Arnold Schwarzenegger and Elon Musk seem to be best friends – or at least we thought since the two are spotted hanging out in a lot of press photos. Schwarzenegger, a big supporter of fuel-efficient vehicles, has frequently flaunted Tesla Motors as being a leader of California’s environmentally-friendly industry. We thought the Governor would make a special-appearance at the Tesla Model S Sedan launch – but he was nowhere in sight. Apparently, there is a good reason for that.

Two sources close to Tesla say that Schwarzenegger has been talking to the electric-car company since last fall about returning his Roadster; however, given Tesla financial troubles, executives have been asking him to hold off fearing that bad publicity will hurt the company’s current situation.

Why does Schwarzenegger want to return his Tesla Roadster? Apparently its not that there is something wrong with the technical side of the Roadster; it’s because of the size of the Lotus Elise based electric-car. We’re guessing the Governor would much rather drive around in his Dodge Challenger SRT8 and tip his hat to Detroit’s Big 3 who are in need of emotional support.

- By: The Daily Auto Editor

Source: Gawker
Image: TMZ 

Our friends at Garage419 have finally released their much anticipated episode in which they “pay homage” to BBC’s TopGear by racing a Dodge Challenger SRT-8 (on a single tank of gas) against a plane and Amtrak rail.

Each member of the Garage419 uses Google’s Latitude service to track each other’s progress. So what’s the fastest way to get from New York City to Washington D.C.? Find out in this episode of Garage419.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Garage419

While General Motors is disbanding its High Performance Vehicle Operations to focus more on mass-produced cars and Ford continues its SVT operations, Chrysler has confirmed that is SRT department will not get the cut.

“SRT is sticking around and we have to make final calls on the lineup,” said Chrysler’s vice president for global product planning, Steve Bartoli. “We are big fans of SRT, what it does for us and our customers.”

Bartoli would not comment on what Chrysler model SRT is currently working on but said that the division “will weather the storm” and “will not sit around and await fate” He said that the department is currently working on a sedan.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8:

Source: Red Letter Dodge (via Inside Line)

German tuner KW Suspension has teamed up with Geiger Cars to unveil a new tuning package for the the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8. The package features a hydraulic handling package, 22-inch HRE wheels and Lamborghini-styled scissor doors.

The KW Challenger SRT8 features KW’s Hydraulic Lift System that allows drivers to lift and drop the car with a push of a button. Working with the KW’s coil-over struts the system provides improved handling and enhanced road feel. Other than that your sure to turn heads with the 22-inch HRE 995R model lightweight wheels and the Lamborghini scissor doors by LSD.

Performance upgrades for the KW Challenger SRT8 include a K&N intake system but KW plans on adding a Vortech supercharger system very soon.

Make the jump for more images.

KW Dodge Challenger SRT8:

Source: AmeriCar (via WCF)

Chrysler’s Red Letter Dodge recently ran an essay contest in which they asked Dodge Challenger owners: “How did the Challenger impact your life?” While the prize, a limited edition 2008 Challenger scale model and a Challenger SRT clock, didn’t seem too attractive, entries poured in with people saying that their Challenger has done everything from getting them into church to saving “my wife’s mental health.”

One member said that the new 2008 Dodge Challenger helped him attract more females. PNTYDRPR (which stands for Panty Dropper), said that the Challenger helped him start his own own company, attract women and prompted him to get his license plate changed to “PNTYDRPR.” We’re just wondering what type of business PNTYDRPR is in.

“If you work hard enough, nothing is out of reach, not even the Challenger,” he wrote.

Unfortunately the contest has ended but it’s interested seeing what people have submitted. Check out more posts here.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8:

Source: InsideLine

Hurst Performance Vehicles has announced the details and pricing for the new 2009 Hurst/Hemi Dodge Challenger. The Hurst Hemi Dodge Challenger is available in five performance stage for the Dodge Challenger R/T and SRT8 with prices starting at $18,350 for the R/T upgrade packages and $17,450 for the SRT8 packages.

The Series 2 vehicles will be available through participating Dodge dealers nationwide while Series 3, 4 and 5 vehicles will only be available from Hurst and can be ordered through the company’s website (www.hurst-performance.com).

For those of you still wondering, the Hurst Performance packages do not include the base price of the vehicle.

Follow the jump for details and pricing on each package.

HURST/Hemi®-Challenger Series 2 R/T 5.7: MSRP $18,350.00
HORSEPOWER 352 HP
TORQUE 408 ft/lb

- Hurst “HARD-DRIVE®” shifter
- Hurst 20″ polished forged wheels
- HURST Exterior graphics and badges
- HURST Limited Edition sequentially numbered dash badge
- Goodyear EAGLE F-1 performance tires
- Magnaflow stainless-steel cat-back exhaust
- K&N Air Filter
- Eibach Coil-over Adjustable Suspension
- Hurst leather interior with gold top-stitching and embroidered logo
- Hurst rear spoiler
- Limited Colors: Black or White only with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Matching color car cover with HURST Gold racing stripes
Series 2 SRT8 6.1: MSRP $17,450.00
HORSEPOWER 437 HP
TORQUE 438 ft/lb

- Hurst “HARD-DRIVE®” shifter
- Hurst 20″ polished forged wheels
- HURST Exterior graphics and badges
- HURST Limited Edition sequentially numbered dash badge
- Magnaflow stainless-steel cat-back exhaust
- K&N Air Filter
- Eibach Coil-over Adjustable Suspension
- Hurst leather interior with gold top-stitching and embroidered logo
- Hurst rear spoiler
- Limited Colors: Black or White only with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Matching color car cover with HURST Gold racing stripes
Series 3 R/T 5.7: MSRP $26,750.00
HORSEPOWER 444 HP
TORQUE 489 ft/lb

- Hurst “HARD-DRIVE®” shifter
- Hurst 20″ polished forged wheels
- HURST Exterior graphics and badges
- HURST Limited Edition sequentially numbered dash badge
- Goodyear EAGLE F-1 performance tires
- Magnaflow stainless-steel cat-back exhaust
- K&N Air Filter
- Eibach Coil-over Adjustable Suspension
- Hurst leather interior with gold top-stitching and embroidered logo
- Hurst rear spoiler
- Limited Colors: Black or White only with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Vortech Supercharger
- Matching color car cover with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Factory delivery
Series 4 SRT8 6.1: MSRP $25,150.00
HORSEPOWER 572 HP
TORQUE 528 ft/lb

- Hurst “HARD-DRIVE®” shifter
- Hurst 20″ polished forged wheels
- HURST Exterior graphics and badges; fenders, grille and rear fascia
- HURST Limited Edition sequentially numbered dash badge
- Magnaflow stainless-steel cat-back exhaust
- K&N Air Filter
- Eibach Coil-over Adjustable Suspension
- Hurst leather interior with gold top-stitching and embroidered logo
- Hurst rear spoiler
- Limited Color: Black only with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Vortech Supercharger
- Matching color car cover with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Factory delivery
Series 5 SRT8 6.1: MSRP $33,150.00
HORSEPOWER 572 HP
TORQUE 528 ft/lb

- Hurst “HARD-DRIVE®” shifter
- Hurst 20″ polished forged wheels
- HURST Exterior graphics and badges; fenders, grille and rear fascia
- HURST Limited Edition sequentially numbered dash badge
- Magnaflow stainless-steel cat-back exhaust
- K&N Air Filter
- Eibach Coil-over Adjustable Suspension
- Hurst leather interior with gold top-stitching and embroidered logo
- Hurst rear spoiler
- HURST Gold racing stripes
- Vortech Supercharger
- Matching color car cover with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Limited Color: Custom White Pearl with HURST Gold racing stripes
- Factory delivery

Source: Hurst (via AutoBlog)

The Carbon Motors E7 Police Car Prototype is known as the “new brand of justice” scorning the Ford Crown Victoria and Dodge Charger Police Cars. Powered by a 3.0L diesel that makes 300-hp with a maximum torque of 420 lb-ft, the Carbon Motors E7 should help any cop protect and serve with power. Mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission the E7 goes from rest to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. And the good news is that the prototype is not just a prototype. Carbon Motors says the details and pricing on the E7 should be available in a few months.

Douglas Sonders, a well known and talented photographer had the privilege to photograph the car for Carbon Motors’ marketing material and he put together a little behind the scenes footage of his experience.

Sonders also had the chance to photograph the new Dodge Challenger Convertible by Coach Builders for RIDES Magazine.

If you happen to be a photography fan, check out Sonders site as well.

You can check out both videos after the jump.

Carbon Motors E7 Police Car:

Photographing the Carbon Motors E7 Police Car Prototype:

Photographing the Dodge Challenger Convertible by Coach Builders:

The all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger has earned itself Top Five-Star Safety Ratings in U.S. government’s crash tests. The 2009 Challenger earned five-star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash along with 5-star driver and rear-passenger ratings for side-impact protection.

Chrysler says that the new 2009 Dodge Challenger offers more than 25 safety and security features. The new muscle car is equipped with standard front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, responsive steering and braking and stability control.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger is now available at your local Chrysler dealerships with prices starting at $22,545.

2009 Dodge Challenger:

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8:

The show must go on – While it may seem like that American automakers don’t have enough cash to even build another unit of any model in their lineup, they continue to flaunt future products. During the Rose Bowl on Friday, Chrysler LLC brought out its three new electric-drive vehicle prototypes along with the guru of Chrysler electric-vehicles, Lou Rhodes.

Besides showing off the three prototypes that Lour Rhodes says are retrofitted for production, Chrysler put the Dodge EV, a fully-electric sports car that is based on the Lotus Europa, against its Dodge Challenger SRT8 in a drag race. We won’t tell you who won just yet so check out the video after the jump.

Automotive News has previously reported that Chrysler and Lotus are in talks to produce an electric sports car based on the Elise.

Refresher:

Dodge EV: Two-passenger electric rear-wheel-drive sports car powered by a 268-hp electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. That allows for a 0 to 60 mph time of less than 5 seconds with a top speed of more than 120 mph. Chrysler says the Dodge EV can travel between 150 to 200 miles on a single charge.
Dodge Challenger SRT8: Power comes from a 6.1 liter HEMI V8 engine that produces 425 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. 0–60 mph comes in at the 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 170 mph.

Follow the jump for the video.

Source: Up to Speed

So you want to buy the 2009 Dodge Challenger but aren’t sure which one is the perfect fit for you. Of course if you have more than $42,000 to throw around, go for the SRT8 without thinking twice. Although if you’re worried about fuel-economy and saving money then you should check out this latest face-off of all three Dodge Challenger models by Motor Trend.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger SE starts at $21,995 and is powered with a 3.5L V6 engine that produces 250-hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Starting at $30,990, the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T is powered by a 5.7L V8 HEMI that produces 370-hp and 398 lb-ft of torque. The 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 starts at $42,390 and is powered by a 6.1L V8 HEMI that produces 425-hp with a maximum torque of 420 lb-ft.

Of course the new Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept would kill all of these.

Read Motor Trend’s full review here.

Check out the video after the jump.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8:

Dodge recently confirmed that it has no plans to build a Challenger convertible, however Coach Builders Ltd. has every intention to chop the top off the muscle car offering Challenger lovers some fun in the sun. Coach Builders will show their version of the Dodge Challenger convertible at the 2008 SEMA Auto Show alongside their Cadillac CTS and Chrysler 300C drop tops.

How much will it cost to drop the top on your Challenger? According to boss Larry Moran, Coach Builders will start taking orders on Nov. 15 with pricing set at $16,000. So that means you’ll be paying $58,000 if you want an open-air 2009 Challenger SRT8.

The SEMA car will get a Vortech supercharger that gives the 6.1 liter HEMI V8 a total of 560-hp with a maximum torque of 510 lb-ft. It’s been slightly lowered with a KW coil-over suspension kit and 22-inch Foose Challenger wheels

Click through for more pictures.

Dodge Challenger Convertible by Coach Builders:

Edited by: Kap Shah

Source: InsideLine

The new Dodge Challenger SRT8 will have a pretty strong presence at SEMA 2008. Joining HURST and Dodge itself will be Mr. Norm and the Super Challenger and Super Cuda.

The Super Challenger will get 900 horses, along with a Corsa Performance exhaust, front spoiler and side scoops by Hulst Customs, forged wheels by Rodtana with Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires, a Hotchkis Performance lowered suspension and SSBC 8 piston disc breaks.

The Super Cuda gets a modern interpretation of the classic Cuda grille and tail panel, with a new front spoiler. The HEMI orange Super Cuda body also gets satin black strobe stripes by Sharpline Converting with a matching Badass Black on the hood. The Super Cuda will also get 900-hp courtesy of a Kenne Bell supercharger along with a lowered suspension and massive Stainless Steel Brakes V8 8-Piston calipers. It will ride on 22-inch Rodtana wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetrico high performance tires.

Mr. Norm’s Super Challenger and Super Cuda:

Source: Jalopnik

When the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible arrives on the market in 2010, it will only have one competitor – a Ford Mustang Convertible. Originally, Dodge had planned a convertible version for its new Challenger lineup. The convertible Challenger was expected to arrive in late 2009 as a 2010 model year, but it seems like plans have been shelved.

According to Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge brand marketing, there are no plans to add a convertible version for the Challenger in the future.

“We considered a convertible when we were developing Challenger, but the extra weight needed to beef up the car when the top was removed was too much of a penalty,” Accavitti told KickingTires in an interview. “And that was with a manual soft-top. A power-retractable hardtop would add even more weight.”

He also said the Chrysler doesn’t see a huge market for the convertible.

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8:

Source: KickingTires

Last week the Top Gear trio was caught at SFO airport and was later spotted in Reno with the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 and the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.

Continuing their U.S. journey, Clarkson, Hammond and May were caught over the weekend filming an episode at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. According to forum members at Final Gear the trio has attracted many fans which is slowly starting to bug them.

We would be pretty bothered too if we had people snapping pics of us while we were trying to drive the three hottest American cars currently on the market. Actually – no we wouldn’t.

Click through for more pictures.

Top Gear at Bonneville Salt Flats with Corvette ZR1, Challenger SRT8, CTS-V:

Source: Flickr (via FinalGear)

We were pretty disappointed to learn that GM invited all the mainstream media two days ago to San Diego to test drive the new Chevrolet Camaro. Even though our friends at CARandDRIVER were kind enough to allow us to post images of their ‘First Drive’ of the 2010 Camaro, we would have loved to be there on our own. So what do you do when you’re not invited?

Well, if you’re as pissed off as Ray Wert from Jalopnik, you show up anyway. Not only do you show up uninvited - you bring the competition along with you. Wert showed up with Garage419 to the event with a Ford Mustang GT California Special-Edition and the Dodge Challenger SRT8. His main mission was to catch a shot of Detroit’s three muscle cars together. Of course, we already know he was successful.

Check out the video after the jump to see GM’s reaction.

We salute you Wert.

Click through for the video.

2010 Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger SRT8 and Ford Mustang:

Source: Jalopnik and Garage419