Latest news with #DodgeMagnum
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Performance Wagons Are Hotter Than Ever: Could Dodge Revive the Magnum R/T to Capitalize?
Business Performance Wagons Are Hotter Than Ever: Could Dodge Revive the Magnum R/T to Capitalize? Performance station wagons are back with a vengeance Performance station wagons certainly aren't anything new, even for American automakers. As far back as the 1960s, domestic brands were offering up hot wagons like the Pontiac Tempest Safari Wagon and the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser 442, which paired powerful, large-displacement V8 engines plucked straight from the hottest muscle cars with spacious station wagons that could fit your whole family and all their belongings with ease. In the '90s, some European automakers took their own approach to developing family station wagons with mouthwatering performance capabilities, such as the turbocharged five-cylinder-powered Audi RS2 Avant and BMW's potent V8-powered E39 540i Touring. Then, in the early 2010s, the world reached peak performance station wagon status, with a slew of offerings from both European and American automakers that permanently cemented the greatness of the performance wagon for eternity evermore. Audi created the absolutely mental C6 RS6 Avant, which was an all-wheel drive family station wagon powered by a twin-turbocharged, 572-horsepower 5.0-liter V10. That's right, Audi's sporty station wagon had 47 more horsepower than the V10-powered R8 of the same vintage. Around the same time, BMW released the first-ever M5 Touring, which also used a 5.0-liter V10, albeit without turbocharging and all-wheel drive, making it a true driver-oriented sports car with seating for 5 and enough cargo space for a few cats and dogs. 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon Cadillac Cadillac Unfortunately for us on this side of the pond, those two V10-powered super wagons were never offered stateside. What we did get, however, was a trio of growly, V8-powered muscle wagons that not only proved wagons didn't belong only in your grandmother's driveway, they also proved that American brands were becoming genuinely competitive with the European heavyweights. Around the same time that Mercedes-Benz was selling the 518-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8-powered E63 AMG Estate in the early 2010s, Cadillac unveiled its supercharged, 556-horsepower 6.2-liter V8-powered CTS-V Sport Wagon, which could even be optioned with a six-speed manual transmission. The CTS-V wowed the enthusiast crowd worldwide, even receiving a nod on Top Gear, which had been extremely critical of American performance cars up until that point. Although the CTS-V's success was a huge moment for American auto manufacturers, it overshadowed another respectable performance wagon that has since faded from the memories of most people–the Dodge Magnum. The Dodge Magnum offered old-school performance for the modern era The Magnum isn't remembered very often these days, but those who do recall Dodge's late-2000s station wagon remember it fondly. What was essentially a Dodge Charger with a unique face and a long roof, the Magnum could be had with a slew of V6 and V8 engines, but the most notable of them all was the 6.1-litre Hemi V8-powered Magnum SRT8, which sent 425 horses to the rear wheels, could do 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, and ran a 13.6-second quarter mile time straight out of the box. Despite the Magnum's sporting prowess and superior functionality as a daily driver, its four-door sedan counterparts–the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300–vastly outsold the wagon, which was eventually discontinued after the 2008 model year. Plain and simple, sedans were more popular, and those wanting a macho V8-powered muscle car refused to show up to car shows in something that, stylistically, looked like it belonged in the high school drop-off line more than it did at the starting line of a drag strip. 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 Stellantis Stellantis Fast forward to 2025, and things are beginning to turn around for the station wagon. No longer seen as "grandma's grocery-getter," the station wagon has become a bastion for practical performance. Why settle for a four-door sedan when you could have extra cargo space and drive something that looks truly unique from the vast ocean of sedans and crossovers that plague the streets of America with dullness? As Car & Driver recently reported, "BMW M5 Touring Orders Make Up Half of Current M5 Production." The popularity of the BMW M5 Touring came as a surprise even to BMW, which, according to Fred Smith at Car & Driver, was "initially planning to build the cars at a 2-to-1 sedan-to-wagon ratio." The M5 Touring builds upon the success of BMW's M3 Touring, which has also proven that the performance sedan tide is shifting towards station wagon counterparts, which offer the same performance capabilities as four-door sedans, albeit with superior daily driver functionality. Although the Magnum wasn't as much of a success as Dodge had hoped in the late 2000s, perhaps now is the right time for the brand to experiment with a new one. Using generative text-to-image artificial intelligence and Adobe Photoshop over official Dodge press images, we take an imagined look at what a hypothetical Dodge Magnum revival could look like, incorporating current Dodge Charger design elements and styling cues. These images are for speculation purposes only and in no way depict any actual Stellantis or Dodge products. The new Dodge Charger desperately needs help As our very own Elijah Nicholson-Messmer recently reported, Dodge's EV gamble has fallen flat, and "In Q1 2025, Dodge sold more discontinued Chargers and Challengers than its new electric Charger Daytona." As a result, the Stellantis-owned brand has been desperately reworking the Charger to accommodate combustion-powered engines, and a Hemi V8 Charger is reportedly in the works. It seems evident that would-be buyers of a two-door muscle car aren't so keen on battery power, especially when it's replacing the old-school V8 muscle charm that made the Charger so captivating in the first place. Perhaps a revived Dodge Magnum could make better use of the Charger's electric powertrain and combustion-powered alternatives, such as Dodge's new Hurricane straight-six engines and loud and powerful Hemi V8s. Dodge Magnum R/T Concept AI Generated Image / Stellantis AI Generated Image / Stellantis Right off the bat, a fully-electric Dodge Magnum could employ the Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack's 100.5 kWh battery, which produces 670 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, to chase after the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, which uses a 102 kWh battery to produce 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. As a less expensive alternative, Dodge could also fit the revived Magnum with its 550-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter Hurricane straight-six, but we can't help but imagine a spiritual successor to the beloved Magnum SRT8. Powered by none other than a supercharged 6.2-liter V8, a new Magnum SRT8 would get a power figure lingering around the 800 mark, which might give the BMW M5 Touring, the Audi RS6 Avant, and the Mercedes-AMG E53 Hybrid Estate a serious run for their money at the drag strip. Dodge Charger Daytona EVs sit in the lot at the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images Getty Images Final thoughts Regardless of how well a station wagon variant of the new Dodge Charger Daytona would realistically sell, Dodge is at a point where the brand needs to take some serious risks to keep itself relevant. Currently, Dodge's entire model range has been whittled down to just three models–the Charger, the Hornet, and the Durango. Despite how fresh the Charger and Hornet are, the Durango remains the brand's best-selling model, even though its current generation began in 2010. This means that Dodge dealers have an easier time selling a 15-year-old vehicle with a new-car price tag than selling their actual up-to-date products. Dodge needs to do what it does best: translate old-school desires and charm into products that meet contemporary needs at reasonable prices. That's how the previous-generation Charger and Challenger were so successful, and if Dodge doesn't take this sentiment to heart with its new Charger platform, the future of the brand could look pretty grim. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Driver of vehicle involved in crash with tractor-trailer in Butler County was traveling wrong way
A man who was seriously injured in a crash that happened in Butler County was traveling the wrong way. New details shared by Pennsylvania State Police said the 45-year-old driver of a 2005 Dodge Magnum was going 55 mph the wrong way when he crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer in the eastbound lanes of Route 422 in Summit Township on Tuesday. The driver of the Magnum was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The tractor-trailer driver from Georgia was not injured. State police did not say what caused the driver to end up going the wrong way. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
BCSO asking for public's help locating a missing Hilton Head man
BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) – The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) is asking for the public's help locating a missing and endangered 68-year-old man. Geoffrey Michael Hunter was last seen at about 9 a.m., on March 24, 2025, at his home in Hilton Head Plantation on Hilton Head Island. He left in his vehicle, a black in color 2005 Dodge Magnum, with SC tag THB877. There is concern for his safety and well-being as he is terminally ill and currently on oxygen. Hunter is described as 6'7, 200 lbs., and was last seen wearing a red long sleeve shirt and dark-colored sweatpants. Anyone who sees Hunter is asked to call our non-emergency dispatch line at 843-524-2777. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Someone Built The Hellcat Redeye Wagon Dodge Wouldn't Make
Read the full story on Backfire News There have been many words written conjecturing why the Dodge Magnum was killed before the Hellcat was created. Whatever the reason, a huge opportunity was lost and some of us can never forgive Mopar for it. But one YouTuber has given us a glimpse of what might have been, which is glorious and at the same time fills us with a measure of are of course talking about throwing a Hellcat Redeye crate engine into an old Magnum wagon. For good measure, the transmission is a manual, so it's an even more cathartic thing to watch, especially as a kinder, gentler, more electric Dodge brand is now rolling out. But if you've ever taken on a big project like this, you know it doesn't come without any hitches, especially if you've never done anything like it before. This is the sort of thing you don't really see on those high-production car shows on TV or even in streaming services. Seeing these guys struggle with different issues, including the Redeye engine throwing a bunch of codes and going into limp mode repeatedly when they try ripping burnouts in the wagon is relatable. It happens over and over and you can tell they're just sick of not being able to figure out the reason. But they persevere and eventually get it ironed out then immediately run into more problems just as the build needs to be buttoned up and shipped out for Roadkill Nights. This is just life, but they buckle down and somehow work through things. Building cars and racing them are two different things. It also doesn't help when one of the problems they thought was fixed suddenly reared its ugly head again. But the build is still cool, so check out the video if you haven't already. Images via ThatDudeinBlue/YouTube
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
CT man arrested after search turns up two loaded firearms as well as multiple types of drugs
A Waterbury man was arrested Thursday after authorities searched his residence and his vehicle, finding multiple types of drugs as well as two guns and a high-capacity magazine. The target of the searches was identified as 43-year-old Thomas Goethe, according to Lt. Ryan Bessette of the Waterbury Police Department. Bessette said Goethe's residence on Wildwood Avenue and a Dodge Magnum he is known to drive were searched by the police department's Vice and Intelligence Unit, Crime Prevention Unit, Gang Task Force as well as the Connecticut State Police Violent Crime Task Force and Auto Theft Unit. Officers located Goethe and his vehicle in the area of Bronson Street shortly before the residence was searched. During the search, police found 145 glassine bags of heroin, 244 grams of crack cocaine, 61 controlled substance pills, two 9mm handguns, a high-capacity magazine and over 200 rounds of ammunition, Bessette said. They also found various packaging materials indicative of street-level drug sales and more than $2,000. Goethe was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of 1⁄2 ounce or more of cocaine freebase form, possession of a hallucinogenic substance with intent to sell, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, criminal possession of a firearm or ammunition, illegal possession of a large-capacity magazine, illegal sale/transfer of a firearm and tampering with evidence. Bessette noted that Goethe is a previously convicted felon. He was held on a $100,000 bond.
