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Dodge could enter Peugeot's Le Mans-bound 9x8 hypercar in IMSA races

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group merged under the Stellantis umbrella in early 2021 to achieve economies of scale, and this benefit could surprisingly extend to racing. Executives are debating whether to give Dodge its own version of Peugeot's recently-unveiled 9x8 hypercar to race in America, according to a recent report. "While we only heard [the new rules] confirmed a week ago, it has certainly led to some very open discussion, not only about whether Peugeot might add races in the United States, but also about whether the spine of this car might have opportunities with other brands in the Stellantis Group. There are no conclusions yet, but there are now open discussions," affirmed Jean-Marc Finot, the Senior Vice President of Stellantis, in an interview with Racer. His comments refer to an agreement signed in July 2021 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). They chose to align their technical regulations to let manufacturers compete in different events on both sides of the pond without going through the resource-consuming process of developing a specific car for each series. As of writing, the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) categories fall under the newly-announced common set of rules. On the surface, this means Peugeot could enter its 9X8 (pictured) in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as soon as the 2023 season. While this is seemingly under consideration, Peugeot has little to gain from winning a major race in the United States. It hasn't sold cars here since 1991, and its long-mooted comeback was canned after PSA merged with FCA. Giving a variant of the 9X8 to Dodge is a more credible possibility, according to Racer. If not Dodge, then who else? Chrysler hasn't been linked to racing or performance for decades. Jeep is no stranger to performance vehicles, but IMSA would be pushing it. Ram is Ram, while Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati are rooted in Europe. The rest of the Stellantis brands (like Opel, Lancia, and Citroen) are not distributed in America. Nothing is official, and the publication stressed it's unclear whether Dodge will commit part- or full-time to the series (assuming the program receives the green light). Finot underlined the parallel car would use the 9X8's "spine," so don't expect to see a Peugeot hypercar with a Dodge emblem driving flat-out on the Sebring International Raceway.

Australian consumer activists destroy a Dodge Journey with a tank

An Australian couple held an event where they crushed their unreliable and frustrating Dodge Journey with a retired army tank. According to Drive, Kate and Joe Masters owned an infuriating 2010 Dodge Journey that they claim was plagued by mechanical and electrical issues. After numerous failed attempts on their part to get the issues fixed by Fiat Chrysler and Dodge Australia, the couple decided that they'd had enough. Working with Queensland consumer advocate Ashton Wood, the Masters held an event where they smashed the Dodge with a sledgehammer and fired arrows at it. Finally, they rolled out a retired Centurion Mk.V tank and proceeded to crush the doomed Dodge monster truck-style. Fiat Chrysler issued a statement refuting many of the Masters' claims about both its vehicle and the steps taken to remedy the situation. The company claims that the vehicle was serviced outside of its dealer network and that the Masters did not work through established consumer complaint channels established by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. "We had attempted to work proactively with this customer, offering free service work and free genuine parts after their warranty had expired," FCA said in a statement. "While Dodge Australia was keen to resolve this issue, we weren't in the position to issue the demanded refund of $43,000 for a vehicle purchased in 2011, that was driven for more than 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) and that has no known manufacturing defects, nor had any evidence provided by the owners to substantiate these claims. Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus, who was involved with the tank event, stated that Australian motorists need better consumer protections against automotive dealerships and manufacturers. "Countries around the world have successfully implemented lemon laws to provide consumers with protection and I believe it's about time we did the same in Australia," he said. Destroying cars in a public act of frustration is nothing new. In China, a Lamborghini Gallardo owner smashed his luxury ride with a sledgehammer after he felt he wasn't given a premium experience at the dealership. Related Video: News Source: Drive.com Auto News Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge SUV Military Videos viral video dodge journey tank queensland crushed publicity stunt

Gas prices down, 707-hp engine production up... USA!

On Saturday, the United States of America will celebrate its 239th birthday. That means fireworks, barbecues, block parties, and, oh yeah, Hellcat engines and low fuel prices. The most American of (Mexican-built) powerplants, the big, loud, supercharged, 707-horsepower Hemi is slated for yet another production boost to match up with some serious demand, while the dino juice it runs on is cheaper than it's been in over half a decade. The Saltillo, Mexico engine factory already produces some 4,000 Hellcat engines each year – that's in addition to the Tigershark four-cylinder, the 5.7-liter Hemi, and 6.4-liter SRT Hemi V8s – and it's not entirely clear how many more might get added to that total. What we do know, though, is that Fiat Chrysler can't build the engines fast enough. "We're going to build more [Hellcats] for 2016," SRT boss Tim Kuniskis told Automotive News. "It's a small sliver of what we sell, but it really creates a halo for the rest of the lineup. For example, the next highest car, the Scat Pack Challenger, I have essentially a zero-day supply. It's sold out." This bit of good news comes on the back of something equally good – low summer gas prices. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the nationwide average for for "all formulations" of fuel in June sits at $2.885. Ignoring the remarkably low prices we saw in January and February of this year – figures that themselves hadn't been seen since May of 2009 – the national average hasn't sat that low since October 2010. So yes, it's a very a good time to be an American gearhead. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., US Energy Information AdministrationImage Credit: US EIA Green Plants/Manufacturing Dodge Fuel Efficiency Coupe Performance Sedan dodge challenger srt tim kuniskis dodge charger srt