2011 Dodge Avenger Express on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Dodge designer on yellow plastic splitter guards: 'I wish they would take them off'

About a year ago, Dodge began placing yellow strips of plastic on the leading edge of Charger and Challenger front splitters to prevent damage during transport from plant to dealer. Dodge embossed "To Be Removed By Dealer" into the plastic, but those instructions weren't always followed. By summer of 2018, so many owners had left the tabs on, or reinstalled a discarded set, or bought a set on eBay for $100 or more, that factions broke out. Some thought the protectors looked cool, some thought they looked foolish, some thought it didn't matter either way. Now Dodge and SRT lead designer Mark Trostle has stepped in with his thoughts, those being, "I wish they would take them off."  Trostle made the remarks at the end of a video by Canadian auto scribe Brian Makse that otherwise dove into the design and technology on the 2010 Charger Widebody. Part of the designer's remarks related to aesthetic aspects — designers are paid to be precious about every line they draw, after all. "When we did the sketch for the Charger and Challenger," he said, "it never had yellow strips on it," and, "To me, as a designer, it ruins the lines of the car." He had a functional reason as well, though: "You're just ruining the paint!" The paint issue convinced Tyler Grant, the Internet sales manager at a Dodge dealer, to make a Facebook post in April this year requesting owners remove the splitter guards. Grant wrote that because the guards aren't specifically molded to fit perfectly, dirt and moisture get between the plastic and the splitter and mar the clear coat or paint, illustrated by a scuffed example that had been driven just 18 miles with the protectors on. He ended with, "Please, on behalf of your splitter AND its paint, take off the splitter guards." Despite forum chatter, splitter-shaming Facebook photos, and Facebook groups like "Hey Pal, You Forgot to Take Your Splitter Guards Off," it appears too late for the protector color to curb (get it?) the trend. Owners have already dealt with the dirt issue by putting protective tape on the air dam, others have painted the spilitter guards to match the car, and the owner of a vintage Dodge pickup ran yellow tape across the width of his front bumper in an attempt to join the party.  In the Makse video, Trostle said that the automaker would soon be rolling out a "new fashionable purple color" for the protectors. "We'll see if that one takes off," he said. "I hope it doesn't."

'CSR Racing 2' mobile game adding 'Fast & Furious' pack

Popular mobile drag-racing game CSR Racing 2 (CSR2) is constantly adding new cars, new events, and new features to keep the game fresh. In March, CSR2 released the stunning McLaren Speedtail into the game, and for April, a "Fast & Furious"-themed pack is on the way. CSR2 recently celebrated 100 seasons of racing (the game runs on its own calendar) and announced a new update is on the way. Many new vehicles are coming, including a McLaren F1 LM, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, a Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, a Honda NSX-R, a C3 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole, a Porsche Carrera GT and a Shelby Cobra 427 S/C.  Through various events, players will also be able to unlock more cars such as the Aston Martin Valhalla Concept, the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, a TVR Griffith, a Toyota GR Supra, a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, a BMW M8 Competition Coupe, and for the first time in a video game, the Mini John Cooper Works GP. But possibly the most hyped vehicles included in the new update are not cars that come straight from the production line. Update 2.11 will add character cars from the "Fast & Furious" franchise.  As part of a series of special events within the game, CSR2 customers will be able to race with numerous F&F cars such as the 1970 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 2001 Veilside Honda S2000, and Jesse's iconic 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. There are no details about the specifics of the events, but the first will launch in mid-April and the rest will slowly drip the rest of the year. The new cars come after CSR2 released the "Fast & Furious" Toyota Supra, Veilside Mazda RX-7, and Mitsubishi Eclipse back in 2019.  For more information about CSR2 and the upcoming update, visit CSR2's Tumblr. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery CSR Racing 2 Fast and Furious Pack Auto News Toys/Games TV/Movies Dodge Honda Volkswagen Fast & Furious Honda S2000

Stellantis earnings rise along with EV sales

AMSTERDAM — Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday reported its earnings grew in 2022 from a year earlier and said its push into electric vehicles led to a jump in sales even as it faces growing competition from an industrywide shift to more climate-friendly offerings. Stellantis, formed in 2021 from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and FranceÂ’s PSA Peugeot, said net revenue of 179.6 billion euros ($191 billion) was up 18% from 2021, citing strong pricing and its mix of vehicles. It reported net profit of 16.8 billion euros, up 26% from 2021. Stellantis plans to convert all of its European sales and half of its U.S. sales to battery-electric vehicles by 2030. It said the strategy led to a 41% increase in battery EV sales in 2022, to 288,000 vehicles, compared with the year earlier. The company has “demonstrated the effectiveness of our electrification strategy in Europe,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. “We now have the technology, the products, the raw materials and the full battery ecosystem to lead that same transformative journey in North America, starting with our first fully electric Ram vehicles from 2023 and Jeep from 2024.” The automaker is competing in an increasingly crowded field for a share of the electric vehicle market. Companies are scrambling to roll out environmentally friendly models as they look to hit goals of cutting climate-changing emissions, driven by government pressure. The transformation has gotten a boost from a U.S. law that is rolling out big subsidies for clean technology like EVs but has European governments calling out the harm that they say the funding poses to homegrown industry across the Atlantic. Stellantis' Jeep brand will start selling two fully electric SUVs in North America and another one in Europe over the next two years. It says its Ram brand will roll out an electric pickup truck this year, joining a rush of EV competitors looking to claim a piece of the full-size truck market. The company plans to bring 25 battery-electric models to the U.S. by 2030. As part of that push, it has said it would build two EV battery factories in North America. A $2.5 billion joint venture with Samsung will bring one of those facilities to Indiana, which is expected to employ up to 1,400 workers. The other factory will be in Windsor, Ontario, a collaboration with South KoreaÂ’s LG Energy Solution that aims to create about 2,500 jobs. The EV push comes amid a slowdown in U.S.