2002 Chrysler Prowler on 2040-cars

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What's the right car for the 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' remake?

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches so, too, does the season in which many Americans will rewatch that holiday classic, "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles." The Steve Martin and John Candy movie is a staple of holiday-season viewing. Soon, however, it will be joined by a new version. Paramount Pictures is doing a remake of "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," starring Will Smith and Kevin Hart. In the 1987 original, Martin and Candy rent a pea-soup green Chrysler LeBaron Town&Country convertible (well, sort of), which suffers a series of mishaps including catching fire yet still chugs along. It was a star turn for the wood-sided K-car droptop (though not the last), and that got us thinking: What should the Smith and Hart duo get stuck with at Marathon Rent-A-Car? Of course, it needs to be a convertible. Among the widely used rental-car convertibles, a Ford Mustang or a Chevy Camaro would be too sporty and cool. This trip is supposed to be miserable. A Buick Cascada or a Beetle convertible would be more appropriate. Of the two, a Beetle is probably better from a comedy standpoint.  But there is another car that stands out as the clear winner: the Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible. Granted, the PT convertible went out of production in 2008, making it a bit old for a current rental lot — but not too old. And the PT Cruiser was even offered with a Woodie package, providing even greater alignment with the LeBaron of old. However, the Woodie package was only offered from 2002–2004, so it predated the convertible by one model year. We think that in this case, the filmmakers should put aside strict historical accuracy and apply the faux-wood appliques to the PT convertible for maximum continuity with the original movie. Besides, the original car wasn't technically a Chrysler LeBaron: it had a different name and badging, plus a non-factory color. It wasn't too different from the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from "Vacation" in that regard. So, what do you think? Is it time for the PT Cruiser to join the great pantheon of movie road-trip cars? Or would something else make for a better movie motors classic?

Chrysler recalling 49K Chargers for headlight components

Chrysler has issued a recall for about 49,375 2011 and 2012 Dodge Chargers with halogen headlamps due to a problem with the lights. The automaker says that there could be an issue with the jumper harness and other related components.
The automaker says that 43,450 cars are affected in the US, 2,850 in Canada, 375 in Mexico and 2,700 outside of North America. The vehicles will have their headlight assemblies, including the jumper harnesses and bulbs, inspected and potentially replaced. Dodge says that its engineers investigated reports of that were similar to what was found when it recalled about 10,000 police Chargers in 2012 for overheating light components. There have been no injuries or accidents related to fault, according to Chrysler.
The automaker will be in contact with affected owners, and schedule the service. Naturally, any repairs will be free of charge. Scroll down for the company's full announcement.

Fiat seeking autonomous partnerships with Uber and Amazon

If Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne can't find another automaker to partner with, he'll have to look elsewhere. Like, outside the traditional automotive industry entirely, if recent reports are to be believed. According to Bloomberg and Business Insider, Fiat is pursuing relationships with Uber and Amazon for self-driving vehicles. This news comes shortly after FCA announced an official tie-up with Google to turn 100 Chrysler Pacifica minivans into autonomobiles. Uber might want to venture into self-driven vehicles for its ride-hailing service, cutting out the expense of human drivers. For its part, Amazon could use autonomous vehicles for deliveries from its online shopping destinations. FCA's interest in these endeavors seems to revolve around their vehicles being used as platforms for software and bespoke hardware setups created by the tech companies. There's no indication of what vehicles FCA would provide to either Uber or Amazon, but something minivan shaped could capably serve both the ride-sharing and package delivery service industries. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Bloomberg, Business InsiderImage Credit: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Green Chrysler Fiat Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Autonomous Vehicles Uber Sergio Marchionne FCA Amazon