Dodge is showing off a new Blacktop edition Charger at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The menacingly dark Charger features black wheels, tinted windows and a black exterior, giving it a truly evil appearance.

The new styling package for the Charger is debuting at CES, which may seem like an odd place for a vehicle to make its debut, but Dodge is also showing off their Beats by Dr. Dre Audio System that is now an option on select Dodge Charger models. The 10-speaker audio system was designed by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine that features a 12-channel amplifier and an 8.4-inch Uconnect screen that controls the sound.

Dodge unfortunately didn’t release any more details regarding the Blacktop package, only mentioning that the Beats by Dr. Dre Audio System is included with it. The audio system will be standard equipment on 2012 Dodge Charger R/T Max models and will also be included on the Rallye Appearance Group package on Charger SXT models. Dodge Charger R/T models can get the system with the Sound Group and Wheels and Tunes Group packages.

GALLERY: 2012 Dodge Charger Blacktop

Read AutoGuide’s 2012 Dodge Charger R/T Review Here

The first ever, original General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard will be heading to a Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona that starts on January 14th, 2012. Nicknamed “Lee 1″, the 1969 Dodge Charger will have no reserve price and is probably one of the most iconic vehicles in the history of Hollywood.

Rumor has it that over 300 different General Lees were used during the show’s production from 1979 to 1985, so owning the first ever General Lee is pretty special. The only cast member to have ever driven this particular Charger was John Schneider, who played Bo Duke in the hit TV show.

Probably more tragic was the fact that this vehicle sat in a junkyard in Atlanta for 23 years before it was recently rescued and professionally restored over 16 months.

GALLERY: First Dodge Charger General Lee

[Source: Carscoop]

Are you frustrated with your car’s nav system? Join the club – a new study out by J.D. Power and Associates Reports says that drivers are annoyed with their navigation systems.

Consumers are reporting that they are becoming increasingly frustrated with their in-car navigation and infotainment systems. The problem seems to be complexity of these systems, and drivers think that the systems available aren’t easy to use. Topping the list of complaints is the “Address/street/city not found”, followed by “Difficulty inputting destination,” “Route provided was not direct” and “Difficulty using voice recognition controls.” And instead of making these systems easier to use, manufacturers are adding even more features, such as climate controls.

“Routing the primary function of a navigation system is obviously an issue and will continue to be,” said Andy Bernhard, director at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, for nearly 10 years, the importance of ease of use has been emphasized by owners, and the continued high level of problems in this area begs the question: is the industry listening to how owners want to interact with their system?”

J.D. Power and Associates also ranked the top systems based on consumer satisfaction, and leading the way is the Garmin system that comes with the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, as well as the Hyundai Mobis that’s found in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. At the bottom of the list is the Alpine Electronics unit found in a few Mercedes-Benz models, TeleNav in the Lincoln MKX and DENSO in the Toyota RAV4.

If you have GPS or an infotainment system in your vehicle, do you find it too complicated to use? Let us know in the comments section below.

After serving for more than 30 years, the Ford Crown Victoria has established a sterling reputation as the police car of choice. Ford is ending production of the Crown Vic Police Interceptor at the company’s St. Thomas, Ontario, factory and despite stopping sales of Crown Vics to consumers in 2008, Ford continues to make them available to fleets.

Sales to law enforcement agencies have been increasing as Ford prepares to launch new police vehicles based on the Taurus and Explorer.  Through the first seven months of the year, Crown Vic sales are up 64 percent to 35,203 units. The Crown Vic enjoyed widespread success due to its two bench, six passenger seating layout and gearshift mounted on the steering column. The vehicle was introduced in 1983 and was the top choice of law enforcement in 1996-2010.  The Crown Vic’s death was further pushed by the federal government requiring automakers to boost their average fuel economy to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 and to 54 mpg by 2025. The Crown Vic’s 16 mpg city mileage is not very appealing, nor efficient.

Currently, the Crown Vic makes up about 70 percent of the police vehicle market, but Ford’s new offerings aren’t being warmly received by police departments. One officer told the Detroit Free Press that he was stocking up on Crown Vic’s, as the new Ford offerings were inadequate for their needs. The officer stated that the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Caprice were being looked at, something Ford does not want to happen.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

As every automaker looks for ways to save fuel in order to meet the upcoming CAFE targets, Chrysler is proving that thrifty doesn’t necessarily have to mean small.

The company’s two full-size sedans, the rear-drive Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger are mostly recognized for their stature and performance (especially in SRT-8 form). But an eight-speed automatic transmission, which is scheduled for introduction this fall, both cars have a chance to deliver some surprising fuel economy numbers.

According to CEO Sergio Marchionne, the 3.6-liter V-6 versions of both sedans are expected to deliver around 31 miles per gallon on the highway, significantly improved from the current car (around 4 mpg better) and even thriftier than Japanese offerings such as the Honda Accord.

However, start adding V-8 engines and all-wheel drive into the mix and it’s likely such numbers will be harder to achieve (though Chrysler remains fairly buoyant on V-8 mpg estimates, stating the 5.7-liter Hemi engined cars are likely to get around 29 mpg on the open road). Technology such as more advanced cylinder deactivation and a front-wheel decoupling feature on AWD models, could mean that within a few years, there’s every chance these cars could return even higher numbers.

Source: [Automotive News]

Hard-hitting Consumer Reports, recently tested a plethora of updated Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, revealing that while Detroit’s number three automaker has made significant gains in terms of vehicle improvement, levels of quality between vehicles remain varied and there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Speaking at CR’s Auto Test Center, located in East Haddam, Connecticut, David Champion, senior director at the center, said, “we see major improvements for models that have had a significant redesign. When Chrysler invests the time and money in a true redesign, the result has been a much more competitive model.”

The models rated as the most significantly improved, were the re-designed seven-passenger Dodge Durango SUV and the 2011 Charger full-size sedan, both of which received ‘very good’ ratings during CR road tests.

The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country minivan also received a ‘Very Good’ rating, however other vehicles tested at the same time, including the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, as well as Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot, while still improved over their predecessors, were still rated as ‘mediocre’ by the publication.

Consumer Reports also said that in terms of overall reliability, based on its Annual Auto Survey, Chrysler vehicles still rank below average, in fact scoring the lowest overall road test scores for any major automaker. In the last three years, CR has only only given a single Chrysler vehicle a ‘recommended’ rating, the Ram 1500 half-ton pickup.

The results from the eight 2011 Chrysler models tested will appear in the August issue of Consumer Reports, the publication had planned to also include the Fiat 500, Chrysler 300 and Dodge Challenger, but those vehicles weren’t available for testing at the time.

It’ll be interesting to see what the magazine makes of those when it gets around to evaluating them.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Currently up on eBay is Hubinette Racing’s / NuFormz Dodge Charger SRT8 originally built for the Formula Drift competition. And while it’s a truly formidable drift machine – it captured first place in Summit Point in 2007 – it’s more about owning a piece of history if you’re a a fan of the sideways sport. The reason? It was the first domestic four-door drift machine ever built, having spent the last couple of years sitting in the NHRA Museum after Sean Carlson’s untimely passing.

The only steel piece left on this car is the roof, while all the other panels have been swapped out for carbon fiber and fiberglass counterparts. It features a fully built 6.1L HEMI engine, naturally aspirated, though the exact specs of the powerplant were not mentioned in the auction. What is mentioned however is the extensive suspension and drivetrain modifications and the car currently sits on 18-inch Intro wheels.

The starting bid is currently at $39,000 and we certainly hope whoever does end up buying it takes it back out to compete.

[Source: eBay via Wrecked Magazine]

A  Dodge Charger police car catching fire and burning to the ground, has prompted Chrysler to replace the car and the gear inside for free. The Curry County, Oregon  squad car only had 6,000 miles on it, when it burnt to a crisp/

The car was stopped to assisst in a successful search and rescue opertion in which a man named Patrick Combs, was found and taken to the hospital by ambulance.  Deputy Jared Gray’s new Charger was the sole casualty, after catching fire while stopped.

Chrysler agreed to replace the cruiser, however the Sheriff’s department had to agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement(NDA). An NDA, also known as a secrecy agreement, is a legal contract, signed between the two parties that restricts access to third parties, which means the general public may never know what set the car ablaze.

The fire seemed to start in the passenger-side front wheel well and continued to reignite after fire crews continued to extinguish the blaze.

[Source: Jalopnik]

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, is raffling a one off 2011 Charger R/T. However, this is no ordinary Charger. There have been some performance modifications added to the Charger to make it quite  unique.

This Charger is outfitted with door scoops inspired by the 1970 Charger R/T, unique rear spoiler and front fascia, black chrome 20-inch rims as well as a Mopar performance lowering kit. Under the hood is a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 coupled with a Mopar Cat-Back exhaust system. The interior is outfitted with Mopar Katzkin leather seats incrested with Busch’s signature and number.

“This is one fabulous Dodge,” said Busch.  “I’m delighted with what Dodge and Mopar have done and how they’ve helped the Foundation. They’ve done a stand-out job on this car. Someone is going to be very happy driving this amazing Dodge around town.”

GALLERY: Dodge Charger R/T Kurt Busch Foundation

What you see here isn’t just a simple Dodge Charger General Lee imitation; no, former NBA player Jalen Rose owns one of the actual remaining units that was used during filming of the popular television show Dukes of Hazzard. Rose will be auctioning off this General Lee on May 23rd with an opening bid of $45,000 with the proceeds going directly to Jalen Rose’s Leadership Academy – a preparatory school opening in Detroit in September 2011.

There are a few changes that have been made to the General Lee however. For starters, the infamous 01 has been swapped out for an 05 – Jalen Rose’s playing number – and the confederate flag was removed from the roof. The auction will have no reserve and features Rose’s autograph under the hood alongside John Schneider’s.

GALLERY: Jalen Rose’s 1969 Dodge Charger General Lee

[Source: eBay via Autoblog]