Up Front

New Mopar®/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger Unveiled At Sema; Coughlin Joins Team Mopar

Over the years, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show has been a great venue for Mopar® for press announcements and to showcase Chrysler Group vehicles outfitted with performance parts and accessories. The 2011 SEMA show held on Nov. 1–4, 2011, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, was no exception.

For the 2012 race season, four-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. will be campaigning a new Mopar/JEGS.com Dodge Avenger in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock Class. Joining veteran Allen Johnson in the Team Mopar lineup, Coughlin is the only racer in the history of the NHRA to win a national event in six different classes. Beginning on p. 10, we’ll discuss these SEMA 
announcements and more—including an interview with Jeg Coughlin Jr.

In our General Feature story, on pp. 8–9, we take the wraps off Chrysler Group’s new eight-speed 
automatic transmission that marks its debut in both the 2012 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. Initially being mated with the 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar engine, the eight-speed transmission improves acceleration and fuel economy over last year’s five-speed automatic with V-6 powertrain.

Turning to Mopar Heritage, on pp. 23–25, we’ll look back at a championship-winning HEMI drag racer’s career. Today, Terry Earwood is a premier high-performance driving instructor, and with his father, Charlie, two of the most-respected chief stewards in road racing.

And, with winter approaching, it’s a good time to concentrate on building or updating a project car. 
You’ll want to read about Mopar’s powerful lineup of high-performance blocks and crate engines on 
pp. 26–29.