2014 Chrysler Town & Country Touring on 2040-cars

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What will the next Presidential limo look like?

With recent news that the Secret Service has begun soliciting proposals for a new armored limousine, we've been wondering what the next presidential limo might look like. The current machine, nicknamed "The Beast", has a design based on a car that's no longer sold: the Cadillac DTS. If General Motors gets the job again, which wouldn't be a surprise considering the government still owns a chunk of the company, the next limo's shape would likely resemble the new XTS (below, left). But Cadillac hasn't always been the go-to car company for presidential whips.
Lincoln has actually provided far more presidential limousines throughout history than Cadillac. In fact, the first car modified for Commander-in-Chief-carrying duty was a 1939 Lincoln K-Series called "Sunshine Special" used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the last Lincoln used by a president was a 1989 Town Car ordered for George H.W. Bush. If President Obama wanted a Lincoln today, it would likely be an amalgam of the MKS sedan and MKT crossover, as illustrated above.
And what about Chrysler? The only record we could find of a President favoring the Pentastar is Nixon, who reportedly ordered two limos from the company during his administration in the '70s, and then another one, known today as the "K-Car limo," in the '80s after he left office. Obama, however, has a personal - if modest - connection to Chryslers, having owned a 300 himself before he took office. A 300-based Beast (above, right) would certainly earn the U.S. some style points.

26k Chrysler 200 models recalled over parking woes

Chrysler is recalling nearly 26,000 of its 2015 200 sedans after customers reported that cars aren't shifting into park. Only vehicles equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 are affected by the recall, which includes both front-drive and all-wheel-drive models (which could represent as much as 20 percent of the recalled vehicles). The roughly 26,000 vehicles were built between March 17, 2014 and September 20, 2014. As for where those vehicles can be found, 22,107 were sold in the United States. The remaining vehicles went to Canada and Mexico, with 3,600 in the former and 213 in the latter. Chrysler is blaming the recall on "inconsistent assembly procedures" at a supplier's factory, and will replace the transmissions of any vehicles affected by the defect. Owners of V6-powered 200s are being told to use their parking brake in addition to shifting into park. Although five incidents have been reported, FCA isn't aware of any injuries or accidents. Scroll down for the brief press release. Statement: Park Engagement February 26, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is launching a recall of certain model-year 2015 cars to resolve manufacturing issues that may prevent the vehicles from shifting into park. Inconsistent assembly procedures at a supplier's plant have been linked to five reports involving customers who could not shift their vehicles into park. Without park, a vehicle may be subject to inadvertent movement. FCA US is unaware of any related injuries or accidents. The campaign is limited to the Chrysler 200 equipped with a V-6 engine. There are an estimated 22,107 in the U.S.; 3,600 in Canada and 213 in Mexico. Customers will be advised when they may schedule service. FCA US dealers will inspect and, if required, replace transmissions at no charge. In the interim, customers who own models with V-6 engines are advised to activate the vehicle's parking brake before shutting off its engine, because the shifter may incorrectly indicate park is engaged. Customers with additional concerns may call 1-800-853-1403. Related Video:

2015 Chrysler 300 First Drive [w/video]

When Chrysler last updated its 300 in 2011, the fullsize sedan market was a very different place than it is today. Ford's redesigned Taurus was in showrooms, sure, but segment stalwarts like the Toyota Avalon and Chevrolet Impala were languishing at the tail end of their model cycles. And still, the second-generation 300 (not counting the "letter series" cars from the 1950s and '60s, of course) failed to recapitulate the booming success of the model reboot in 2004. Something in the combination of the down economy, higher gas prices and great product from front-wheel-drive entries in the class kept the 300 from the six-digit sales numbers it saw in the early 2000s. For the 2015 model year, Chrysler hopes that a more clearly defined purpose for its big sedan, combined with liberal dipping into the corporate tech toy box, will rekindle buyer interest. Considering the mild characters and front-driver dynamics of its mainstream competition, the promise of V8 power and rear-wheel drive should at least turn the heads of those looking for a car with a little edge. I grabbed the keys of the edgiest of the bunch, the sport-intended 300S, and found a big sedan that gives away some practicality to the rest of its segment mates. The trade-off for the dip in pragmatism is an uptick and driving fun and attitude that should make all the difference for the right buyer. Even though the hard-to-miss face of the 300 has come in for another nip and tuck, that attitude is still clearly on display, too. The grille of the 300 is some 33-percent larger than the outgoing model, though it's still far less brutal than the throwback styling of the 2005 "Baby Bentley" car, at least to my eyes. The cheese grater insert is metallic in most trims of the 300, though the 300S you see in my photo set gets the meaner blacked-out treatment. A quick scroll through our gallery will show you that the rest of the 300 has been similarly changed but not reinvented. Light clusters front and rear are revised, the rear clip has been re-forged with less busy styling, and the whole car has been de-chromed to a large extent (this 300S is wearing the least blingy outfit of the bunch). That rear spoiler is S-model specific. I held the existing 300 interior in fairly high regard, and this new car improves on that base.