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Hellcrate 6.2-liter V8 delivers plug-and-play Hellcat hype to SEMA

SEMA just provided another entry for the folder marked "What A Time To Be Alive," with Mopar's announcement of the "Hellcrate" 6.2-liter supercharged Crate HEMI engine. Enthusiasts have been desperate to upgrade their vintage rides with the woozy thrills provided by Dodge's Hellcat motor, so Mopar answered. The Hellcrate engine assembly ships in plug-and-play configuration, in specially designed packaging with "Hellcrate" logos. The assembly sells separately from the Hellcrate engine kit, the kit adding a powertrain control module, power distribution center, engine wiring harness, chassis harness, accelerator pedal, ground jumper, oxygen sensors, charge air temperature sensors, and fuel pump control module. The PCM comes programmed with the production-car engine's 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. An optional front-end accessory drive kit contributes peripherals like alternator, power steering pump, belts, and pulleys. Don't bother trying to lash up a sleeper 1997 Chrysler Sebring, though; Mopar tuned the Hellcrate for pre-1976 vehicles and manual transmissions. The engine assembly retails for an MSRP of $19,530, and the kit wants a further $2,195. Mopar didn't announce pricing for the accessory drive kit. The engine and kit come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty when bought together. The Mopar Hemi Crate website will be happy to take your orders as of now. For help envisioning the possibilities, stop by Fiat Chrysler's 15,345-square-foot SEMA booth to check out the Limelight Green, Hellcrate-powered 1970 Plymouth Superbird clone worked up by Mark Worman of Velocity's " Graveyard Carz." While you're there you might as well peep Worman's encore, a 1968 Plymouth GTX stuffed with Mopar's 392 Crate HEMI in place of the original 440 big block, and the 1937 Dodge pickup that swallowed a Mopar 345 Crate HEMI. Mopar's come a long way from its original product: antifreeze products. Tomorrow it'll be Jeep's turn to ring the SEMA bells, once the noise dies down from the Mopar-jacked Wrangler Switchback, CJ66 and Jeep Shortcut. You can watch the brand's presentation online at 7:26 p.m. ET/4:26 p.m. PT. Until then, we're going to work the angles on a Hellcrate-powered Plymouth Volare. The sedan, naturally. Because we're practical. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2021 Chrysler Pacifica First Drive | More features, better van

Ever since its introduction as a 2017 model, the Chrysler Pacifica has been one of our favorite minivans. It offers stylish looks inside and out, traditional minivan practicality, excellent infotainment and some of the most compelling powertrain options. For its 2021 model year refresh, the Pacifica smartly expands on all the things we already enjoyed and avoids ruining any inherent goodness, as evidenced by our test van, a new-for-'21 Pinnacle trim level. The Pacifica’s changes start on the outside with redesigned front and rear fascias. These changes are probably the least successful, by which we mean, theyÂ’re not bad, just different. The modest grille and simple bumper design have given way to a deeper main grille and large lower openings, plus a pronounced air dam. It gives the van a wider, lower and meaner look. We donÂ’t dislike it, but it seems different rather than better. We do like the revamped tail with its full-width taillights. And if for some reason you prefer the previous design, the entry-level Chrysler Voyager is just a decontented Pacifica with the old styling. Under the skin, the biggest change is the addition of all-wheel drive, something not shared with the Voyager. The feature has been absent from the Chrysler van lineup for several years, since Chrysler couldnÂ’t fit a driveshaft between the underfloor wells for the Stow ‘n Go second-row seats. That issue has been solved, and now you can have AWD without sacrificing any interior seating flexibility. The AWD system can send all power to the rear wheels as needed, and it also can disconnect the rear driveshaft to increase fuel economy. Our test Pacifica was equipped with all-wheel drive, and it was certainly effective in some of metro DetroitÂ’s snowy conditions, offering a bit more launch traction and some assistance powering out of slow corners. But in the dry, it doesnÂ’t change the driving experience at all. Also, despite the ability to disengage the rear driveshaft, fuel economy still takes a hit compared to the front-drive model, dropping from 19 mpg in town and 28 on the highway, to 17 in the city and 25 on the highway. That's a difference of 2 mpg combined, which works out to be $150 per year in annual fuel costs, according to the EPA.

Fiat Chrysler's Marchionne is done talking about alliances

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne rowed back on his search for a merger on Friday, saying the car maker was not in a position to seek deals for now and would focus instead on following its business plan. Marchionne had repeatedly called for mergers in the car industry and a tie-up has long been seen as the ultimate aim of his relaunch of Fiat Chrysler, which he is due to leave in early 2019 after 15 years at the helm. He sought a merger with General Motors two years ago but was rebuffed. Only last month he said Volkswagen - the market leader in Europe - may agree to discuss a tie-up with FCA in reaction to rival PSA Group's acquisition of Opel. Marchionne told the annual general meeting in Amsterdam he still saw the need for car companies to merge to better shoulder the large investments needed, but said Fiat Chrysler was not talking to Volkswagen. "On the Volkswagen issue, on the question if there are ongoing discussions, the answer is no," he said. He added, without elaborating, that Fiat Chrysler was not at a stage where it could discuss any alliances. "The primary focus is the execution of the plan," he said. FCA has pledged to swing to a 5 billion euro net cash position by 2018, from net debt of 4.6 billion euros at the end of 2016 - an achievement that Marchionne has said would put it in a better position to strike a deal in the future. Volkswagen, which is still reeling from an emissions scandal that hurt its profits, initially spurned FCA's approach. However, CEO Matthias Mueller said last month the group had become more open on the issue of tie-ups and invited Marchionne to speak to him directly rather than with the press. Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann underlined the message that finding a merger partner was not a priority. "I'm not interested in a big merger deal," he said. "Historically, deals are struck at times of difficulty ... we don't want to be in trouble." Elkann is the scion of Fiat's founder and top shareholder the Agnelli family. He has said in the past he was prepared to have the Agnelli's stake severely diluted in exchange for a minority holding in a larger auto group. "I believe the priority for FCA is to press ahead with this ambitious (business) plan despite the difficult environment," he said. FCA pledged in January to nearly halve net debt this year, as part of the 2018 plan. Doubts remain about its exposure to a peaking U.S.