Will 'Fast and Furious' Accelerate Dodge Dart Sales?

The return of Michelle Rodriguez as the ostensibly back-from-the-dead Letty Ortiz in "Fast & Furious 6," roaring into theaters May 24, has been a key element in the film's prerelease marketing. Similarly, the resurrected-for-2013 Dodge Dart is ready for its close-up in the latest edition of the immensely popular Vin Diesel-fronted street-racing saga. But will the movie spark sales of the slow-selling compact?

While "Fast & Furious 6" is likely to be quick off the line on its way to box-office success — its predecessor, 2011's "Fast Five," bowed to a reported $86 million — early sales of the 2013 Dart have proved neither fast nor furious in its crowded segment. The automaker is no doubt hoping the Dart's prominence in both the film and a cross-marketing campaign will help raise its public profile, as similar product placement in "Fast Five" did for the Dodge Charger two years ago. A fleet of Chargers will return for some more screen time in the new film, along with the current SRT Challenger and a vintage Charger Daytona, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Recall Alert: Approximately 215,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Vehicles

The Chrysler Group issued six separate recalls affecting around 215,000 vehicles in the U.S. According to the automaker, the following vehicles are affected:

• 61,400 model-year 2007-08 Dodge Nitro and Jeep Liberty SUVs. Chrysler has stated that it's recalling two-wheel-drive versions of these vehicles in order to brace a heat shield that can loosen and contact the driveshaft, causing wear and possible breakage over time. "Chrysler Group is unaware of any collisions or injuries associated with the condition," the automaker said in a statement.

Recall Alert: 2013 Dodge Challenger

Chrysler is telling owners of certain V-6-equipped Dodge Challengers to stop driving their cars until a wiring issue can be fixed. The automaker is voluntarily recalling approximately 2,500 model-year 2013 versions of the coupe to address possible short circuiting.

"This condition could cause a wire harness to overheat and possibly lead to fire. Chrysler Group is aware of seven such incidents. None caused injury," the automaker said in a statement. The automaker also advises owners not to park affected vehicles in or near any structure.

According to Chrysler, a total of 4,459 vehicles are affected, but 1,900 are at dealerships. The Challengers that are part of the recall were built during an eight-week period ending Jan. 24, 2013, Chrysler reports.

Chrysler is notifying owners via phone and mail. The automaker is advising owners of affected vehicles to stop driving their cars and contact their dealership immediately; free loaners will be provided. Owners can call Chrysler at 800-247-9753 for more information.

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2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Core: Photo Gallery

SRT versions of the Dodge Challenger just got a little more accessible. Chrysler's high-performance brand unveiled the 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Core model at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show; it's a lower-priced version of the traditional Challenger SRT8.

More 2013 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

Power is unchanged: The new Core version uses the same 470-horsepower, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. Exterior features include a black grille rear spoiler, unique decals, 20-inch aluminum wheels with black pockets and black Brembo brake calipers. The biggest story is price: The Core version starts at $39,990, including the $995 destination fee. The regular Challenger SRT8 starts at $44,770, including destination. 

Check out the photo gallery of the Challenger SRT8 in Plum Crazy Pearl Coat below.

New SRT8 'Core' Models Drop Features, Price

Dodge's and Chrysler's high-performance SRT8 models receive a substantial price drop courtesy of a new breed of high-performance trim levels called the Core models. Challenger SRT8 and 300 SRT8 Core models strip convenience features like leather, moonroof, high-power stereo and fog lights in search of a lower price discounted as much as $4,780 than their full-featured regular models.
 
The trend started with Dodge's special edition Charger SRT8 Super Bee that — compared to the regular SRT8 — used the less-expensive radio, standard hood, cloth interior instead of leather and ditched the adaptive adjustable suspension in favor of a fixed firmness suspension.

More 2013 Chicago Auto Show Coverage

2013 Dodge Challenger Wins Cars.com Shoppers' Choice Award

America loves its muscle cars, and Cars.com's Facebook fans once again proved as much by selecting the 2013 Dodge Challenger as this year's winner of the Shoppers' Choice Award. We can't say we disagree; as we stated on our Facebook page: "We think the Challenger's classic muscle-car styling, refined ride and handling, and spacious interior make this an excellent choice for anyone in the market for a fun, surprisingly practical coupe."

More 2013 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

The Challenger beat nine finalists and was ultimately selected based on the amount of activity generated by millions of shoppers on Cars.com, including how many people researched and reached out to dealers to check out the car. From all that activity, combined with the Facebook voting, we've determined that the Challenger best represents the voice of our users.

Dodge received its Cars.com Shoppers' Choice Award this week during the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Congratulations, Dodge, and thanks to the millions of Cars.com users who made this award possible.

Car Backseats You Want to Sit In

We’ve told you which cars to call front-seat dibs to avoid being stuck in the backseat with leg cramps and neck spasms. It only seems appropriate to fill you in on which cars allow you to relax comfortably in the backseat and let the friend who called shotgun play road-trip navigator while you chill out and enjoy the scenery. 
 
It’s a safe bet that anything with L or XL after the model name will be an obvious candidate for calling rear-seat dibs; you’ll likely be lounging in extended-wheelbase luxury. But luxury cars aren’t the only class with big backseats. Some gems within their own classes have enough backseat room and surprise features to feel like the car was designed just to provide maximum comfort for rear passengers.

Top 10 Underappreciated Cars and Trucks

Good products usually sell themselves … but not always. We've assembled here a list of cars and trucks that should be more popular than they are. In some cases the sales figures aren't bad, but in none of the cases below do the sales match our assessment of the cars' relevance or excellence. That usually means car shoppers can find a bit of a deal, too. Here are our Top 10 Underappreciated Cars and Trucks in no particular order.

Dodge Challenger Sees Red With New Trim

Dodge's muscle car is getting a little more attitude this year. Joining the 2012 Challenger lineup is the Rallye Redline trim. It adds a performance-tuned suspension and brakes, sport-themed red exterior accents and a unique interior.

The new model joins base SXT, SXT Plus, R/T and SRT8 versions and uses the SXT's 305-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddles.

The Challenger Rallye Redline rides on Pitch Black 20-inch wheels with a Redline Red-colored lip, which matches the Redline Red body stripe. It has a body-colored painted deck-lid spoiler and is available in four exterior colors: Bright Silver Metallic, Tungsten Metallic, Bright White and Pitch Black. Interior colors include standard Dark Slate Gray or optional Radar Red leather.

Standard on the Rallye Redline trim is the Super Sport Group package. It includes performance-tuned suspension and shocks, larger front and rear sway bars, and performance-calibrated steering.

The 2012 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline goes on sale next month starting at $28,745, excluding the $925 destination fee.

Year-End Deal Reality Check: Chrysler Group

Chrysler's had a very successful year overall, with sales up 25% through November. Part of that has to do with the automaker's redesigned and refreshed vehicles, and part of it has to do with Chrysler's seemingly eternal and robust incentive spending. The end of the year is no different. Under Chrysler's cross-branded “Big Finish 2011” sales event, there are plenty of attractive financing and cash-back deals to be had.

Starting with the Chrysler brand — which has the most aggressive incentive offers – there are 0% financing deals on the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country and 2012 Chrysler 200 sedan for 60 months and for 60 to 72 months on all 2011 Chrysler brand models. The Town & Country ($1,250), 200 ($2,500), 300 ($1,500) and 200 convertible ($1,000) also have generous cash-back offers.