Mopar unveiling Dodge Challenger drag race pack on July 13

With a name like Challenger, Dodge's new muscle car had better put down some serious quarter-mile times or else be able to propel itself into outer space. Fortunately, Chrysler's performance parts division Mopar is preparing to do one (if not the other) when it unveils its new Drag Race Package for the Challenger at the annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at the Bandimere Speedway in Denver next week.

While specific details on the package – which we previewed in our exclusive video last week – remain scarce before the official debut, the Challenger Drag Race Package marks the 70th anniversary of Mopar and forty years since the company's last factory-built drag-race package. Based on the Challenger SRT8, the Drag Race Package features a composite "Body-in-White" direct from the factory and a host of lightweight components, to say nothing of all the parts being deleted for drag-strip use. The engine has been repositioned and the wheelbase actually shortened to optimize weight distribution and driveline angle. Designed in cooperation with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and previewed back in 2006 by the 392 HEMI Dodge Challenger Super Stock concept at SEMA (pictured above), Mopar will build 100 examples of the race-prepped Challenger with three different engine packages available.

Stay tuned for more information on July 13, but don't blink or you just might miss it. Press release after the jump.

Rendered Speculation: Lancia Delta HF Integrale

Back when Japanese automakers like Mitsubishi and Subaru were still making awkward little econo-boxes, the Lancia Delta Integrale was the king of the hill on the rally circuit, kicking up dirt and taking championships in resplendent Martini livery. So when the Italian automaker revealed the new Delta, nostalgic rally fans began twitching with excitement.

Although Lancia has yet to reveal any plans to make a high-performance version of the new Delta, one such rally fan has drawn up his impression of what form such a gravel-chomping beast could look like. For our part, we're hoping Lancia will take note and give us a new Integrale, complete with jumbo-turbo power and all-wheel-drive... however unlikely that may seem while sister company Abarth runs the IRC circuit with their pumped-up Super2000 Puntos. Until that day comes, European customers will have to make do with the current front-drive 200hp 1.8-liter turbo to satisfy their longing for the good old days.

With crisis looming, GM may unveil Volt for 100th anniversary

Sales of General Motors' one time cash cow, full-size trucks, are declining faster than the value of the US dollar, but with a birthday coming, GM still wants something to celebrate. This September, the world's largest automaker will be celebrating its centennial under a financial pall unlike any it has faced since its early days under Billy Durant. The car that GM management hopes will represent a new beginning is the Chevrolet Volt, which has been locked in for production for November 2010 and the shape of the production car has reportedly been finalized. The Volt team is apparently planning to unveil the definitive Volt shape as the star of the big party this September.

Early powertrain development mules have been running for several months now and GM insiders claim the lithium ion battery packs are exceeding performance expectations so far. The big question at this point seems to be cost. With everyone focused on GM's cash burn rate, the company is hoping that showing the production version of the extended range electric vehicle will divert attention to something positive. However, without some serious cost reduction of the battery and some hefty tax breaks from the government, the Volt may just end up making things even worse. GM desperately needs the Volt to be successful, but with the current financial situation, one has to wonder how long they will be able to build Volts at a loss?

LusoMotors LM23: 150hp, Honda CBR-powered track car

Track cars powered by motorcycle engines are becoming increasingly popular as the superbike mills, usually mounted amidships, provide tons of power for their small displacement and low weight. Further evidence of this truth is seen in the LusoMotors LM23, a Lotus replica powered by a one-liter Honda CBR1000 engine making about 150 horsepower. Weighing just under 900 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio of this machine would be enough to scare just about any other car you are likely to meet at the track while its light weight would surely allow for plenty of grip in the corners. The high performance of the LM23 is fitting, as the Lotus 23B design on which its based was such a giant killer that it was banned at Le Mans in the early sixties for being too fast for its small displacement.

A quick glance at the chassis shows such track-ready details as inboard-mounted coilovers and a tube frame complete with integrated roll bar. The chassis sits under composite bodywork, just like the original Lotus, though the modern interpretation adds carbon fiber to the traditional fiberglass skin. It looks like we have another Lotus replica set to join the ranks of the numerous Seven variations already sitting in our fantasy garages.

Chrysler and Great Wall to share technology, distribution

Most automakers are struggling with horrible US market conditions right now, but unlike competitors such as Toyota and Ford, Chrysler doesn't have sales in other areas of the world to fall back on. The Pentastar is looking to improve its fortunes overseas while also benefiting from low labor costs by partnering with the Great Wall Motor Company. The young Chinese automaker doesn't specialize in the small vehicles Chrysler needs here in the States, however, as the company's primary focus is on trucks and SUVs. The goal of the union is to share distribution channels, technology, and components, which should save both companies money in R&D and improve economies of scale. The deal is unrelated to a separate pact with Chery to produce a small, Dodge-branded car for sale in North America.

With sales down in the states by 28% in June, Chrysler appears to be in the most trouble of the Detroit automakers in the near term. Branching out to other markets to drive down costs and add sales could be the automaker's best hope for survival in the future.

The Maybach Exelero can be yours... for $7.8 million

Big-bucks enthusiasts annoyed that they're not the only ones at the club with a Veyron can now ensure that they arrive in total exclusivity. That's because the one-off Maybach Exelero, commissioned by Fulda to act as a high-profile demonstrator for its tire line of the same name, is now for sale. The Exelero isn't some delicate flower of a show car. Based on the Maybach 57 and powered by a 700-horsepower version of that car's turbocharged V12, the Exelero reached 218 mph at Nardo. In many ways, Exelero represents what Maybach could have and should have been -- a place where daring styling and incredible performance could merge with extreme luxury to compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Instead, while the marque's sedans clearly get the luxury part of the equation right, in terms of styling, they basically work in anonymity, looking like peculiar old S-Class sedans. There's nothing anonymous about the Exelero, though, and for €5,000,000 (around $7.8 million USD), you can drive the sybaritic supercar that Daimler should have given Maybach all along.

Rumormill: Ferrari looking at turbo'd V6 to save fuel

Dino fans rejoice, the rumormill is churning out plenty of grist about a V6 power unit in the offing for some future Ferraris. The California is already getting a V8, so Prancing Horse fans wishing for a "Dino II" will remain unfulfilled, but new approaches to high performance are key to keeping Ferrari at the zenith of autodom, lest it fall down the nostalgia hole that's seen Jaguar nearly suffocate on its own pillowy upholstery. The case for a V6 would be partly the banal issues of emissions and consumption, and a six might also offer weight and packaging advantages, though the rumors of a turbocharged mill add plumbing, weight, and complexity back into the mix. Additionally, anyone who's ever given the boot to a turbocharged engine can attest that forced induction's ability to make small engines flex big muscles, it can also lead to big-league fuel swilling, poking holes in the idea that a turbo V6 might save a lot of fuel over the direct-injected V8. Like any automaker, Ferrari is certainly looking at all sorts of "what if" ideas that will never reach production to find the right solution for the myriad technical challenges facing any automaker, let alone an exotic manufacturer. One thing's certain: a turbo V6 with Ferrari emblazoned along the cam covers would shriek with a proper Italian accent, and you have to respect any company that violently spits on the ground when the terms "SUV" or "Four-Door" are whispered.