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Dodge Charger Pursuit nets quickest lap in police car test

We wouldn't advocate trying to outrun the police, no matter what you're driving and no matter what they are. But if you see a Dodge Charger bearing down on you with blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror, you'd better think twice before attempting to flee, because the Charger Pursuit has once again emerged as the fastest police cruiser out there.
In the latest Police Vehicle Evaluation held by the Michigan State Police at Grattan Raceway, Dodge says its new Charger Pursuit AWD posted a lap time of 1:33.85. That's quicker than any of the other law enforcement vehicles present, but also makes it the quickest all-wheel-drive cruiser available to law-enforcement officials. That may not make it the quickest of all time, but that honor belongs to the rear-drive Dodge Charger Pursuit, which cuts a fraction of a second off its AWD counterpart's time with a 1:33.70. But in regions where the extra traction could come in handy, that's as negligible a difference as we've ever seen.
Of course, the annual PVE sessions held by the Michigan State Police take in to account a wide variety of performance tests, including top speed, acceleration, braking, handling, fuel economy and ergonomics. The MSP has yet to reveal its full findings from its 2014 model year tests, but we'll be sure to bring them to you when they are published.

Chrysler banks $507 million in Q2, trims 2013 earnings forecast

Chrysler has some good news and some bad news. First, profits were up 16 percent over the second quarter of 2012, bringing the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based manufacturer $507 million on the back of strong demand for trucks and SUVs (a recurring theme this quarter, particularly in the US). Q2 revenue was up as well, from $16.8 billion in 2012 to $18 billion in 2013. The bad news is that the Pentastar's overall earnings forecast for net income in 2013 has been trimmed from $2.2 billion to between $1.7 and $2.2 billion, according to Automotive News.
In addition to the adjusted net income forecast, Chrysler tweaked its operating profit from $3.8 billion to between $3.3 and $3.8 billion. This has gone largely unexplained by Chrysler, perhaps hoping the news of a three-percent increase in its transaction prices for Q2 will allow it to sweep this adjustment under the rug.
The star of the show for Chrysler has been its US sales, which saw a 10-percent jump, both bettering the industry average of eight percent and improving over the same stretch of 2012. As with the increase in transaction prices, Chrysler has the new Ram pickup and Jeep Grand Cherokee to thank. Perhaps most worrying from this report, though, is that every brand in the automaker's stable saw an increase in sales... except for the Chrysler brand itself.

25,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango SUVs recalled over brake feel

Chrysler has announced that it is recalling over 25,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs from several markets over concerns about brake feel under hard braking. The affected models are from the 2012 and 2013 model years, although the actual dates of production aren't available. 18,700 are in the US, while 825 are in Canada, 530 are in Mexico and a further 5,200 outside of North America.
According to a statement, Chrysler was informed of the issue by a component supplier for the Ready Alert Braking system, which primes the brakes in anticipation of an emergency stop. A component in the system was restricting the flow of brake fluid too much.
As Chrysler is quick to point out, the way the brakes functioned was in compliance with regulations and there are no reported cases of drivers losing braking power. Instead, the issue rests with what Chrysler calls a pedal feel that "was not consistent with customer expectations." So it would seem Chrysler is being proactive and fixing a problem not because there's a legal issue at work, but simply because it doesn't feel the way the manufacturer wants it to. Well done.