Dodge and Ram didn’t offer up any big news as this year’s 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit’s Cobo Hall, but each of the large well-branded displays show off the best and brightest of both lineups. Best of all, in addition to seeing all of the key models in the Dodge and Ram brands, along with the Hellcat-powered Rebel TRX Concept, there is a cool virtual driving display – where showgoers can sit in a Hellcat Challenger and “drive” it on the spread of screens in front of the car.
First up, the Dodge brand display at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show leaves no question that this is a performance brand – with a spread of all-wheel drive models for those who need a vehicle that can face winter weather. The new AWD Challenger GT is joined by the V6 Charger AWD model and both the Durango and Journey – also fitted with all-wheel drive.
Beyond the AWD models was a lineup of the baddest muscle cars in America, including the 392 Shaker Challenger, the Scat Pack Charger, the Hellcat Challenger, the Hellcat Charger, the Dodge Viper and the two newest models – the Challenger T/A and the Charger Daytona.
Finally, along the back wall of the Dodge display, there is a Hellcat Challenger wrapped up to look like one of the Bondurant racing school cars. This Challenger sits on a pedestal that moves the car around like it is actually moving on the track, while the screens in front of the car provide the virtual track experience.
Over in the Ram brand display, the new Ram 2500 Power Wagon was raised high above the floor on a rotating platform and at the rear of the display, the Hellcat-powered Ram Rebel TRX Concept proves to be the highlight of this spread of trucks. Of course, the middle is full of other modern Ram trucks, including the Ram Rebel, the Ram Power Wagon and a collection of the most popular trimlines.
Check out our gallery below for a look at all of the Dodge and Ram models from the 2017 Detroit Auto show.
"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.
