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How many farewell tours has Ozzy Osbourne had? It’s like the boy who cried wolf—at some point, this legacy grandstanding ends up being an eyeroll. Yet Dodge is rumored to bring back the V8 for Ram trucks. Are we supposed to think it’ll end up in the Charger?

If you recall, Dodge made a big fuss about “Last Call” models as the Hemi V8’s swan song, culminating with the Challenger SRT Demon 170. That car was touted as the quickest, fastest, most powerful mass-produced vehicle in the world. But why would Dodge toss away so much equity in its performance marketing?

The truth is the Hemi never left–it’s still available on the Durango. Nonethelesss, blame it on the Europeans and the government. Let’s start off with the former: the erstwhile Chrysler Corporation is known today as Stellantis North America, which is a subsidiary of Stellantis, the company formed with the merger of FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and PSA Group (Peugeot Société Anonyme). Merging the most precarious of American automobile companies with Fiat and the French—what could go wrong?

Combine a Euro-leaning multinational with strong Biden-era EPA pollution standards (that would nudge manufacturers to forge a stronger mix of EV and hybrid vehicles) and you have the makings of a quick, painful death for V8 aficionados—certainly any evolution towards that goal would have been slower with an American behind the wheel. “Communists!” said someone from the nosebleeds.

Hasn’t the former Chrysler Corporation been through enough already? Before FCA, it was DaimlerChrysler, what ended up being a soul-gutting “merger of equals” that ended up producing more acrimony than anything else . . . but we also got the Challenger and Charger, so it wasn’t all bad.

Nonetheless, as the lineup aged out of contemporary status, marketing and engineering took over, helping these outdated cars sell better and better than before. Plus, the true believers within Dodge had a their collective fingers on the pulse of Dodge’s heritage so that now every lazy entitled Gen Zer has a grasp what B5 Blue is.

And then, the baby was thrown out with the bathwater. The Challenger is currently history, replaced by a two-door Charger joining a redesigned four-door Charger. The new car is currently at dealerships, and Dodge designers have created a car with fantastic, classic proportions while mining Dodge’s heritage. What’s driving the Charger? Electricity or turbo-six power.

Choice is good. And I am sure both versions will satisfy the needs for modern living, but they are not V8s. There’s something special about a V8, the same way there’s something special about Girl Scout Cookies, Atari, and Yankee Doodle.

So, last week, Dodge announced the Hemi V8 will be returning to the Ram lineup, which will include the 5.7, 392, and supercharged 6.2 Hellcat. Rumor has it that this is due to a good ol’ American—Tim Kuniskis—returning to the ranks of Ram CEO several months ago. Does that create hope for the Charger?

Sure, leaving that question hanging is a lame attempt to get clicks on social media. I cannot profess to know how the new Charger was engineered, especially considering it’s on a platform designed for EVs, but it’s also on a platform designed for ICE.

So, start holding your breath, folks!

America has a thing for performance vehicles. The United States is known for cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette, but its love for horsepower and speed isn’t bound by body style. That’s why the 682-horsepower Cadillac Escalade-V and 720-horsepower Ford F-150 Raptor R exist. We’ve even gotten tire-scorching wagons here before, such as the Dodge Magnum SRT8. One longroof that eluded U.S. speed fiends for decades was the BMW M5 Touring, but that changed last year when the automaker announced it would be selling the fast wagon here for the first time. So far, M5 sales numbers reflect a worldwide desire for its wagon variant.

In an interview with BMWBlog, Sylvia Neubauer, the head of Customer, Brand, and Sales for BMW M, said, “Originally, our plan was to have two-thirds of the production over the entire [M5] lifecycle as a sedan and one-third as a Touring. We now see that there’s more demand for the sedan, so we’ve increased production there. But there’s even more demand for the Touring. So the increase on the Touring is much higher.” Currently, the reported split between the two M5 models is exactly 50/50.

The existence of a new M5 Touring isn’t just good news for people here in the States. Even the markets in which M5 Tourings were previously sold didn’t get them very often. There was the straight-six-powered E34 version launched in 1992 and the E60 M5 Touring introduced in 2007 with a 5.0-liter V10. Of course, those regions will also be getting the newest M5 Touring, which has an M Hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 with an eight-speed automatic equipped with an integrated electric motor and a 14.8-kWh high-voltage battery. By itself, the gas engine generates 577 horsepower from 5,600 to 6,500 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque between 1,800 and 5,400 rpm. The M Hybrid setup produces a total of 717 horsepower and 738 lb-ft, which means the M5 Touring not only can haul 57.6 cubic feet of luggage, but can also haul ass. Flat out, the wagon can lunge to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 155 mph, which goes up to 190 with the optional M Driver’s Package. When commuting is more important than setting a new Cannonball Run record, the M5 Touring can drive up to 25 miles on full electric power and reach speeds as high as 87 mph.

Now that the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S is gone, the only wagon in the Mercedes lineup is the E-Class All Terrain, a car more focused on the outdoors than outright performance. Audi’s A4 and A6 allroad quattro models have a similar objective. The $126,600 Audi RS 6 Avant performance is an aggressive combination of pace and space, but even with a 621-horsepower twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood, it’s not nearly as potent as the $121,500 M5 Touring (although the Audi does have a lower 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds).

We’re glad BMW has finally made the M5 Touring available here. We’ll be even happier if Andy Reid can get his hands on one and review it.

In a brief moment in time, many American cars featured a styling feature where a grille was placed in the area called the a “catwalk,” the contoured area between the hood and fender. The word is derived from the passageway above the deck of of a ship. The below AutoHunter and ClassicCars.com vehicles have this styling feature. Can you tell us the year, make, and model of each?

Post your answers in the Comments section. Click on an image if you need a hint!

Click on a photo to reveal each car

Every Tuesday The ClassicCars.com Journal will bring you a new automotive puzzle. For past car games, simply click here!

Is there a nicer Chevy from the 1960s than the ’61? Especially in two-door hardtop form—available as an Impala and Bel Air—the 1961 Chevrolet looked trim and light thanks to finless flanks and a large amount of glass. Plus, 1961 was the first year for the Super Sport package and the big-block 409. It’s like everything converged for the model year, no? For those reasons, it’s a pleasure to introduce the AutoHunter Spotlight for today, a Seafoam Green 1961 Chevrolet Impala “Bubbletop” Sport Coupe with a tri-carb 409 transplant, four-wheel disc brakes, and more.

The Seafoam Green hue is complemented by longitudinal white accents. Other exterior features include dual chrome side mirrors, twin exhaust pipes poking from underneath the rear valence, and 18-inch Ridler wheels wrapped in staggered-width Otani radials—235/40 (front) and 255/45 (rear).

The interior features green cloth and vinyl upholstery that nicely matches the exterior. The bench seat is split in the back to facilitate ingress and egress. Other features include column-mounted automatic shifter and factory AM radio.

Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer, clock, and gauges for the coolant temperature and fuel. An aftermarket 8,000-rpm tachometer is mounted on the left side of the column, and auxiliary gauges for the oil pressure, coolant, and ammeter reside under the instrument panel. The odometer currently reads 36,683, though the title reads mileage-exempt.

The engine currently resting in this Chevy is a vintage 409, though this one features three two-barrel carburetors. That’s somewhat interesting because this induction system was never offered for the 409, but it was available for the 348. It’s backed by a three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 400 transmission, something that an original 409 never had available. An aluminum radiator helps keep things cool on this hot engine.

The undercarriage features Wilwood four-wheel power disc brakes for stopping power that the factory was incapable of imagining. Additions to aid in handling include short coils and sway bars.

So how about it? A 1961 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe sporting a multi-carb 409 and several modern modifications to make driving a pleasure. Bid now because the auction for this AutoHunter Spotlight ends on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Few vehicles from automotive history are revered as much as the Volkswagen Bus when it comes to all-around versatility. The Bus – with its unmistakable lines and multi-purpose mission – has been around since 1950 and has gone by names including Transporter, Kombi and Microbus. After 75 years, it remains a favorite for beachgoers, road-trippers, campers and enthusiasts for its merits as an economical recreation vehicle.

The Pick of the Day is a 1978 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Mill Valley, California. (Click here to see the listing)

“Our beloved VW Bus (Flo) needs a new home due to a move abroad,” the listing says. “She is a beautiful bus, serviced by Buslab and all paperwork has been kept from here and the U.K.”

Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to the exterior. The cream-painted body has color-matched bumpers, a one-piece windshield, sliding side windows, a roof basket, sideview mirrors and whitewall tires. The vehicle was reportedly restored in the United Kingdom – where it resided from 2008 through 2023 – before being returned to California.

The interior is where this Bus sets itself apart – the cargo area is a sort of “Swiss army knife” with so many distinct features. The cabinetry was installed three years ago, and amenities include a bed, a Bluetooth stereo system, a fridge, a sink, a USB port, a table and storage compartments. How does that all squeeze in there?

A key selling point of the Type 2 Bus was that it had 70% more room inside compared to a domestic station wagon. One of the magazine ads from the period said, “Group rates, every time you travel. If you want to take your group out in style, comfort, and economy, remember, it’s more fun to take the Bus.” When not set up with living accommodations, some versions of the Bus could seat up to seven occupants in relative comfort.

Details about the drivetrain are not included in the listing, but the engine is more than likely a rear-mounted air-cooled flat-four that is paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. The seller says that the engine has accrued 75,685 miles since it was reconditioned. Recent maintenance has been performed by “Buslab,” a facility in Berkeley, California, that has been around since 2002 with a specialty in Bus parts and service. Buslab’s website even has a chronological history of the model.

My favorite photo with the listing is number 19, which shows a pup looking over the backseat. It is probably safe to assume the dog doesn’t come with the vehicle, but he or she makes a cute model. Maybe you have a furry friend of your own who needs a new adventure-mobile?

“Reluctant sale, and would love a family to get her,” the listing concludes. The asking price is $26,000 or best offer.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

The McLaren F1 is the Michael Jordan of automobiles: It performed at the highest level and was huge in the 1990s. Every automotive enthusiast has heard of it, and it’s often regarded as the greatest car ever. With its $778,000 price tag, BMW V12, distinctive central driving position, and a top speed of 240 mph, the F1 was a singularity in its time. But that was 30 years ago. Hypercars have only grown more powerful and faster. Plus, only a few of the people who idolize the F1 have ever driven one. Have nostalgia and mystique made it out to be more than it really is? A recent road test by Chris Harris answers that question.

If you’ve read or watched reviews of European hypercars, you’ve seen Chris Harris’s name before. He’s a British automotive journalist who’s competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race and co-hosted “Top Gear.” He’s been behind the wheel of the Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 959, Aston Martin Valkyrie, and plenty of other super-exotics. Given his experience, he’s less likely to feel the subconscious pressure to automatically proclaim the McLaren F1 as the best thing to ever happen to the automotive world.

Once Harris is on the move in the F1, he doesn’t even have to speak to communicate how it makes him feel. You can see it in his wide-eyed expression, particularly after he puts his right foot down on the handcrafted titanium gas pedal, causing the 621-horsepower V12 to let out its raspy mechanical wail. With each upshift of the six-speed manual gearbox, he flies faster and faster down the road.

What conclusion does Harris reach at the end of his spirited drive? Watch to find out if the F1 is a justified icon or an over-rated beneficiary of its statistics and the power of yesteryear.

The more you look at today’s AutoHunter Spotlight car, a 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible listed by a dealership in Kentucky, the better it gets.

Let’s start with the fundamentals: it’s red, a perennially popular color. To be specific, it’s Bright Rally Red. Then there’s the fact that this car is a convertible (just in time for spring!). A red convertible? That’s a classic combo. The power-operated White soft top brightens up the exterior even more.

Speaking of classic, it’s also a Chevrolet Camaro, an icon of American performance. The SS badges on its fenders and rear end mean it has the almighty LS1 5.7-liter V8 fed by forced-air induction that bumps output to 325 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic processes that power and sends it to the Zexel Torsen limited-slip differential and rear 17-inch wheels and BFGoodrich rubber. Other features include the High Performance Ride and Handling Suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, a power steering cooler, and dual exhaust outlets.

As an SS model, this Camaro manages to balance its performance with comfort and convenience. The Ebony leather interior has a power driver’s seat, power mirrors, power windows and locks, a tilt steering column, cruise control, 500-watt Monsoon AM/FM/CD audio system, and air conditioning.

Take a close look at the gauges and you’ll see another great thing about this drop-top F-body: what’s that on the odometer? Yep, this Camaro only has 23,965 miles on it.

On top of all that, this car’s model year adds to its appeal. The fourth generation of the Camaro—and the model itself—came to an end in 2002. Yes, Chevy brought its Mustang-fighter back for 2010 but, for a long time, the ’02 marked the conclusion of an era in American automotive history.

If you want a low-mileage, high-performance slice of that history, place your bid now on this 24K-mile 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible. The auction ends on Friday, March 28, 2025 at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Peer pressure can be a very strong pull. Since the dawn of humanity, people have been doing things they didn’t plan or want to do because they were cajoled—explicitly or implicitly—by the voice or behavior of others. So, why did it take so long for American Motors Corporation to come up with a proper muscle car? Our Pick of the Day is the Johnny-come-lately from Kenosha, a 1970 AMC Rebel Machine. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Cleveland.

When it comes to mid-size muscle, the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the first. Oldsmobile added a 400 to the 4-4-2 in 1965, the same year Buick had a 401 Skylark Gran Sport. Plymouth and Dodge had 383 and 426 B-bodies in 1965, but it wasn’t until 1967 that the two brands produced an “image” car. Aside of the 1965 Z16 Chevelle, Chevrolet joined en masse in 1966 with the SS 396, the same year Ford/Mercury debuted the Fairlane GT/Cyclone GT.

Meanwhile, American Motors talked about competing toe-to-toe with the Big Three, but that only resulted in several sporty hardtops, an ungainly mid-size fastback, a competitor to the Mustang, and a one-off compact supercar built with the assistance of Hurst. If you were an AMC performance fan needing seating for five or six, you were out of luck.

This was strange, as the performance segment was making manufacturers money. Why AMC didn’t take a Rebel, throw in a 390, and give enthusiasts another car to choose from is a head-scratcher. However, as far back as June 1967, the corporation mocked up a 1969 Rebel in flat black and sans wheel covers. AMC did not proceed with this concept until 1970, though with assistance from Hurst.

At the time, former Pontiac adman Jim Wangers was working for Hurst, and he was among the folks who helped evolve the concept into a red/white/blue Rebel SST. Similar to what happened with the GTO Judge, the signature paint scheme (mandatory on the first 1,000 built) gave way to all colors on the palette, so later Rebel Machines were available in any AMC color and featured a flat black hood (with silver accents) and flanks sans stripes, as well as the signature scheme.

The 340-horsepower 390 powering all Rebel Machines featured modified intake and exhaust manifolds for a 15-horsepower bump over the 390 available for the Javelin and AMX. Other standard features included four-speed, bucket seats, Handling Package, rear sway bar, HD cooling, power disc brakes, 15 x 7-inch “Machine” slotted wheels with E60 x 15 white-letter tires, and 3.54 gears.

By the end of the model year, 1,936 were built. AMC offered a “Machine” package for the 1971 Matador (the replacement for the Rebel), but it basically was a “Go Package” for 360- and 401-powered Matadors. Possibly fewer than 100 were built, all looking like basic Matadors without stripes or air induction.

This 1970 AMC Rebel Machine wears its trademark red/white/blue paint. “I’m selling my Rebel Machine after 14 years,” says the seller. “It starts and runs nicely. I just replaced the master cylinder and changed the oil this October, and I just replaced the battery in November.” It is mostly original, with the seller painstakingly finding most of the important missing original parts over the years. Transmission is a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed, with other features including power steering, Twin-Grip with 3.54s, Space Saver tire, and AM radio.

The seller is also including a host of OEM parts like rim-blow steering wheel, red stripe kit from the original dies, intake and exhaust manifolds, and several Group 19 parts like Edelbrock intake and valve covers. You can see this Machine looks nice as-is but needs a special touch to bring it up to the level it deserves. Are you the (wo)man for the job? We think there’s someone out there who can be peer-pressured to spend $55,000 (OBO).

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

To quote a line spoken by Doc Brown in the classic 1985 movie, Back to the Future: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

Michael Latimer of Chandler, Arizona, can say the same thing. Michael is the proud owner of an eye-catching 1994 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II sport sedan that looks like it is ready to spring into action on the backroads of a World Rally Championship (WRC) race course.

Michael explains, “As a Mitsubishi fanatic who has had the privilege of owning three previous Evos from various generations, a Pajero, and a Galant (as well as currently daily-driving a Delica), this project was the culmination of hundreds of hours of research, parts-sourcing, and work. It is an ongoing project, so it isn’t perfect, but I’m still very proud.”

Here is the video where we were able to have a Q&A session with Michael during a recent Future Collector Car Show (FCCS) at the Barrett-Jackson auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Evo Basics

The Evolution (or Evo) rally car was based on the Lancer compact sedan and went into production in 1992. All ten subsequent generations – identified by Roman numerals I through X – were powered by turbocharged inline-four engines and propelled via all-wheel drive systems. The Evolution II went into production in 1994 and shared chassis elements with the fifth-generation Lancer.

Under the hood, Evo II power came from a 2.0-liter turbocharged “4G63T” DOHC inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The engine was shared with various other Mitsubishi models of the time, including some variants of the Galant, Montero, Delica, and Eclipse. A ventilated hood, grille inlets, and other aerodynamic treatment served to provide both function and fashion.

In rally racing, traction is paramount, so the Evo II came with a mechanical limited-slip differential an was engineered with a torque split of 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Speaking of grip, the Evo’s Recaro bucket seats were heavily bolstered to keep front occupants locked in place.

There were just 5,000 examples produced of the Evo II, and all were sold in Japan.

Michael’s Ride

As of 2018 (and the federally-mandated “25 Year Rule”), the 1994-model-year Evo II had become legal for United States importation and was brought stateside from Japan around that time. Michael first learned about his Evo via a Donut Media video that was published in April 2019 (that video, incidentally) has since amassed over 1.2 million views).

Following his initial purchase, Michael spent the last several years painstakingly modeling the Evo II in what is known as “Group A” livery. “My first goal with the car was to get it to where I could daily drive it,” he said. He went through the inside and outside of the car to replace things like rubber seals. Michael later made changes to the fuel rail, injectors, airbox, and intake, and he added an HTA68 turbo.

The white and orange exterior has an unmistakable rally-racing look to it, complete with auxiliary lighting, a spoiler, and livery pulled from the World Racing Championship of 1996. Footwork comes from a set of color-keyed 17-inch OZ wheels wrapped in white-letter Toyo tires. On the interior, the factory stereo bezel has been replaced with a “ghost box” stereo system, and Michael uses some of the available console space for auxiliary gauges.

Rally and Join Us

The level of detail in Michael’s Mitsubishi build are top-tier, and we are thrilled he brought the Evo II out for us to admire. Now, if only there was a dirt path in the vicinity, he could have stirred up a little dust.

Stay tuned to the AutoHunter Cinema YouTube channel for news on upcoming events like the Future Collector Car Show, and join in on the fun!