2023 Dodge Challenger R/t on 2040-cars

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Dodge Challenger returns to Trans Am

NASCAR's Nationwide Series may have switched (in appearance anyway) to muscle cars, but American racing fans know that if they want to see real muscle cars on the street circuits, the only place to look is Trans Am. The all-American racing series is packed with Mustangs, Camaros and even Corvettes. The one thing it's been missing is the Dodge Challenger, but now SRT Motorsports has announced it's bringing its muscle car back where it belongs.
Rather than waiting until next year, the Miller Racing team is switching mid-season to the new Dodge Challenger SRT Trans Am racer you see here, just in time for this weekend's race at Mid-Ohio. And not just that - it's lined up a compelling pair of drivers to pilot it, as well.
The No. 11 car will be driven by Trans Am legend Tommy Kendall, a four-time series champion who's been off the grid since 2004. Backing him up in the No. 1 Challenger will be none other than Cameron Lawrence, the driver who has won five out of six races in the Chevy Camaro so far this season, losing out only once to American racing scion Adam Andretti.

Who are Mike Manley, Louis Camilleri, and Suzanne Heywood?

MILAN – Fiat Chrysler aid on Saturday that boss Sergio Marchionne, 66, would not be returning to work because he was gravely ill. In addition to being FCA chief executive, Marchionne was also CEO and chairman of luxury sports car brand Ferrari and chairman of truck and tractor maker CNH Industrial, which were spun off from FCA in recent years. Following is a brief summary on the executives who have been appointed to replace him in the various roles: MIKE MANLEY The 54-year-old Briton picked to become the FCA's new CEO has been leading the group's top brand Jeep since 2009, first as Jeep President and CEO at Chrysler and then as FCA's Jeep head. In 2015 he was also appointed head of the Ram brand. Under his tenure, Jeep turned into a global brand becoming, together with Ram, FCA's profit engine. Jeep sold nearly 1.4 million cars last year compared with less than 338,000 in 2009. Manley had worked as DaimlerChrysler's head of network development in Britain since 2000, having earlier worked for several years in car dealership. At Chrysler, he headed product planning and all sales activities outside of North America and then became the group's chief operating officer for Asia and the lead executive for the international activities outside of NAFTA. LOUIS CAMILLERI The new Ferrari CEO was already a board member at the luxury sportscar maker before his latest appointment. He is also the chairman of Philip Morris International, where he also held the job of CEO from 2008 to 2013. Born in 1955, Camilleri had joined Altria Group, which controls Philip Morris, in 1978 holding various positions until he became chief financial officer in 1996 and then CEO in 2002. Camilleri was also chairman of Kraft Foods from 2002 to 2007. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wished Camilleri luck on Twitter saying he was proud to have "a bit of Malta in Ferrari" thanks to the new CEO, who was born in Egypt to Maltese parents. SUZANNE HEYWOOD The new, British-born chairwoman of CNH Industrial has been since 2016 the managing director of EXOR, the holding company through which the Agnelli family controls FCA. Heywood, 49, started her career at the British Treasury and then joined McKinsey in 1997, leading for many years the consultancy firm's global service line on organization design. She eventually became a senior partner there. Heywood sits on the board of The Economist, which is controlled by EXOR, and the board of the Royal Opera House, where she is also deputy chair.

Dodge Viper plant will close for good Aug. 31

It has been a long time coming, an end rumored since at least 2015, but after 25 years, the Dodge Viper's demise is nigh. Production of the $90,000 bespoke sports car is ending. Therefore, FCA will be shutting down its Conner Assembly Plant on Aug. 31. Automotive News reports that the Detroit plant will be shutting down. The car has been hand-built there since 1995, save for a hiatus in 2010-13 (production began at FCA's Mack Plant in 1992). The Prowler was built there, too, from 1997 to 2002. More than 80 workers currently build the Viper, making Conner FCA's smallest assembly facility. But not many Vipers are sold - 630 last year - despite an enthusiastic following. And of course FCA's own 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats and new 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon can't help matters. But the last straw is the fact the Viper can't comply with new safety requirements going into effect. On the bright side, the UAW has seen the plant closure coming since 2015, and FCA has told the state of Michigan that it expects to find positions at other plants for the Viper crew. FCA has been celebrating the Viper valedictory for a couple of years now, offering serialized special editions, including the $121,000 Viper ACR, and touting the ability to build unique Vipers with its "1 of 1" customization program, with a choice of 16,000 unique paint colors and 48,000 unique stripe combinations. Related Video: