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Georgia sheriff buys Dodge Charger Hellcat, and the feds want a refund

A sheriffs office in Georgia recently purchased a new 2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It's currently being used and driven by Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway. Now the U.S. Department of Justice wants its money back. All $70,000 of it. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the DOJ described the purchase as extravagant. The purchase was originally approved by the DOJ, with the money coming from asset forfeitures. The government has since questioned whether the car is being used for its intended and stated purpose — undercover and covert operations as well as the Gwinnett County Beat the Heat program. The Beat the Heat program is a nonprofit meant to "to educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and illegal street racing" by holding drag nights at local tracks. The Hellcat — along with a 1996 Chevy Impala SS, a 1990 Chevy Corvette and 2004 Volkswagen GLI — are all featured on the Beat the Heat website. All but the Hellcat are privately owned and funded. The DOJ prohibits the use of taxpayer money for "extravagant expenditures" and says the "the vehicle in question is a high-performance vehicle not typically purchased as part of a traditional fleet of law enforcement vehicles." The sheriff's office defended the purchase, stating that Sheriff Conway uses it to commute and "when he participates in field operations, covert and otherwise, with our deputies" and that "Conway maintains that this vehicle is an appropriate purchase, especially for an agency with a $92 million budget and the opportunity this vehicle provides in making our roadways safer." The DOJ has given the sheriff's department until July 31 to repay the money. Gwinnett County intends to comply with the reimbursement. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Chrysler killing off the 200 Convertible, Dodge Avenger

When Chrysler rolled out the first-generation 200 to replace the Sebring range in 2010, it included replacements for both the sedan and the convertible. The Sebring Coupe, however, was left out of the mix. And now that the second-generation Chrysler 200 is descending upon us, Auburn Hills is paring things down even further. But this time, it's the convertible that reportedly isn't making the cut. Shame, too, since the rendering above shows what could have been quite an attractive droptop.
As our compatriots at Edmunds point out, sales of the convertible model accounted for less than five percent of overall Chrysler 200 sales, and at those numbers, the considerable cost of engineering a new drop-top couldn't be justified. With the Toyota Camry Solara and Volkswagen Eos also gone from the market (well, the VW isn't gone quite yet), the discontinuation of the Chrysler 200 Convertible leaves the affordable convertible segment largely to the sportier likes of the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro and smaller European offerings like the Mini Cooper and VW Beetle.
The Chrysler 200 Convertible isn't the only derivative being left behind with the new model: so too is the Dodge Avenger. That will leave a glaring hole in the Dodge lineup, with nothing to bridge the gap between the compact Dart and the larger Charger. Whether the Dodge brand has any plans to replace the Avenger with another model, not to be based on the 200, remains to be seen.

'Baby Driver' is a car chase movie set to music

The Fate of the Furious is certainly the 6,000-pound SUV in the garage of automotive movies, but that doesn't mean gearheads are starved for options. The upcoming film Baby Driver looks to be a winner for car guys, featuring exciting chases with cars including a "hawk-eye" Impreza WRX, a Dodge Challenger, and a 1980s Chevy Caprice. The movie is written and directed by Edgar Wright, whom you may know as the man behind movies such as Sean of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. And based on the two trailers released so far, seen above and below, it's about a young man by the name of Baby, who is a getaway driver for criminals. He's apparently the best in the business, and the secret to his success is the music he listens to while he's driving. He also wants out, but his boss, played by Kevin Spacey, has no intention of letting him go. Spacey is one of a number of major stars in the film, including Jamie Foxx and John Hamm. The driving action shown in the trailers definitely looks entertaining. The WRX is seen doing an array of drifts and J-turns. There is some driving precision on display here that wouldn't be out of place in a Gymkhana video. And it looks like Wright's attention to detail in his shots and transitions, as well as some solid comedy relief, are all going to be present. The film comes out this August. Related Video: News Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / YouTube via Road & TrackImage Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment / YouTube TV/Movies Chevrolet Dodge Subaru Videos baby driver