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The Grand Caravan, at least the name, isn't dead yet in Canada

Last week we got Stellantis. This week, we’re learning that the Grand Caravan name isnÂ’t actually dead. ItÂ’s just moved to Canada. Allow us to explain. The Dodge Grand Caravan is well and truly gone. However, FCA has decided the name is too good not to use. Therefore, FCA Canada just announced that Canadians will get the Chrysler Grand Caravan for the 2021 model year. One look at the photos will tell you most everything you need to know about the van. ItÂ’s a rebadged Chrysler Voyager, which itself is a budget Chrysler Pacifica by a different name. Basically, the U.S. gets the Voyager, and Canada gets the Grand Caravan. “WeÂ’re incredibly proud to maintain the ‘Grand CaravanÂ’ nameplate exclusively in the Canadian marketplace,” said David Buckingham, President and CEO, FCA Canada. “Particularly here in Canada, that name has become synonymous with affordable, safe and innovative family transportation that the 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan builds upon.” Now that the Voyager and Caravan are the same again, the next logical step would be to bring back Plymouth, right? Rebadged Plymouth Hellcats wouldnÂ’t bother us. Just Â… you know, an idea. Canadian customers will have the choice of two trims for the Grand Caravan: Base and SXT. Similar to the U.S., upper trim levels of the van will be called Pacifica. The two will be sold alongside each other at Chrysler dealerships. Photos of the Pacifica with the Grand Caravan badge already have us a little weirded out, but now youÂ’ll know whatÂ’s going on during your next trip up north when you see a Chrysler Grand Caravan roll by. Related video:

Hennessey Dodge Demon sets hellishly fast quarter-mile time

The Dodge Demon doesn't strike us as a muscle car much in need of a performance makeover. After all, this 840-horsepower MoPar machine's voracious quest for straight-line speed means it trims weight by jettisoning everything from a front passenger seat and rear seat, to its stereo and all carpeting in the trunk. The folks at Hennessey apparently think that's not nearly extreme enough. So, the Texas-based tuning outfit has turned the Demon into a 1,035-horsepower mega beast that runs a quarter-mile in 9.14 seconds at 152 mph. That's fast, really fast. In fact, the HPE1000 is now the world's fastest Dodge Demon, having set its record-setting pace at Lonestar Motorsports Park on May 8. "The 2018 Demon is a street-legal rocket from Dodge, but we wanted to take the car's impressive track times to an industry leading level." said president and company founder, John Hennessey. For comparison, the stock Dodge Demon is credited with running the quarter-mile in 9.65 seconds at 140 mph. The main HPE1000 modification involves replacing the stock 2.7-liter supercharger with one that's a staggering 4.5-liters in capacity. Also included in the Hennessey toy-chest are stainless steel long tube headers, a high-flow air induction system, upgraded throttle body, upgraded fuel pump and fuel injectors, along with custom engine management calibration. When all is said and done, the HPE1000 Dodge Demon delivers a total of 1,035 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 948 pound-feet of torque at 4,200 rpm. While the standard Demon accelerates from 0-60 mph in only 2.3 seconds, the Hennessey variant trims this down to only 1.9 seconds. That's quick enough to make a Bugatti Chiron blush. Hennessey hasn't stated what all this will cost, though the company did say production of these devilishly fast Demons will be limited to only 50 examples. Customers also receive a 1-year/12,000-mile warranty, which seems a nice touch for a car that's downright scary with its performance specs. Related Video: Featured Gallery Dodge Demon Hennessey HPE1000 View 30 Photos Aftermarket Dodge Coupe Performance supercharger Hennessey dodge demon quarter mile demon

China-FCA merger could be a win-win for everyone but politicians

NEW YORK — Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne has said the car industry needs to come together, cut costs and stop incinerating capital. So far, his words have mostly fallen on deaf ears among competitors in Europe and North America. But it appears Marchionne has finally found a receptive audience — in China. FCA shares soared Monday after trade publication Automotive News reported the $18 billion Italian-American conglomerate controlled by the Agnelli family rebuffed a takeover from an unidentified carmaker from the Chinese mainland. As ugly as the politics of such a combination may appear at first blush, a transaction could stack up industrially, and perhaps even financially. A Sino-U.S.-European merger would create the first truly global auto group. That could push consolidation to the next level elsewhere. Moreover, China is the world's top market for the SUVs that Jeep effectively invented, so it might benefit FCA financially. A combo would certainly help upgrade the domestic manufacturer; Chinese carmakers have gotten better at making cars, but struggle to build global brands, and they need to develop export markets. Though frivolous overseas shopping excursions by Chinese enterprises are being reined in by Beijing, acquisitions that support the modernization and transformation of strategic industries still receive support, and the government considers the automotive industry to be strategic. A purchase of FCA by Guangzhou Automobile, Great Wall or Dongfeng Motors would probably get the same stamp of approval ChemChina was given for its $43 billion takeover of Syngenta. What's standing in the way? Apart from price (Automotive News said FCA's board deemed the offer insufficient) there's the not-insignificant matter of politics. Even as FCA shares soared, President Donald Trump interrupted his vacation to instruct the U.S. Trade Representative to look into whether to investigate China's trade policies on intellectual property. Seeing storied Detroit brands like Jeep, Chrysler, Ram and Dodge handed off to a Chinese company would provoke howls among Trump's economic-nationalist supporters. It might not play well in Italy, either, to see Alfa Romeo and Maserati answering to Wuhan instead of Turin — though Automotive News said they might be spun off separately. Yet, as Morgan Stanley observes, "cars don't ship across oceans easily," and political considerations increasingly demand local manufacture of valuable products.