2006 Dodge Durango Limited on 2040-cars

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Thieves stealing Dodge and Ram vehicles right off factory lots

Stellantis-operated storage lots in and around Detroit have been hit by a wave of thefts in recent weeks. Thieves are getting their hands on new, high-end models such as the Dodge Challenger Hellcat by going straight to the source, helping themselves, and driving off. Detroit news channel WDIV Local 4 reported that over half a dozen new cars and trucks have been stolen from various storage lots since the beginning of 2022. On March 10, five Ram trucks were taken from a secured facility in Shelby Township. Several more Ram trucks were stolen on March 8, and one smashed into a semi truck's trailer as it attempted to get away. On March 3, thieves took three Dodge Challenger Hellcat models from a lot in Auburn Hills. And, on February 28, a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and a Dodge Challenger Hellcat were stolen from a lot near the Jefferson North assembly plant. Many of the vehicles that thieves are targeting cost nearly $100,000. Stealing a new car from a storage lot is reportedly easier than it might sound. Citing anonymous sources, WDIV explained that the keys are normally left inside of the vehicles while they're parked on the storage lot, waiting to be dispatched to dealers. Security guards patrol the property, yet the thieves are finding ways to sneak into the lot, hop in a car, and drive off by ramming through the gates. Stellantis told the news channel that the Sterling Heights Police Department is investigating the thefts, and that at least one of the lots is managed by a third-party company. It declined to comment on the number of vehicles stolen or the methods used because the investigation is ongoing. In the meantime, the Sterling Heights Police Department plans to send extra patrol cars to the areas around the storage lots. There's no word on whether the missing cars have been found. And, this isn't the first time that thieves have stolen new V8-powered Dodge and Ram vehicles in the Detroit area. In October 2021, thieves stole four cars from a Dodge and Ram dealership about an hour away from Detroit; one was a rare 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat. All four cars were recovered, though the Durango was stuffed into a wall. And, in May 2018, eight Ram trucks were stolen from a factory in Warren, Michigan, by thieves who got away by driving through the main gates.

Follow along for the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon live reveal

Updates: Live Demon premiere in Times Square and a viewing party on Woodward Ave. here in Detroit. The first Hellcat sold for about $800k at a Barrett-Jackson auction. New Pennzoil video with the last Dodge Viper premiering tomorrow. "Making the suits nervous is how we know we're on the right track." No love for accountants. "A modern day version of the Ramchargers." "The harder car companies work to take the driver out of the equation, the harder we work to keep them in." "We want to impress the NHRA more than the PTA." "It would have been easy to take a Hellcat and make it a bit faster." SRT says tuners have it all wrong. This is the way to build a performance drag car. Every Demon comes with a leather-bound manual that shows how to properly set up the car for tracks. 2.3 seconds to 60 mph 9.65 second 1/4 mile 840 horsepower This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Original Post: The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is coming tonight, and we'll be bringing you live coverage and updates from New York. There have been months of teasers, trailers, and hints, but some of the big questions have yet to be answered. Dodge is showing the reveal live on the Demon's promo site, ifyouknowyouknow.com. Watch the stream and follow along here for the latest Demon info. The hype started back in January with the first video, "Cage." At the time, all we knew was that the Demon was going to be a hopped-up version of the already juiced up Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. After that, we learned that the Demon would be significantly lighter thanks to optional - yes, optional - passenger and rear seats. In addition to the seats, the Demon comes with lightweight wheels wrapped in sticky 315/40R18 Nitto drag radials at all four corners. Dodge showed off the Demon's crate of goodies, but it was a few more weeks before we learned what was inside. The Demon comes with a jack, an electric impact wrench, torque wrench, and a tire pressure gauge. The kit will be used to swap skinny front tires for use on a drag strip. As cool as those 315 section tires look up front, they hurt far more than they help on a drag strip.

Peugeot's American future looks dead, but Stellantis intends to keep all brands alive

The years-old promise of a Peugeot return in the U.S. is looking bleaker by the second. Peugeot said the French brand would come back to sell cars in the U.S. five years ago, but now that FCA and PSA have transitioned to one Stellantis, that promise is looking a lot shakier. This news comes via a report from Car and Driver. When queried about Peugeot, Carlos Tavares, Stellantic CEO, offered this in response: “For the time being, I don't think that is part of the things that we want to prioritize for the next time window," Tavares said. "I think it's better that we funnel the talent, the capital, and the engineering capability of our Stellantis company to the existing brands to improve what needs to be improved and to accelerate where we need to accelerate, because we already have a very strong presence in this market." Tavares hasnÂ’t ruled it out entirely, but any kind of a Peugeot American renaissance is being pushed onto the backburner.  In good news for American brands, though, Tavares expressed great interest in keeping them all. Chrysler was the most worrisome of the bunch, as it only sells the aging 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan variants. Nevertheless, Tavares sees Chrysler as one of the “three historical pillars of Stellantis” and is eager “to give this brand a future.” Specifically, Tavares sees a high-tech future for the once-great American car company. Motor Trend reported on what Tavares spoke about in a call with the media. "It needs to rebound,” Tavares said. “We could think about what could be the next technologies in the automotive industry.” The obvious hint here is electrification and greater autonomy. Chrysler could theoretically become StellantisÂ’ electric showcase brand. ItÂ’s partway there with the Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan, but thereÂ’s still a long way to go for it to become the conglomerate's tech pillar. And then thereÂ’s Dodge and its powerful but emissions-heavy lineup. "We have the technology to deliver the torque, dynamics, and acceleration feeling, while also dramatically reducing the emissions," Tavares said. The Hellcat canÂ’t have a window-shattering 6.2-liter supercharged V8 forever, but it looks like Stellantis is at least committed to keeping the performance of DodgeÂ’s current lineup. Related video: