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Chrysler 300 Glacier edition ready to chill with AWD

It seems that word is finally out on the redone Chrysler 300, as evidenced by the fact that the model's sales almost doubled last year compared to 2011 (when the distinctive sedan was a little slow out of the gates). One thing that's likely helping the car is a growing number of unique models like the 300S, 300 SRT8 and the new 300C John Varvatos Luxury Edition, and now one more trim has joined the lineup. Initially announced back in September, the 300 Glacier is on sale now with a starting price of $36,845 (*not including a $995 destination charge).
Designed with cold-weather climates in mind, the 300 Glacier is only available with all-wheel drive. Chrysler says the Glacier will run an additional $1,500 over the 300S AWD off which this car is based, but that extra money gets unique 19-inch aluminum wheels, an exclusive Glacier Blue Pearl Coat paint job and special interior treatments including piano black accents and fancier leather seats and stitching. Like the 300S, power from the Pentastar V6 has been bumped up to an even 300 horsepower (up from 292 hp) with the aid of a cold-air induction and freer-breathing exhaust. Naturally, the 363-hp Hemi V8 is still available, too.
For more information, scroll down to check out Chrysler's official press release.

Zombie cars roundup: Dodge has sold 3 new Vipers this year

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.

Marchionne ready to get tough with GM over merger

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne absolutely refuses to let go of his dream of a merger with General Motors. With official discussions not happening, Marchionne now hints that a hostile takeover attempt of The General could be under consideration as a future strategy. In a massive interview with Automotive News, the boss explains why a tie-up with GM might be such a windfall for both automakers. By Marchionne's numbers, a merged GM-FCA would produce $30 billion a year in global earnings and 17 million vehicles annually. He claims these huge figures are based on analyzing plants around the world to find growth opportunities. So far, GM is refusing to sit down and look at the numbers, let alone even begin to negotiate. For now, Marchionne just wants to talk, but he's not against aggressive action, if necessary. He uses a bizarre metaphor in the interview to explain his feelings. "There are varying degrees of hugs. I can hug you nicely, I can hug you tightly, I can hug you like a bear, I can really hug you. Everything starts with physical contact," he said to Automotive News. "An attack on GM, properly structured, properly financed, it cannot be refused," he said in the interview. Marchionne is looking for partners, too. The UAW's significant stake in GM could be a strong ally, and he's reportedly recruiting activist investors for more help. Selling Magneti Marelli and spinning off Ferrari would put even more cash in the war chest. Both sides also have banks at their aid. While Marchionne received positive replies from some of his "Plan B" partners, he apparently lost interest in working with them. "Are they the people I wanted to get the response from? The answer is probably not. There are people who are interested in doing deals," he said in the interview. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Photo Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat GM Sergio Marchionne FCA merger