Rimac marque outside of Zagreb. Coincidentally, there is a castle on the grounds of this property, and it is being converted into a client experience center, modeled very much on Ettore’s original concept, and the extant brand’s contemporary one. Before we finished our conversation, we asked Galli if his heritage collection and these activities will be moving to Croatia to join the workings of its new battery-powered overlords. His face contorted like a cartoon character who had just drunk a liter of lemon juice. “Bugatti is in Molsheim,” he said. “Bugatti will always be in Molsheim.”

Enes Kucevic Photography

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More