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North Carolina driver charged for flattening Trump sign

Police in Wilmington, NC are investigating a viral video that shows a local man driving off the road to run over a Trump for President campaign sign. Julien Schuessler of Wilmington posted a video to Facebook on March 15 showing him driving his white Jeep off the road in a reckless manner to smash a Trump sign. He captioned the video, "I love having a Jeep sometimes." The video immediately went viral, reaching nearly a million views and 25,000 shares in less than twenty-four hours. Any elation Schuessler may have felt at having his video go viral was short lived, though. According to WWAY, Wilmington Police were tipped off to the existence of the video on the afternoon of March 16. They were, understandably, less than pleased. In an official tweet, WPD stated that they were aware of the video and were investigating. A spokesperson for the WPD stated that Schuessler faces multiple charges for his little stunt, including hit and run, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane control. WWAY reached out to Schuessler for comment, but he has declined to respond. News Source: wwaytv3 Government/Legal Weird Car News Chrysler Jeep Driving Safety SUV Off-Road Vehicles Police/Emergency Trump north carolina hit and run vandalism wrangler

Stellantis dealer briefing hints at midsize Ram, Jeep Recon, Dodge Stealth

With dealers returning to regular life after Stellantis' Dealer Business Meeting 2023 in Las Vegas last week, bits of intel are escaping. Between reports in Automotive News, Mopar Insiders, and a now-deleted Reddit thread that Carscoops dissected, we can make out rough details about a few products on the way for Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram stores across the country. We'll start with Chrysler, which got the least attention during the event. The Pentastar, starved of product as if it were Stellantis' version of Jaguar, appears to have a refreshed Pacifica minivan in the works and continues to develop its first EV, due by 2025. That's the alpha and the omega there, at least publicly. Jeep's making moves on several fronts. The Jeep Recon forum got photos of an electrified concept brought to the meeting, the Recon Moab 4xe (pictured). It looks like an upsized Renegade, its tire size thought to be 285/70R17, same as the stock Wrangler Rubicon. Head to the thread to see the rest of the photos.  The end of the Cherokee is but a hiatus, Appearance-wise, a new version in the works is said to be a smaller version of the Grand Cherokee L that's about the same size as the outgoing model. When it launches in late 2024 as a 2025MY SUV, it could debut with a new name as well as hybrid and electric powertrains. The Grand Cherokee L, meanwhile, will get a mid-cycle refresh in 2025.   Adding to information previously reported about the 2024 Jeep Wrangler range, the 2024 Gladiator is said to get a Willys trim with upgraded spec. Mopar Insiders had cited communication to dealers that the Wrangler Willys would improve capability thanks to higher ground clearance and what's expected to be a gripper off-road wheel and tire package. At the dealer meeting, Jeep reps apparently said the Gladiator Willys would get high fenders, a locking rear axle, and 33-inch tires. The current Gladiator Willys fits a Trac-Lok limited-slip rear differential and 32-inch mud terrain tires. The tow rating for the Gladiator range could see an increase from 7,650 pounds to 7,700 pounds. Above that, the Wagoneer range will expand with a 4xe version thought to come by next year. In the Dodge camp, the big news would be that the next Charger won't only be electric. Brand reps allegedly told dealers the car, which will come as a four-door despite the attention lavished on the two-door concept making the rounds, will get an internal combustion engine option.

Stellantis dealers plead that letting Chrysler die is not an option

Executives and dealers have recently cautioned that a dark cloud looms over Chrysler's horizon, and figuring out why doesn't require an MBA from Stanford. And yet, Stellantis dealers say bright days could be ahead, if only the company reinvigorates the Detroit-based brand with long-awaited and much-needed new products. "This whole thing started with Chrysler. I don't want to get emotional about a brand, that's not the case. But, I don't want to see a brand like that left at the sideline and just thrown out to pasture," said David Kelleher, the head of the Stellantis National Dealer Council, in an interview with industry trade journal Automotive News. Kelleher added he would feel "violated" if the 96-year-old carmaker shut down. Keeping it around is relatively easy, but transforming it into a thriving business is far more difficult. Years of underinvestment have crippled the brand. It's almost exclusively dependent on North America, where it sells two models: the 300 and the Pacifica/Voyager duo. Sales in the United States totaled 110,464 units in 2020, down from 126,971 in 2019. To add perspective, Ram, Jeep, and Dodge sold 624,642, 795,313 and 267,328 units, respectively, in 2020.  While enthusiasts and analysts understandably worried Chrysler would die under Stellantis, Kelleher opined that the merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group can make the brand stronger. Products and technology from the French side of the partnership can be leveraged to help Chrysler expand its range and increase its sales while keeping development costs in check, he said. He stopped short of revealing which vehicles he has in mind, but his comments are interesting because PSA's lineup is almost entirely made of up small, European-flavored cars that are diametrically opposed to the models Chrysler's reputation is built on.  Hatchbacks are dropping like flies in the American market, so putting a Chrysler badge on, say, a Peugeot 208 and bringing it to America is out of the question. Wagons are unpopular, too, which leaves crossovers and SUVs. Oddly, the Chrysler brand is not represented in one of the most popular market segments in the United States. PSA doesn't dabble in burly SUVs, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it does small crossovers reasonably well. Could Chrysler move into the space occupied by the Toyota C-HR and the Hyundai Kona, among others?