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China own a Detroit automaker? Would the U.S. let that happen?

The news that several Chinese automakers want to buy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and that one has even made an offer, elicits some mixed feelings. On one hand, as some have pointed out, it could be a win-win both for China and for FCA's American workers, ensuring the company's survival and opening new markets. On the other hand, this is China, whose trade relationship with the U.S. is the source of considerable scrutiny from the Trump administration — and whose not-a-friend, not-an-enemy status is particularly difficult to gauge right now during heightened tensions with its client state North Korea. So would such a deal pass regulatory muster? One reason that springs to mind for blocking any sale has to do with national security. Chrysler's role as a military supplier dates back to Dodge trucks used by Gen. Blackjack Pershing to chase Pancho Villa in Mexico, and shortly thereafter by American forces in World War I. The Detroit Three automakers were, of course, mainstays of the Arsenal of Democracy of World War II. Even before U.S. entry into the war in December 1941, America's industrial machinery went into overdrive, and Chrysler was one of the biggest cogs. It engineered and built the M3, Sherman and Pershing tanks and trucks for Gen. George Patton's Redball Express. It helped develop a radar-guided antiaircraft gun that knocked German bombers and V1 rockets out of the sky — on one day, shooting down 97 of 101 V1s headed for London. On D-Day, the radar system helped thwart Luftwaffe counterattacks on the beaches of Normandy, and it later helped Allied forces break out at the Battle of the Bulge. Chrysler redesigned the Wright Cyclone engines used by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the plane that firebombed Tokyo and dropped the atomic bombs that ended the war. Chrysler even played a secret role refining uranium in Oak Ridge, Tenn., that was used in the Hiroshima bomb and in the ensuing Cold War arms race. It worked on military missiles and was NASA's prime contractor for the Saturn V rocket that put men on the moon. More recently, Chrysler produced the M1 Abrams tank. And of course Chrysler is the keeper of the flame for Jeep, a 75-plus-years military legacy handed down from Bantam and Willys to Kaiser to AMC to Chrysler. The point of this history lesson is to note that in times of war or national emergency, America's industrial might has been called to serve, and may well be called on again.

Zombie cars: 9 discontinued vehicles that aren't dead yet

Car models come and go, but as revealed by monthly sales data, once a car is discontinued, it doesn't just disappear instantly. And in the case of some models, vanishing into obscurity can be a slow, tedious process. That's the case with the 12 cars we have here. All of them have been discontinued, but car companies keep racking up "new" sales with them. There are actually more discontinued cars that are still registering new sales than what we decided to include here. We kept this list to the oldest or otherwise most interesting vehicles still being sold as new, including a supercar. We'll run the list in alphabetical order, starting with *drumroll* ... BMW 6 Series: 55 total sales BMW quietly removed the 6 Series from the U.S. market during the 2019 model year. It had been available in three configurations, a hardtop coupe, a convertible and a sleek four-door coupe-like shape.   BMW i8: 18 total sales We've always had a soft spot for the BMW i8, despite the fact that it never quite fit into a particular category. It was sporty, but nowhere near as fast as similarly-priced competitors. It looked very high-tech and boasted a unique carbon fiber chassis design and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but wasn't really designed for maximum efficiency or maximum performance. Still, the in-betweener was very cool to look at and drive, and 18 buyers took one home over the course of 2021.   Chevy Impala: 750 total sales The Impala represented classic American tastes at a time when American tastes were shifting away from soft-riding sedans with big interior room and trunk space and into higher-riding crossovers. A total of 750 sales were inked last year.   Chrysler 200: 15 total sales The Chrysler 200 was actually a pretty nice sedan, with good looks and decent driving dynamics let down by a lack of roominess, particularly in the back seat. Of course, as we said regarding the Chevy Impala, the number of Americans in the market for sedans is rapidly winding down, and other automakers are following Chrysler's footsteps in canceling their slow-selling four-doors. Even if Chrysler never really found its footing in the ultra-competitive midsize sedan segment, apparently dealerships have a few leftover 2017 200s floating around. And for some reason, 15 buyers decided to sign the dotted line to take one of these aging sedans home last year.

2020 Dodge Charger Widebody First Drive Review | Wider is better

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. - The guy in the white Silverado is already pissed off. He didn’t appreciate the first two times we blazed the rear tires of this 2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Hellcat through three gears, so we might as well do it again. ThatÂ’s right, sir, we are number one. Dodge seems to be playing by a different set of rules than the rest of the industry. While everyone else is worried about small crossovers and CAFE regulations, miles per gallon and electrification, autonomy and Elon Musk, the gang at Dodge is building AmericaÂ’s best muscle cars ever. Unapologetic, loud, in your face, tire-smoking muscle cars. Hellcats, Demons, Scat Packs and Redeyes. For 2020, the brandÂ’s list of Hemi-powered, rear-wheel-drive tire fryers now includes Widebody versions of the Charger Scat Pack and Hellcat, borrowing parts and inspiration from Widebody Challenger models, which began showing up for 2018. Dodge will also offer the 2020 Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition to commemorate the 1969 Charger Daytona, a NASCAR homologation special with special aerodynamics for the superspeedways, including a massive rear wing and pointed beak with pop up headlamps. 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary View 14 Photos Just 501 will be sold, the same number of Daytonas Dodge had to build back in the day to satisfy Big Bill France. ItÂ’s available in four colors, and for 2020, itÂ’s the only Charger to wear B5 Blue, which was also originally offered in 1969. ItÂ’s a favorite color of classic Mopar muscle car enthusiasts. “Customers said we were giving too much love to the Challenger and ignoring the Charger,” said Jeff Strauss, the senior manager of Dodge/SRT Sales Operations. “ThatÂ’s not the case anymore.” The Widebody Package will be optional on the Charger Scat Pack (the white car in the above photos), but itÂ’s standard equipment on every 2020 Charger Hellcat and only adds about 30 pounds to the car. Just as on the Widebody Challenger, the plastic wheelwell flares widen the sedan's 3.5 inches, and their wider 20x11-inch forged aluminum wheels wear massive 305/35ZR20 tires front and rear. All-seasons are standard, but the cars are best on the available Pirelli Summer tires. There are also new front and rear fascias, rocker trim and a reshaped rear spoiler.  “My main goal was to make the cars look bad ass,” said Mark Trostle, FCAÂ’s head of performance, passenger and utility vehicle design.