The 2020 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock Is Rarer Than a Demon

Dodge plans to make a lot more Super Stocks for 2021, but the 2020 is a limited run indeed.

The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is still dead, but the new-for-2020 Challenger SRT Super Stock fills a similar role in the lineup. Officially, the 807-hp Super Stock is not a replacement for the Demon. With one less pony in its stable, a widebody kit, and standard items such as a front and rear passenger seats, the Super Stock is no carbon copy of the 808-hp Demon.

That said, both the Challenger SRT Demon and Super Stock were designed to dominate the quarter mile. Unlike the Demon, of which Dodge produced just 3,300 units for the 2018 model year, the Super Stock has no production limit. That's right, Dodge will make as many Super Stocks as it deems fit. Even so, the 2020 Challenger SRT Super Stock is rarer than the Demon.

Credit Dodge's decision to make a small batch of Super Stocks for 2020 prior to putting production into overdrive for 2021. While the American brand will likely produce thousands of 2021 Challenger SRT Super Stocks, a Dodge spokesperson informed us it made just around 200 Super Stocks for the 2020 model year.

Admittedly, this means little to consumers simply looking to purchase the meanest Challenger model from their local Dodge dealership, as both 2020 and 2021 Challenger SRT Super Stocks share the same key mechanical features. This includes the monstrous supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine that helps the big coupe rocket through the quarter mile in a manufacturer-claimed 10.5 seconds at 131 mph.

It's likely the rarity of the 2020 Challenger Super Stock will command a higher premium from future collectors. Mind you, we are not recommending owners of 2020 Challenger SRT Super Stocks turn their muscle machines into garage queens. Instead, we are simply letting these owners know their muscle machines will be far rarer than any subsequent 2021+ Challenger Super Stocks to follow. Do with that information what you will.

2021 Ford F-150 Power, Towing, and Payload Capabilities Detailed

Take a closer look at the new F-150's engines and what they can haul.

Ford has finally dropped a truckload of detailed information about its new-for-2021 F-150 pickup. How much does the 2021 Ford F-150 tow? How much can it haul? How powerful are its engines? We now have the maximum payload and towing capacities for each of the F-150's six available powertrains, along with how much power each one makes. Let's go through the lot, step by step:

2021 Ford F-150: Engine Outputs

The 2021 F-150 offers six powertrains: A 3.3-liter V-6, a twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, a gasoline-electric hybrid based around the aforementioned 3.5-liter six (dubbed PowerBoost), a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6, and finally a traditional 5.0-liter V-8. Here is a breakdown of each powertrain and its output. Note that every single one is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission:

• 3.3-liter V-6 (290 hp, 265 lb-ft)
• 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 (325 hp, 400 lb-ft)
• 5.0-liter V-8 (400 hp, 410 lb-ft)
• 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6, turbo-diesel (250 hp, 440 lb-ft)
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 (400 hp, 500 lb-ft)
• 3.5-liter PowerBoost V-6, hybrid (430 hp, 570 lb-ft)

Close watchers of F-150 engine details will notice the carryover gas V-8 engine makes five more horsepower and 10 more lb-ft of torque than it did last year. Other enhancements include the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 option getting an additional 25 hp and 30 lb-ft over last year's version. But the real news is that mighty PowerBoost hybrid, which throws down the most torque of any F-150 powertrain (570 lb-ft!) by far. Interestingly, the PowerBoost V-6's horsepower rating is lower than we anticipated; when Ford announced the hybrid F-150, it promised it would deliver the most horsepower and torque of any light-duty pickup. With 430 horsepower, that is no longer true—or at least, it no longer is possible. Since Ford launched the F-150 and made that claim, Ram went ahead and dropped the 702-hp supercharged 1500 TRX, a light-duty, full-size pickup with decidedly more horsepower and torque than even the PowerBoost-equipped F-150 hybrid. Balloon popped.

Furthermore, the PowerBoost hybrid V-6's peak horsepower figure is actually down 20 ponies on the high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 offered on the 2020 F-150 Limited and Raptor models (that one made 450 horsepower). Zoom out for a second, however, and you'll notice that half of the 2021 F-150's powertrains make 400 hp or more—and the new Raptor has yet to be revealed, potentially tipping the Ford pickup's lineup into a "majority 400-hp-plus" situation.

2021 Ford F-150: Payload Capacity

Every new full-size pickup that comes along claims at least one superiority in the categories of engine power, towing capacity, or payload capacity—Ford's new F-150 has laid claim to two: "Best-in-class towing and payload." Seems a little greedy, but Ford notes the F-150's maximum payload capacity of 3,325 pounds out-hauls any other light-duty, full-size pickup truck out there by at least 1,000 pounds. To get that payload, customers must choose the regular-cab model with two-wheel drive, the eight-foot bed, and the 5.0-liter V-8. They then must spec the Max Trailer Tow and Heavy-Duty Payload option packages. Here's a look at the maximum payloads delivered by each powertrain:*

• 3.3-liter V-6: 1,985 lbs
• 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6: 2,480 lbs
• 5.0-liter V-8: 3,325 lbs
• 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6, turbo-diesel: 1,840 lbs
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6: 3,250 lbs
• 3.5-liter PowerBoost V-6, hybrid: 2,120 lbs

*Specific body configurations that deliver these figures are forthcoming.

2021 Ford F-150: Towing Capacity

Curious how much the new PowerBoost hybrid F-150 can tow? Turns out it can lug a hefty 12,700 pounds with a conventional hitch. That isn't the top of the F-150 towing heap, though. F-150s equipped with the 400-hp 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 can drag up to 14,000 pounds, a class-leading figure (again, for "conventional" towing). That towing muscle requires opting for the SuperCab (extended-cab) 2021 F-150 with two-wheel drive and the Max Trailer Tow package, and it marks an 800-pound increase over the 2020 F-150's ultimate towing capacity. Here are the maximum towing capacities for each of the 2021 F-150's powertrains:**

• 3.3-liter V-6: 8,200 lbs
• 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6: 10,100 lbs
• 5.0-liter V-8: 13,000 lbs
• 3.0-liter Power Stroke V-6, turbo-diesel: 12,100 lbs
• 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6: 14,000 lbs
• 3.5-liter PowerBoost V-6, hybrid: 12,700 lbs

**Specific body configurations that deliver these figures are forthcoming.

The 2021 Ford F-150 goes on sale this fall. More details surrounding its upgraded powertrains—including that fancy hybrid—such as fuel economy data and full pricing (we have partial pricing so far), are due before then. Stay tuned to this space for the latest updates as they become available, including developments with the 2022 F-150 Electric and the next Raptor.

2020 Suzuki Jimny First Drive: Tiny 4x4, Massive Appeal

 With classic 4x4 design cues and an old-school driveline in a pint-size package, it’s like driving the Jeep Wrangler’s little brother.

Compared with many of today's compact SUVs the 2020 Suzuki Jimny is slow, crude, and cramped. It drives a lot like a mid-'80s rear-drive Japanese car. But it's also so honest and unpretentious, so full of character and charm, and so surprisingly capable at doing what it was designed to do that it makes you smile every time you slide behind the wheel, something that's unlikely to ever happen getting into a Toyota RAV4 or Chevy Equinox.

In today's fast-paced, ultra-connected, digitally enhanced automotive world, the Suzuki Jimny is one of life's simple pleasures.

It's a simple pleasure with a complicated back story, though. Our Jimny tester was one of the last in the Suzuki U.K. press fleet, as the vehicle has been withdrawn from sale—less than two years after its launch—so Suzuki can meet stricter European passenger vehicle fleet average emissions targets in 2021. And it's forbidden fruit for U.S. consumers, Suzuki having abruptly exited the American market in 2012 (unless Toyota suddenly comes to the rescue with a harebrained but technically plausible plan we concocted). All is not lost, however: A two-seat version with steel wheels and basic interior trim is coming to Europe next year to be sold as a commercial vehicle.

The 2020 Jimny traces its roots back 50 years, to a tiny, Jeeplike 4x4 called the LJ10. Launched in April 1970, the Suzuki Jimny LJ10 had a ladder-frame chassis, leaf-sprung live axles front and rear, and a selectable four-wheel-drive system with a low-range transfer case and no center differential. It was powered by an air-cooled, two-stroke, two-cylinder engine that displaced a mere 360cc and produced a breathless 25 hp. It would do 47 mph, flat out. But with a curb weight under 1,400 pounds, it would scamper over rocks and through mudholes like a mountain goat.

Fast-forward half a century, and the Jimny still has a ladder-frame chassis, live axles front and rear, and selectable four-wheel drive with a low-range transfer case. It still looks a bit like a baby Jeep. Some things have changed, however. The front and rear axles are now coil sprung. Under the hood is a water-cooled 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine whose spark plugs fire every fourth piston stroke. The engine makes four times the power of the LJ10's tiny two-stroke but only takes the fourth-generation Jimny to about twice the top speed. Blame frontal area and weight: The 2020 Jimny is 13.7 inches wider and 2.2 inches taller than the LJ10 and weighs almost twice as much.

It still scampers through the rough stuff, though.

That's because the Jimny—143.5 inches long, 64.7 inches wide, 67.9 inches tall, and weighing just 2,500 pounds—is incredibly small and light by 21st century standards. And it has a chassis designed for serious off-roading. Ground clearance is 8.3 inches, and minimal overhangs deliver a 37-degree approach angle and 49-degree departure angle. Breakover angle is 28 degrees. For context, a two-door Jeep Wrangler is 23.3 inches longer, 9.2 inches wider, 5.7 inches taller, and is 1,500 pounds or more heavier, depending on model. In Rubicon spec, the two-door Wrangler boasts a better approach angle than the little Suzuki—43 degrees—and has the same breakover angle, but its 37-degree departure angle is worse.

The Jimny's 1.5-liter four-banger develops 100 hp at 6,000 rpm and 95 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm and drives through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. It's a thrummy little engine, but a willing worker and happiest if you keep it spinning at 2,000 rpm or more. The manual Jimny will bowl along the freeway at 70-75 mph all day long, the engine turning 3,400-3,600 rpm in fifth gear. The ride is what you'd expect from a relatively tall, narrow, light vehicle with a short wheelbase and live-axle off-road suspension: busy, with plenty of fore-aft pitch motions.

Control weights—steering, braking, clutch—and shift feel of the five-speed manual transmission are vintage late-'80s Japanese, light and slick. And although the Jimny is always jitterbugging about on anything other than a perfectly smooth road, it feels as tight as a drum, with none of the subtle shimmies and shudders you often notice in a body-on-frame vehicle. The least sophisticated element of the on-road drive experience is the transfer case noise. It's not the high-pitched whine that used to blight old Defenders, but more of an industrial white noise, loud enough to mask the engine note at cruising speeds.

Activating the Jimny's 4WD system requires successive tugs on a stubby lever behind the shifter to get the driveline out of two-wheel drive and into high-range 4WD and then low-range 4WD. Pull the lever back from 2H to 4H—at speeds up to 62 mph—and a light on the dash tells you 4WD is engaged. Selecting 4L, which engages a 2.00:1 reduction gear in the transfer case, requires coming to a full stop, just like in Jeeps, Land Rovers, and Toyota Land Cruisers. An audible beep lets you know you're good to go, and warning lights on the dash show the stability control and forward collision alert are disabled. The 4.43 first gear, 4.09 final drive, and 2.00:1 reduction gear gives the Jimny a crawl ratio of 36.2:1 in low range. Nowhere close to a Wrangler Rubicon, but again, it weighs substantially less.

The Jimny's 4WD driveline has no center diff; the front and rear axles are locked together in both 4WD modes. But it isn't entirely old school, having "virtual" front and rear limited-slip differentials, as well. If the wheels diagonally opposite each other break traction, the brake on each electronically activates to stop it spinning and ensure maximum torque goes to the wheel that has traction. It's an ingeniously simple, low-cost solution to an off-roading scenario that has caught out more than a few experienced drivers over the years.

Dependable traction, light weight, good ground clearance, and compact dimensions make the Jimny a better performer off-road than its engine's modest power and torque figures would suggest. Serious off-roaders would like more axle articulation, and the standard issue 15-inch wheels and 195/80 Bridgestone Dueler H/T tires are definitely road-biased, but both issues are easily fixed with aftermarket lift kits and wheel/tire combos.

Ironically, the same qualities that endow the Suzuki Jimny with solid off-road capability make it a surprisingly good city vehicle, especially in somewhere like London, where streets are narrow and traffic is heavy. All-round visibility is very good, and the Jimny's slab sides and square corners make squeezing through tight gaps between cars and trucks a breeze. At 3.8 turns lock to lock, the steering feels a little low-geared, but the tough suspension and tall sidewall tires shrug off gnarly cobbled streets and rim-crunching potholes.

The interior is, like the drivetrain, a mix of '80s Japanese hardware and 21st century technology. The seats are cloth and manually adjusted, and there's a tiny information screen jammed between a speedo and tach whose orange graphics were hip when David Lee Roth quit Van Halen. The first time. But standard equipment on the top-of-the-range SZ5 also includes modern goodies such as cruise control, lane departure and forward collision warning, smartphone connectivity, and a nav system with traffic updates. Air conditioning, power windows, and privacy glass are also standard on the SZ5, which in the U.K. retailed for the equivalent—on today's exchange rates—of about $25,000.

What makes the Suzuki Jimny so oddly appealing—apart from its off-road chops and chunky industrial-chic design—is that it's…a real driver's car. Whereas in most modern SUVs you'd be bored and frustrated tooling along at the speed limit on a winding road, in the Suzuki you're deeply engaged in the art of driving. You're mindful of momentum, of making sure you have the right gear at the right time, working to steer and brake smoothly, and watching for lumps and bumps in the road that might catch the chassis out. It's a bit like driving a classic car. Suddenly, the world seems a calmer place; the frenetic pace of modern life slightly eased.

2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Sedan First Drive: Weapons-Grade Thrust

The stealth performance car gets an update.

Not that long ago, if you wanted an AMG-massaged Mercedes E-Class that flew below the radar, you opted for the wagon. No one expected a family load lugger to have a big-horsepower engine and autobahn-crushing performance; it was the perfect stealth performance car. But as we stumble into the third decade of the 21st century, wagons are very much cars for the cognoscenti. Enthusiasts look twice at a wagon these days, and if they see wide tires, big brakes, and toothy grille and they hear the rumble from the quad exhaust, they'll know. However, no one will look twice at the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S  sedan.

The 2021 AMG E 63 S sedan is essentially a midcycle face-lift of the W213-based car launched in 2017, combining a mild cosmetic nip and tuck with the software and user-interface upgrades that were part and parcel of the regular E-Class makeover earlier this year. And what's most striking about the AMG E 63 S sedan is how understated it is.

Sure, the E63 S has the menacing AMG family grille and a couple of gaping cooling vents up front. But glimpse it from another angle, and it could almost be just another four-door E-Class. The quad exhaust outlets—fake, sadly—blend into the black-painted faux diffuser under the rear bumper. A vestigial lip spoiler runs across the trailing edge of the trunk. The side skirts are subtle, as is the little vent on the side of the front fender. The airy, new 20-inch twin five-spoke wheel design is attractive, but there are plenty of base E 350s rolling on AMG wheels, albeit 18 or 19 inchers.

The E 63 S sedan flies under the radar. Until you mash the gas. Then it just flies.

That mighty 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, hand-built at AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, and delivering 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, provides epic performance—especially in Sport+ or Race mode, which also sharpen the response and revise the shift protocols of the nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT transmission as well as advises the electronic stability control system to cut you a little slack. AMG claims a 0-60 acceleration time of 3.3 seconds on the way to an electronically limited 186 mph. What's most impressive about this engine is its top-end bite. It will pull strongly from little more than 1,000 rpm in manual mode, but the surge in acceleration as the tach needle swings past 2,800 rpm signals the two turbochargers are hard at work. From there all the way to the 7,000-rpm redline, it's just one long surge of weapons-grade thrust.

Sure, the E63 S has the menacing AMG family grille and a couple of gaping cooling vents up front. But glimpse it from another angle, and it could almost be just another four-door E-Class. The quad exhaust outlets—fake, sadly—blend into the black-painted faux diffuser under the rear bumper. A vestigial lip spoiler runs across the trailing edge of the trunk. The side skirts are subtle, as is the little vent on the side of the front fender. The airy, new 20-inch twin five-spoke wheel design is attractive, but there are plenty of base E 350s rolling on AMG wheels, albeit 18 or 19 inchers.

The E 63 S sedan flies under the radar. Until you mash the gas. Then it just flies.

That mighty 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, hand-built at AMG headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany, and delivering 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, provides epic performance—especially in Sport+ or Race mode, which also sharpen the response and revise the shift protocols of the nine-speed AMG Speedshift MCT transmission as well as advises the electronic stability control system to cut you a little slack. AMG claims a 0-60 acceleration time of 3.3 seconds on the way to an electronically limited 186 mph. What's most impressive about this engine is its top-end bite. It will pull strongly from little more than 1,000 rpm in manual mode, but the surge in acceleration as the tach needle swings past 2,800 rpm signals the two turbochargers are hard at work. From there all the way to the 7,000-rpm redline, it's just one long surge of weapons-grade thrust.

In addition to the exterior makeover, which also includes three new colors for 2021 (Graphite Grey metallic, Cirrus Silver metallic, and Brilliant Blue semi-matte), the revised E 63 S gets the new AMG performance steering wheel with twin-blade spokes and touch-sensitive buttons. It also adds the generally frustrating MBUX infotainment system but with AMG-specific functions and displays. The AMG Track Pace system, which allows you to log 80 items of vehicle specific performance data on the track, is now standard.

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S sedan—along with the 2021 E 63 S wagon—is scheduled to arrive in U.S. Mercedes dealers before the end of the year. Base price is $108,495. Don't blink, or you'll miss it sliding stealthily past you in the traffic.