The 840-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is out of production, but the Sleuth believes its replacement is a more well-rounded athlete. The 2019 Challenger SRT Redeye has a Demon-based 797-horsepower supercharged 6.2-litre V-8. That compares to the 2018 SRT Hellcat Challenger鈥檚 707 horses and 650 pound-feet of torque, which gets a 10-horse bump to 717 for 2019. Why doesn鈥檛 the Redeye get all 840 of the Demon鈥檚 horses? The Sleuth hears that the Redeye鈥檚 hood scoops are too small to cram enough air into the engine. The Redeye also comes with fender flairs to hold wider rubber for the purpose of going around corners, something the Demon was not specifically designed to do. Expect a price in sa国际传媒 somewhere north of $100,000. For those wondering if Dodge will ever create a new Challenger, word on the street is that you鈥檒l have to wait until 2021, and even then the replacement will use the current model鈥檚 now-10-plus-year-old platform.
Porsche intends to make a Cayenne coupe: Well why not, says the Sleuth. Many luxury-vehicle makers have already created fastback versions of their utility vehicles, starting with the BMW X6 many years ago. Apparently it鈥檚 a virtual certainty that Porsche will introduce a four-door 鈥渃oupe鈥� version of the popular Cayenne utility vehicle. The new model, which is expected to launch some time in 2019 as a 2020 model, will look just like a tall wagon from the front, but behind the rear doors a giant hatch will change the vehicle鈥檚 character from staid to sporty. There鈥檚 no definitive word as to powertrains, it鈥檚 likely that the Cayenne鈥檚 current engine lineup will carry over.
BMW revives its luxury-car creds with a new 7-series sedan: The German automaker excels in most luxury-vehicle segments, with one possible exception. Sales of the big 7-series sedan lag those of many competitors, and year-to-date numbers are down significantly from 2017. To address this situation, The Sleuth鈥檚 sources confirm that an updated 7 series is in the works for a 2020-model-year launch. There will be mostly new sheetmetal fronted by a larger and more upright grille to help distinguish it from the similar-looking 5-series sedan. The 7鈥檚 interior will also get plushier leather seats and more of the latest safety and autonomous (self-driving) technologies. Expect existing turbocharged V-8 and V-12 powerplants, plus a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid model, to carry over.
Chevrolet suits up a Blazer revival: The Spy Guy鈥檚 take on the recently announced return of the Blazer name is that there鈥檚 nothing really new about the new vehicle it鈥檚 attached to. Instead of being a modern version of the rougher-and-tougher body-on-frame model that first arrived for the 1970 model year, the latest Blazer that launches for 2019 is simply one more in a long, long list of five-passenger tall wagons, albeit one with a slightly bolder grille and an oversized wheel-and-tire package. In short, there鈥檚 nothing particularly groundbreaking about the midsize Blazer, which will squeeze between the compact Equinox and full-size Traverse in the Chevrolet lineup. Four-cylinder and optional V-6 engines will be offered, along with the usual list of active-safety tech. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about the Blazer is that it will be built in Mexico, which might not sit too well with the tariff-loving U.S. president.
Remembering Tom (Mongoose) McEwen: As one of the more colourful drivers in the world of professional drag racing, Tom McEwen helped put the sport on the map beginning in the mid-1960s with his promotional abilities and marketing savvy. The nickname 鈥淢ongoose鈥� was given to him since he frequently raced against Don (The Snake) Prudhomme. For years, both drivers competed in dragsters sponsored by toymaker Mattel鈥檚 Hot Wheels brand. McEwen was 81 when he died on June 10.
Tesla hits Model 3 production goal, at least for a while: Following numerous production delays, electric-car maker Tesla recently announced that it has reached its goal of building 5,000 of its most affordable model in a one-week period. To help meet demand, Tesla wants to build Model 3s at a rate of 6,000 cars per week by the end of July.
