There have been rumors floating around for a while now that
when Dodge brings back their Durango-sized sport utility vehicle for 2012 that
it could be called the Dodge Magnum. That name started on a sporty coupe in the 70’s then moved on to the
popular gangster style station wagon, so I guess that it wouldn’t be all that
odd for the name to receive yet another form.
This morning, a variety of sources have shown off drawings
of what is expected to be that 2012 sport utility, with the pictures depicting sketches
of the next SUV submitted to the US patent office.The drawings give us a great look at this new
Dodge SUV although there is little insight to the details of the 2012 Dodge
SUV.Thanks to Mr. M. for sending me the images from the USPTO.
One interesting feature is the
large split-spoke wheels that look very similar to those found on the Dodge Ram
SRT10.Could these drawings portray the
newest Dodge SRT model?The Jeep SRT8
model with AWD and the 425hp 6.1L Hemi made a splash in the industry and could
the sharp styling of the Dodge brand bring us another high performance SUV?
Many sources have speculated that this vehicle will share a
platform with the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee along with the 280hp 3.6L “Pentastar
v6” (aka Phoenix) and 5.7L Hemi although the Hemi in the Jeep advertises just
360hp.I cannot imagine that Dodge is
going to market a vehicle with a 5.7L Hemi that offers only 360 horsepower when
the Ram with the same engine makes 390 and the ‘car version’ of the 5.7L Hemi
offers 372hp.I have also been told by
one of my Chrysler insiders that current 5.7L “mules” are making over 400
horsepower so to see this new SUV with a 5.7L Hemi, I would expect similar
power numbers to the Dodge Ram.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
