2000 Dodge Viper Gts on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Stellantis reports surprising 2020 results, is 'off to a flying start'

MILAN — Low global car inventories and cost cuts should boost Stellantis's profit margins this year, though a shortage of semiconductors and investments in electric vehicles could weigh on results, the newly-formed automaker said on Wednesday. The forecast came as Stellantis, created by the January merger of Peugeot-maker PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA), reported better-than-expected results for 2020 that sent its shares up around 3% in morning trading. "Stellantis gets off to a flying start and is fully focused on achieving the full promised synergies (from the merger)," Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said in a statement. Stellantis is the world's fourth largest carmaker, with 14 brands including Fiat, Peugeot, Opel, Jeep, Ram and Maserati. It said 2021 results should be helped by three new high-margin Jeep vehicles in North America and a strong pricing environment there. The U.S. market has driven profits for years at FCA and starts off as the strongest part of Stellantis. The group's guidance assumes no more significant lockdowns caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which shuttered auto plants around the world last spring. Stellantis should also get a lift as its starts to implement a plan aimed at delivering over 5 billion euros a year in savings, without closing any plants. Tavares has also pledged not to cut jobs. But a pandemic-related global shortage of semiconductors, used for everything from maximizing engine fuel economy to driver-assistance features, could hurt business. Auto industry executives have said the shortage should ease by the second half of 2021. Stellantis said its "electrification offensive" could also weigh on results this year. Automakers are racing to develop electric vehicles to meet tighter CO2 emissions targets in Europe and this week Volvo joined a growing number of carmakers aiming for a fully-electric line-up by 2030. Stellantis plans to have fully-electric or hybrid versions of all of its vehicles available in Europe by 2025, broadly in line with plans at top rivals such as Volkswagen and Renault-Nissan, although Stellantis has further to go to meet that goal. The carmaker is targeting an adjusted operating profit margin of 5.5%-7.5% this year. That compares with a 5.3% aggregated margin last year: 4.3% at FCA and 7.1% at PSA excluding a controlling stake in parts maker Faurecia, which is set to be spun-off from Stellantis shortly.

2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit is ready to serve and protect

Okay speed freaks, it's time to update your cheat sheet of police headlights, as Dodge has just unveiled the new 2015 Charger sedan's police variant, the Pursuit.
Like previous Charger Pursuits, the 2015 model is based on a modified version of the civilian sedan, featuring the same basic batch of mechanicals and sheetmetal, while adding a number of items specific to the five-oh.
For 2015, cops can select from the same 3.6-ltier V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 available to the civilian population, with former turning out 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and the latter packing 370 ponies and 390 lb-ft. Even loaded down with equipment, Dodge claims the Hemi-powered cop car can hit 60 miles per hour in under six seconds, while both engines are expected return 26 miles per gallon on the highway (thanks to the V8's four-cylinder mode). Rear-wheel drive is standard with both engines, while V8 Pursuits can be fitted with all-wheel drive.

2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Daytona wrecked with 296 miles on the clock

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition can do 0-60 faster than you can say its name, and one new owner appears to have proven that it can all go wrong just as quickly. This one-of-501 sedan currently resting on a Copart lot in California has already met its end.  Dodge named the model after NASCAR's season-opening venue. The Daytona 500 gets the numerical part of its name from the length of the race — 500 miles. This poor White Knuckle example didn't even live long enough to put that much distance behind it; it shows just 296 miles on its odometer, says Motor1.com, who spotted the wreck on Copart.  This poor Widebody suffered a front-end accident severe enough to pop the airbags, which is never a good sign. Both front fenders took a beating, and the passenger-side panel was ripped off completely. The hood was badly buckled in several places, and the bumper covers appear pretty badly thrashed. It's difficult to tell from these photos whether the front crash structure was badly mangled, but we suspect it didn't come out unscathed. The passenger-side front suspension clearly took a beating, as the tire on that side was de-beaded from the wheel.  On the bright side, multiple images show that the car's electrical system is intact; whether it starts and runs is another matter.  The Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition package is, fundamentally at least, little more than a plaque, a sticker package, and a re-rated 717 peak horsepower. What you really get for your money is exclusivity, and thanks to this little "oops," there's more of that to be had. Only 501 were built (to commemorate the number of production units required to homologate the original Charger Daytona for NASCAR racing); just 451 went to U.S. dealers, and the other 50 were reserved for the Great White North where it's built. These models are so scarce that some dealers were already tacking on tens of thousands of dollars in additional markup. Back in December, at least one dealer had slapped a $25,000 market adjustment on a Daytona model (in the same "White Knuckle" finish as the wrecked car here), and others were being spotted with similar tacked-on premiums.  Related Video: