2006 Chrysler 300 Base on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mopar Hellephant crate engine sells out in 48 hours

This happened so quickly that we're only just catching up with it. Mopar opened pre-orders on the 7.0-liter Hellephant Hemi crate engine on April 26, which is Hemi Day. According to Allpar, hubbub on social media not long after that day claimed Mopar had gone through all of its Hellephant stock. When Allpar asked Fiat Chrysler for clarification, a spokesperson e-mailed, "Given the high demand and the hand-built, time-intensive build process, we have closed preordering for the 426 Hellephant Supercharged HEMI crate engine. Based on preorders, the engine sold out in just two days. Customers can visit www.cratehemi.com to receive future information and updates on the 'Hellephant' engine." No one is certain how many engines Mopar sold. Allpar wrote, "Industry insiders believe Mopar may be making around 100," but reiterated that it's a guess. The engine and the ordering process have their peculiarities. Mopar Insiders explained that Tool Engineering International helped create the 426-cubic-inch block, and that the Hellephant engine "shares nothing except for displacement with the rumored upcoming 7.0-liter 426 Hemi V8." On the Hellcat.org forum, a poster wrote that the engines "can only be sold through a dealer and that the dealers can only order 1 engine per week." The Hellephant doesn't come with Mopar's three-year, 100,000-mile warranty, either. During a press briefing last October, FCA officials said they weren't sure about offering any warranty. Based on the motor being given a part number starting with the letter P, there is a bit of protection, but it's a 90-day limited warranty covering "defects in materials or wokmanship," and only applies to engines not used in competition. For those who didn't get the opportunity to drop $29,995 for 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque, the best bet is to hope for the return of Apollyon's pachyderm. Motor1 wrote that "Rumors hint at... another limited run scheduled for next year due to overwhelming demand." That's thin thread to hang a Hellephant from, but it beats bupkis.

Marchionne hopes Apple will partner with Fiat

Apple wants to make a car. Fiat already makes cars. Therefore, Apple and Fiat should partner to make an Apple Car. Makes sense, right? Clearly, it's not quite that easy, but FCA chief Sergio Marchionne hopes that Cupertino will consider Fiat a worthy candidate for partnership, assuming, of course, that Apple follows through with its overtures into the automobile industry. Marchionne is, according to Bloomberg, a self-proclaimed "Apple freak" who owns every kind of product Apple makes. He suggests that he understands the tech company's needs and wants. "Apple has a language, and you have to be able to speak that language," said Marchionne. "Usually the industry comes into that dialogue with a high degree of arrogance as we know how to make cars. That's not very helpful as their syntax is worth more than our ability to build cars." By "syntax," we assume Marchionne means Apple's sleek and modern design language more than the code behind its software. It's interesting to note that the FCA CEO seems to indicate that Apple would bring more to any partnership than the automaker would. Fair or not, we'd wager that more buyers would care about a potential Apple Car's design and branding than would be concerned with which automaker helped assembled it. A partnership with Apple may be exactly the kind of cure that the FCA CEO believes ails the auto industry. After finding it impossible to further pursue industry consolidation, a tie-up with the massive tech industry, particularly Apple, could generate some much-needed positive cash flow. At present, though, it's all just conjecture – Apple hasn't offered any hints as to the true nature of its so-called Project Titan automotive project, and doesn't seem likely to anytime soon. Related Video:

Stellantis previews 4 electric platforms: Here's how they'll be used

Stellantis EV Day is hitting hard and fast this morning, with big news coming from Dodge and Ram and Jeep and the rest. But to support those brand transformations, a core initiative within Stellantis will help it become a leader in electrification. To do that, the group is developing platforms and technologies with cross-shared components and systems. This starts with four flexible BEV platforms: STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame. As for targeted numbers, they’re lofty: By 2024, Stellantis aims for over 500 miles of range, 0-62 mph in 2 seconds and charging 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. The four platforms will offer battery capacities from 37 kWh to more than 200 kWh. More specifically, STLA Small will offer 37-82 kWh and up to 300 miles of range. STLA Medium will have 87-104 kWh and up to 440 miles. STLA Large will provide 101-118 kWh and up to 500 miles of range. The truck-focused STLA Frame will provide 159-200+ kWh and up to 500 miles of range (and will support an electric Ram 1500 pickup). Chrysler EV Front 34 View 8 Photos Stellantis has big plans for the STLA Large platform, and is currently developing eight vehicles for it in the next three to five years. Examples of possible vehicles shown include a midsize Ram truck and a Jeep off-roader that could fight against the likes of the Toyota 4Runner. Stellantis design boss Ralph Gilles could be seen in a presentation looking over a Chrysler electric crossover based on this platform. We also saw a Wagoneer badge teased momentarily. There was a rendered silhouette of a crossover that looked like it could compete with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Gilles said the platform would allow Stellantis to “create a long-range luxury sedan, an all-conquering muscle car, a heart-of-the-market DUV, a heart-of-the-market SUV, a very capable Jeep off-roading white-space opportunity vehicle as well as a new mid-sized truck.” See for yourself in this video starting at the 90-minute mark. As for powertrains, Stellantis is developing three electric drive modules with a shared, scalable inverter, and other common components, as well as in-house software to control them. Those drive units will offer from 70 to 330 kW (94-402 horsepower). More specifically, one EDM will provide 70 kW, a second will provide 125-180 kW, while the most potent can produce 150-330 kW.