2006 Chrysler Touring Convertible From Florida! White/tan. Like New Priced Right on 2040-cars

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Ralph Gilles responds to Dodge rumors, says brand is 'here to stay'

This is why we love Ralph Gilles. While in Italy hanging out with a group of Viper Club members in Europe, the SRT boss took the time to respond to a question directed at him on Instagram in regards to the future of Dodge.
Recent reports have painted a bleak picture for Dodge, but Gilles defended Chrysler's full-line brand by stating that the rumors are, "all rumors, Dodge is here to stay! It may get more focused going forward but not killed!" The idea of a "more focused" Dodge brand could lend some credibility to reports that the Grand Caravan and Durango are on their way out, which would leave Dodge solely as a car, or car-based, automaker.

Plymouth Belmont: Running, driving, Virgil Exner-owned concept car could be yours

Concept cars are such bittersweet things. They're often gorgeous and exciting, but all too often they never see production in even the most watered-down forms. And even then, the beautiful shapes aren't usually driveable. But in the case of this 1954 Plymouth Belmont concept, it is drivable, and it could be yours. This curvaceous roadster, which appeared at the 1954 New York Auto Show and was owned at one time by Chrysler styling master Virgil Exner, is driveable because under the long hood is a 241-cubic-inch V8 coupled to a three-speed automatic transmission. It's not a speed demon with just 157 horsepower, but that's OK, because you don't want to accelerate so fast you deprive the world of the Belmont's beautiful body. For a design from the 1950s, it's impressively restrained and elegant. The flanks are completely smooth and flowing, the only interruptions being the shut lines to the small doors. There aren't even door handles on the sides. Chrome and polished stainless accents are left only to the lights, bumpers, grille, and a slender line that runs along the peak of the fenders from stem to stern. Even the fins are small and subtle (relatively). Even the interior is simple and clean. The dashboard is made of machine-turned metal with white on black analog dials and compass-like needles. Everything else is wrapped in a very light beige leather (probably vinyl), and again, polished surfaces are kept to a minimum. Of course the other great part is that this concept is something you could own because it will go for auction at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction. There's no publicly available estimate for how much money the car may bring, but it does have a reserve, so be prepared with a little extra cash even if you have the winning bid. The auction runs from Jan. 13 to Jan. 21. Related Video: Image Credit: Barrett-Jackson Chrysler Auctions Convertible Concept Cars Classics

Everything is absurd in Fate of the Furious, including the car hacking

Truly ridiculous and absurd scenes and situations are a staple of the Fast and Furious series, And earlier trailers made it clear that Fate of the Furious wouldn't be any different as soon as the submarine appeared. However, it turns out the craziness has spread to the topic of car hacking. The hacker is Charlize Theron's character, Cipher, and she can apparently control any car in the world, and many of them at once. She uses this to great effect in creating giant rivers of rampaging automobiles through city streets, and waterfalls of cars flying off of parking structures. And if you look closely at these groups of vehicles, it is evident that she can even control older cars that have no automated steering or throttle capabilities whatsoever. We would ask how that works, but we know that's a silly question in the Fast and Furious universe. After all, this is the series that featured Dominic Toretto flying through the air over a freeway to catch Letty Ortiz and land on another car. And they survived. Your logic has no power here! We also noticed that Cipher seems to have a preference to hack vehicles from Fiat Chrysler. In the trailer, multiple Chrysler 300s, a Jeep Cherokee, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a Dodge Challenger all get some prominent screen time when they're being hacked. We're not so sure this is good product placement for the brand, particularly considering this is the same company that recalled over a million vehicles to fix a software issue that could lead to hacking. Maybe this is the trade-off for having the Dodge Challenger Demon as a hero car. There's more to this trailer than Chryslers and hacking though. It turns out that Cipher has been following Toretto for a few movies now. Also, characters fly with jet packs, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character shoves a torpedo out of the way, on ice, while hanging out of a truck. Check it all out in the video above. Related Video: