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2018 Dodge Challenger Demon, 1970 Charger become Lego cars

As much as we all would have loved to buy one, Dodge made sure that it wouldn't be easy for everyone to own a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. It was only built for one model year, with a total of 3,000 units, and the last one was built last summer. And even if they were still available, each one started at just under $85,000, a substantial chunk of change. But thanks to Lego, there's a comparatively cheap way to get a new Demon: in tiny brick form. The toy company has added another kit to its Speed Champions line featuring a yellow Challenger Demon. Since the Speed Champions cars are quite small, it's a somewhat rough facsimile of the car, but it's still instantly recognizable. It's blocky, it has a big hood scoop and fat fender flares. It also has two sets of wheel covers to customize it. This kit has an advantage over a real Demon, too: it comes with a second car. The other one is a 1970 Dodge Charger in black. This is an even more faithful rendition, thanks in part to the real car's ruler-straight lines. It doesn't have customizable wheels, but you can choose whether to leave it stock, or stick on a little replica of a supercharger and hood scoop that poke through the hood. It ends up looking like Dominic Toretto's Charger from The Fast and the Furious. Besides the second car, the kit features a drag strip starting tree. It doesn't light up, but it does have a slider on the back that lifts up each set of colored bricks as it's pressed down. So you can have little drag races with the two cars. In total, everything is built with 478 pieces, and it will cost you $29.99. The kit is available now wherever Lego kits are sold, and even at the Dodge merchandise website. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The UAW's 'record contract' hinges on pensions, battery plants

DETROIT - After nearly four weeks of disruptive strikes and hard bargaining, the United Auto Workers and the Detroit Three automakers have edged closer to a deal that could offer record-setting wage gains for nearly 150,000 U.S. workers. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis have all agreed to raise base wages by between 20% and 23% over a four-year deal, according to union and company statements. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA. The companies have offered to boost pay for temporary workers and give them a faster path to full-time, full-wage status. All three have proposed slashing the time it takes a new hire to get to the top UAW pay rate. The progress in contract talks follows the first-ever simultaneous strike by the UAW against Detroit's Big Three automakers. The union began the strike on Sept. 15 in hopes of forcing a better deal from each major automaker. But coming close to a deal is not the same thing as reaching a deal. Big obstacles remain on at least two major UAW demands: restoring the retirement security provided by pre-2007 defined benefit pension plans, and covering present and future joint- venture electric vehicle battery plants under the union's master contracts with the automakers. On retirement, none of the automakers has agreed to restore pre-2007 defined-benefit pension plans for workers hired after 2007. Doing so could force the automakers to again burden their balance sheets with multibillion-dollar liabilities. GM and the former Chrysler unloaded most of those liabilities in their 2009 bankruptcies. The union and automakers have explored an approach to providing more income security by offering annuities as an investment option in their company-sponsored 401(k) savings plans, people familiar with the discussions said. Stellantis referred to an annuity option as part of a more generous 401(k) proposal on Sept. 22. Annuities or similar instruments could give UAW retirees assurance of fixed, predictable payouts less dependent on stock market ups and downs, experts said. Recent changes in federal law have removed obstacles to including annuities as a feature of corporate 401(k) plans, said Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and an expert on pensions and retirement. "Retirees want a way to be assured they won't run out of money," Mitchell said.

Tech of the Year special, plus we drive the hydrogen Mirai and more | Autoblog Podcast #809

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick the discussion off by talking about what they've been driving as of late, including the Toyota Mirai, Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale and a trio of subcompact SUVs. After that, they dive into a discussion about the 2023 Autoblog Technology of the Year award winner, which is Mercedes-Benz's Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Once they wrap up that segment, we get to hear the crew's latest Cybertruck takes from before the big reveal. Finally, the show wraps up with a fun Spend My Money segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #809 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving 2023 Toyota Mirai 2023 Dodge Hornet 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale 2024 Chevy Trax 2024 Kia Seltos 2024 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Technology of the Year winner and breakdown News Cybertruck preview Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Chevrolet Dodge Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Technology Infotainment Technology of the Year Crossover SUV Electric Luxury Performance Sedan Podcasts