2002 Chrysler Sebring on 2040-cars

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GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler set target date for restarting production

The parking lot stands empty at Fiat Chrysler's sprawling Belvidere, Ill., assembly plant. / Getty Images   General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are targeting May 18 to resume some production at their U.S. factories after shutting down plants in March due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Wall Street Journal reported. Executives from the companies in recent days tentatively settled on the timeline following talks with United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office, the Journal said on Monday, citing people familiar with the plans. The head of the UAW union last week warned it was "too soon and too risky" to reopen auto plants and Michigan's economy in early May, citing risks to workers. The companies are working with the union on drawing up safety protocols for reducing exposure risk for workers, but haven't finalized those terms yet, according to the WSJ report. GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and UAW did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.   Plants/Manufacturing Chrysler Fiat Ford GM coronavirus

All hail the Hellephant, Mopar's 1,000-horsepower crate engine

It's shocking to say this, but the all-powerful Dodge Demon looks weak now that Mopar has unleashed the Hellephant. This crate motor makes 1,000 horsepower and 950 pound-feet of torque, and its name is a combination of the nickname for the old 426-cubic-inch Hemi V8 and, obviously, the Hellcat. This monster is a 426-cubic-inch version of the current third-generation Hemi V8 topped by a supercharger similar to what the Hellcat line packs. Everything is cranked up to — or perhaps, past — 11. The engine block is made of aluminum and weighs 100 pounds less than the equivalent iron block. All of the internals are forged. The stroke and bore have been increased. The supercharger produces 15 pounds of boost and displaces 3 liters; more than the 2.7-liter blower on the Demon and the 2.4-liter blower on the Hellcat. And as big and powerful as it is, it will still rev to 7,000 rpm. It's a thoroughly monstrous motor, but shockingly, it won't be that difficult to live with. For one thing, Mopar will offer a complete kit to get the engine up and running, including an engine computer, wiring harness and drive-by-wire throttle. It also runs on 93-octane pump gas. That's especially amazing considering the Demon engine "only" makes 840 horsepower, and that's on race gas with 100+ octane fuel. It also has us wondering what the Hellephant could make on racing fuel. The Mopar folks did say that there's room to add more power. Pricing wasn't announced for the Hellephant engine. The Hellcat crate engine retails at $19,350 directly from Mopar, so it's safe to assume that the Hellephant will go for more. The installation kit with the computer and harness will be an extra charge of likely over $2,000, based on the Hellcat kit. The engine and the kit will be available in the first quarter of 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery Hellephant Crate Engine SEMA Show Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Performance dodge demon hellephant

Junkyard Gem: 2006 Chrysler 300C

During my wrecking-yard travels, I tend to focus on old, rare, and/or strangely badge-engineered vehicles when I decide what is worth documenting. Sometimes, though, a fairly mainstream vehicle from our current century catches my eye, and this 2006 Chrysler 300C in a Charlotte, North Carolina, junkyard is such a car. The current Chrysler Hemi engine family first appeared in 2003 Dodge trucks, and so the revival of the legendary Hemi name was still pretty new when the 300C went on sale. This car had 340 horsepower when new, which almost certainly meant more power at the wheels than the 426 Hemi cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s (the differences between gross and net horsepower ratings tend to result in inflated power numbers for cars of a half-century back). At considerably more than 2 tons, however, the 300C wasn't likely to humiliate a '70 Hemi 'Cuda in a drag race. This car appears to be in reasonably solid condition, so we can assume that something very expensive went wrong with the engine and/or transmission. That won't stop some eager junkyard shopper from grabbing the Hemi, though. The same junkyard had a 2001 Audi S8 when I stopped by, with 360 horsepower, but nobody will want that engine for their work truck. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. There's a lot of stuff in this ad that could be interpreted much differently in 2018, compared to 2006, starting with the Aung San Suu Kyi reference. Featured Gallery Junked 2006 Chrysler 300C Hemi View 15 Photos Auto News Chrysler Automotive History