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Jeep owner inadvertently receives 2018 Wrangler hood from scrapyard

After an apparent mix-up, FCA may be looking for a new scrapyard to which to send prototype parts. JLWranglerForums.com member Redrockjk recently purchased a used Wrangler hood from a yard near the FCA proving grounds. When he ordered it, he thought it was from a 2014 model, and while it looked very similar to his current hood, after installing he discovered something unusual. It was too long. From what we can see in the photos from JLWranglerForums.com, the leading edge of the hood sticks out roughly two inches from the top of the Wrangler's grille. The greater length is also clear when the hood is placed next to its likely predecessor. The receivers for the exposed latches are also too far forward to be used on a current Wrangler. Redrockjk also said there wasn't a VIN or a part number anywhere on the hood. As if those details weren't a big enough red flag, Redrockjk reported that the used parts supplier contacted him to ask for the hood back. We reached out to Jeep to see if they could confirm if this is a hood for the next-generation Wrangler. Unsurprisingly, the company had no comment at this time. Considering the details, and the proximity of the scrapyard to an FCA proving ground, there's a better than zero chance this is from a pre-production 2018 Wrangler sent to the yard to be scrapped. No word on whether the hood was aluminum, as has been rumored. Except for the length, the part fits pretty well on the current model. The hood vents present are also similar to those found on some current models. It's one more piece of evidence that the next Wrangler won't stray far from a proven formula. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Jeep Wrangler Hood News Source: JLWranglerForums.comImage Credit: JLWranglerForums.com Spy Photos Jeep SUV Off-Road Vehicles forum wrangler forums

Coronavirus shakes up America's truck market: GM outselling Ford and Ram

FCA, Ford and General Motors joined the rest of the U.S. auto industry in taking heavy volume hits due to coronavirus-related shortages of both cars and customers. The saying goes that a rising tide lifts all boats; it stands to reason, then, that a falling one would have the opposite effect.  However, as we learned Thursday, the automotive market can behave in unpredictable ways. While the F-Series remained the best-selling nameplate in Q1, GM's full-size trucks are now outselling Ford's again for the first time in years, and with this upward thrust from the General, FCA's Ram was unceremoniously booted out of a hard-earned second place.  While late-March sales declines hit just about every major automaker in one way or another, the model-by-model results weren't nearly so uniform. And because the market tends to be a zero-sum game, for every winner, there generally has to be a loser.  In this case, that winner was GM, and its rise had to come at the expense of another automaker, in this case, Ford. F-Series sales dropped 13.1 percent in the first quarter of 2020, while sales of GM's full-sized Silverado and Sierra surged nearly 28% in the same period. FCA's Ram lineup managed a steady-as-she-goes 7% increase. All-in, GM finished the quarter with 197,743 full-size trucks sold to Ford's 186,562. Here's the full breakdown: Ford F-Series: 186,562  Chevrolet Silverado*: 144,734 Ram P/U: 128,805 GMC Sierra: 53,009 *includes 1,036 Medium Duty sales Things are a but murkier in the midsize segment, where the Chevy Colorado slipped 36% to just 21,430 units sold — just a few hundred better than the slow-selling Ford Ranger's Q1 numbers. The GMC Canyon experienced an almost identical slide, finishing the quarter with just 4,483 units sold. For perspective, Jeep sold more than 15,000 Gladiators and Toyota's midsize Tacoma slipped less than 8%, finishing the quarter with nearly 54,000 sales.  We suspect this discrepancy in full- and mid-size truck sales comes from shifting incentives. Ford, GM and FCA would like to keep selling bigger trucks because there's far more profit margin built into their list prices. Even with tens of thousands of dollars in manufacturer money on the hood, big trucks still make money.  Since these automakers report quarterly, we won't get another good look at these numbers until July, but if you thought that 2019 represented the new normal for U.S. auto sales, well, think again.

Jeep Renegade Hell's Revenge is the Harley rider's Jeep

Well, here's a thing. Yes, it's a Jeep Renegade. Yes, it has flames on it. And no, we aren't really sure how to feel about it. This is the Renegade Hell's Revenge. Presumably named after the Hell's Revenge Trail in Moab, this one-off baby Jeep is the product of Italian tuning house Garage Italia Customs and draws inspiration from the collected works of Harley-Davidson. It's not the first time a car company has attached the Milwaukee icon's badge to one of its vehicles – the company has a long history of partnering with Ford for special edition pickup trucks – but it's the first time we can recall the brand teaming with Jeep. The Hell's Revenge was created because of the 25th annual European H.O.G. Rally, a big Harley-Davidson festival being held in Portoroz, Slovenia this weekend. And since Europeans have a bizarre infatuation with Harleys, Jeep probably saw an excellent advertising opportunity and slotted the off-road brand in as the event's main sponsor. We have to admire the workmanship on this diesel-powered Renegade. Ignore the fact that there's a flame motif, and the actual paint job itself is absolutely lovely. According to FCA's official release, GIC used four layers of matte paint before applying fluorescent paint. The dashboard also gets a bright, exuberant flame motif, while the seats are a combination of Foglizzo Nappa leather and black denim. The functional changes are minor. BFGoodrich tires and a jacked-up suspension provide extra capability, and there are a pair of adorable LED spotlights ahead of the two A-pillars. It's an impressive effort. Really. But when you remember that the last Chrysler product to wear a flame motif was the PT Cruiser, we wonder if Jeep knew what kind of company its newest CUV would be in. Related Video: