1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4x4 Final Edition One Of Only 27 Made In Spinnaker Blue on 2040-cars

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Inline-6 Hemi replacement on the cusp of production from Stellantis

It appears that Stellantis is ready to put its long-rumored inline-six into production at its Saltillo, Mexico plant, possibly marking the beginning of the end of Chrysler's long-running 5.7L Hemi V8. But so far, the automaker's American brands have remained mum on where exactly the new turbocharged "Tornado" I6 may land. Stellantis powertrain blog Stellpower (by way of Muscle Cars & Trucks) spotted an entry for a new "GME T6" inline-six engine on the Saltillo facility's web site, suggesting that it was either in production or close to it. That entry has since been removed, but the mystery remains.  We've been hearing tidbits here and there about this new inline engine for years, but this is the first time we've seen anything suggesting its arrival is imminent. Usually, such a significant powertrain update would coincide with the launch of a new product to showcase it. So far, Stellantis has remained mum, even overseas, about where this engine is destined to reside. 2022 model year vehicles are likely off the table entirely.  But while it's common for new engines to debut with new cars and trucks, it's not a universal truth. Ford's Coyote V8 missed the corresponding Mustang refresh by a year, for example, orphaning the 2010 model and its much-needed styling updates with the old 4.6L V8 (and the 3.8L V6, for that matter; the 3.7L Duratec was also late to that party). Even sticking just to Stellantis, the JL Wrangler's powertrains have been a work in progress since it arrived back in 2018. The standard V6 and 2.0-liter turbo-4 debuted at launch; the EcoDiesel, 392 and 4xe all came later.  And 4xe may be the model by which to measure our expectations. Its introduction didn't come completely out of nowhere, but it was rather sudden for what turned out to be such a solid offering. That bodes well for the company's existing Hemi-powered trucks and SUVs. The Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wagoneer are all strong candidates to receive the new Hemi replacement, as all would greatly benefit from even small improvements in fuel economy. If there's to be a future for the Dodge Charger and Challenger and Chrysler 300, they'd benefit too. And how about a Gladiator with the wick turned up, positioned as its equivalent to the Wrangler 392. Turn that Tornado into a Dust Devil. Don't worry; we've got plenty more where that came from.  Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Stellantis tells UK: Change Brexit deal or watch car plants close

LONDON - British car plants will close with the loss of thousands of jobs unless the Brexit deal is swiftly renegotiated, Stellantis has told the UK parliament, the latest in a series of warnings from the industry since the country left the European Union. The world's No. 3 carmaker by sales and owner of 14 brands including Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat said that under the current deal it would face tariffs when exporting electric vans to Europe from next year, when tougher post-Brexit rules come into force. "If the cost of EV (electric vehicle) manufacturing in the UK becomes uncompetitive and unsustainable, operations will close," Stellantis said in a submission to a House of Commons committee examining the prospects for Britain's EV industry. Stellantis urged the government to reach an agreement with the European Union about extending the current rules on the sourcing of parts until 2027 instead of the planned 2024 change. In response, a government spokesperson said the business secretary had raised the issue with the EU. "Watch this space, because we are very focused on making sure that the UK gets EV and manufacturing capacity," Britain's finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Wednesday at a British Chambers of Commerce event. The potentially existential problem facing Britain's car industry is closely tied to the shift to EVs. Under the trade deal agreed when Britain left the bloc, 45% of the value of an EV being sold in the European Union must come from Britain or the EU from 2024 to avoid tariffs. The problem is that a battery pack can account for up to half a new EV's cost. Batteries are also heavy and expensive to move long distances. Experts have been warning since Britain left the EU at the end of 2020 that the country would need a number of EV battery gigafactories or potentially lose a hefty chunk of its car industry. Only Japan's Nissan has a small EV battery plant in Sunderland, with a second one on the way. Cost of failure Britishvolt, a startup which received UK government support for an ambitious 3.8 billion pound ($4.80 billion) battery plant at a site in northern England, filed for administration in January after struggling to raise funds. The company was then bought by Australia's Recharge Industries, which has yet to unveil plans for the site.

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