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New Viper 'is a possibility,' Sergio Marchionne says

It was thought the door to the future for the Dodge Viper had closed last year, but Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reopened it during his press conference at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Marchionne said the current Viper is the only FCA product to use the ZD platform, which "doesn't make sense to me." Yet, "given the architectural development within the brand, there is a possibility that a new version of the Viper may surface." Automobile reports that the company uses a versatile, rear- and all-wheel drive Giorgio platform for Alfa Romeo and Dodge. It will support the Alfa Romeo Giulia (Alfa Romeo's larger BMW 5 Series competitor), the next-generation Dodge Challenger, Charger, and rumored Barracuda, and it could support a new generation of Viper. We're probably talking about a different kind of Viper, though, with Automobile saying, "the current car's truck-based V-10 no doubt would be scrapped along with its platform." A Viper without a V10 doesn't seem like a Viper to us, but we'll wait to see what happens. In the midst of contract negotiations for a new labor agreement between FCA and the United Auto Workers last year, it emerged that the Conner Avenue Assembly plant that builds the Viper hadn't been given any new product after the end of Viper build-out in 2017. That led most to reason that the current Viper would be the end of the 25-year run of America's hairiest sports car. How long we'll be waiting is unknown. Marchionne had no timetable and admitted that a future Viper might not appear on the heels of the current one. With a renewed commitment to being debt-free by 2018, FCA is likely more focused on getting Alfa Romeo running properly and cranking out the volume variants for the Giorgio platform first. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 SRT Viper GTS: Review View 36 Photos News Source: Automobile via World Car FansImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Detroit Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance Sergio Marchionne FCA conner avenue assembly plant

Dodge performance could be electrified, new hybrid transmissions coming

Dodge is arguably the last company around specializing in old-school muscle cars. Outside of a few models like the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and the new e-Torque offerings in the Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler, FCA as a whole seems behind the ball when it comes to green or electrified powertrains. That might change over the next few years, as Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger cars at FCA, told Automotive News that he sees the future of performance to be electrified.  At the reveal of the Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody a few weeks back, Kuniskis said "the absolute future is electrification of these cars." What form this takes or how soon this all might happen is unclear, but changes are likely coming. Kuniskis said the electrified models could be anything from pure battery-electric vehicles to plug-in hybrids to e-axles. FCA’s e-torque system already works with the companyÂ’s Hemi V8 in the Ram 1500, so, if thereÂ’s room in the engine bay, we imagine it would be pretty easy to adapt the mild-hybrid system for other V8-powered vehicles.  One thing to note is that FCA just inked a new deal with ZF. The latter will supply a new 8-speed automatic transmission for longitudinal front-engine cars that will work with both rear and all-wheel drive vehicles. FCA already uses a version of the ZF 8HP automatic, but the big thing to note is that the new transmission has a small electric drive unit built in. If this new transmission is as ubiquitous as the current one, you might find electrified versions of Alfa Romeo and Maserati products as well as those from Dodge, Jeep and Ram. This seems in line with what was announced in last yearÂ’s five-year plan.

These Canadians somehow forgot how to drive in snow

Montreal drivers experienced a slow-motion pileup on their streets this weeks thanks to the first snow fall of the season. According to the CBC, slippery conditions caused a small pileup involving cars, buses and even a street clearing vehicle. Onlookers in neighboring office buildings watched as vehicle after vehicle slid down Cote du Beaver Hall and crashed into the scrum of waiting cars. First there was a city bus, then a white Ford F-150 work truck loaded down with ladders, then another city bus came along and sandwiched the poor F-150. A Montreal Police Charger then came down the hill backwards, hit the bus in a slow, sad crash before it was crashed into by an out of control plow truck. Since its posting yesterday, the video of the crash has gone viral. Various other vehicles–a green-topped Scion delivery truck and a couple workaday sedans–were lucky enough to escape the pileup, but still suffered through a white-knuckled slippery descent down the hill. Colin Creado, who works nearby the crash site, told the CBC although it was pretty slippery, he was surprised at all the carnage since the storm was forecast well in advance. "You would have thought ... they would have salted the area or at least cordoned it off, because that road is pretty steep," he told the station. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: CBC Auto News Weird Car News Dodge Ford Driving Safety Truck Commercial Vehicles Police/Emergency Sedan snow montreal winter driving