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Key-swapping thieves steal Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT from FL dealer

Just a few weeks back, we reported on the theft of an Audi RS5 by a pair of creative thieves who managed to swipe the car's keys when the salesperson stepped away from their desk. Now, a Florida dealership is missing a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 after some crooks switched the Jeep's keys with an identical, non-functioning set.
According to the report from local NBC affiliate WPTV, the men went in and spoke to a dealer about the Jeep. They walked outside, took a look at it, started it up and in the process managed to switch out the fobs. After doing their time with the salesperson, the thieves walked back out to the car, got in and drove away.
"I mean obviously, the way it was done, I think that they were professionals and they knew what they were doing," said Arrigo Jeep General Manager Joe Tufo. "The fact that they did it in broad daylight and switched the key fob and it was like it was nothing. That's what makes it unique," he added.

FCA's shifter fiasco proves novel gear selectors are a bad idea

What's wrong with PRNDL? Why are automakers trying to overly complicate the simple task of selecting gears? If there's any lesson to learn from the recent news that NHTSA is investigating 853,000 Fiat Chrysler vehicles over its problematic gear selectors, it's that the trend of fancy shifters needs to stop. Now. Last year, NHTSA opened an investigation into Jeep Grand Cherokee models, and has now expanded this probe to include the 2012-14 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. The problem? The shifter – assembled by ZF – is confusing for many drivers. "Testing ... indicates that operation of the (electronic) shifter is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection," a NHTSA document states. More than 100 crashes and over a dozen injuries are linked to this problem, according to The Detroit Free Press. To us, the problem isn't just limited to FCA. These unnecessarily novel gear selectors are spreading like wildfire across the industry. Honda and Acura use a weird pushbutton setup. Lincolns have buttons on the dashboard. Jaguar's shifter electronically raises out of the center console. Mercedes uses a stalk with up-for-Reverse, down-for-Drive, push-for-Neutral arrangement. And what the hell is BMW thinking with its M cars? FCA has since abandoned the confusing shifters in question. The 300, Charger, and Grand Cherokee now use the rotary shift dial that's quickly proliferating across the company's brands. Simplistic gear selectors might not be sexy, but no one ever complained about not being able to find the right gear in a Hyundai Sonata. What's most interesting is that this NHTSA investigation could push FCA – and possibly other automakers – to redesign vehicle functions that otherwise operate as designed. Just because most people will never have a problem putting a Dodge Charger in Reverse doesn't mean there isn't a flaw with the design. But perhaps a more simplistic solution – good ol' PRNDL – would have prevented these issues from the start. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Copyright 2016 AOL Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Jeep FCA shifters

Watch the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Hellcat blast off

It's all but official. Jeep will produce a Hellcat version of the Grand Cherokee with crazy horsepower. We mean crazy. Today, our spy shooters have captured video footage of this demonic creation. It's pretty short, but you can see a dark Grand Cherokee launch with vigor and then brake hard to a halt. We think we detect the whine of a supercharger amid the commotion. Jeep boss Mike Manley has said on video that the JGC Hellcat will arrive before the end of next year. Specs aren't known, but it seems likely that the Jeep Hellcat will share the blown 6.2-liter V8 used in the Charger and Challenger Hellcats. We've also heard rumors the Trackhawk name could be used for this vehicle. In those applications, the beastly Hemi pumps out 707 manic horsepower. Really, why wouldn't you do this? Jeep sales surged 22 percent around the world last year to 1.2 million, the brand's best year ever. Clearly, Jeep decided it was time to add an extreme performance vehicle. Jeep already sells an SRT model that pumps out 475 hp, so adding a top-end Hellcat seems logical. And a Hell of a lot of fun. Related Video: