2010 Dodge Charger R/t on 2040-cars

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Auto Mergers and Acquisitions: Suicide or salvation?

We love the Moses figure. A savior riding in from stage right with the ideas, the smarts, and the scrappiness to put things right. Alan Mullaly. Carroll Shelby. Lee Iacocca. Andrew Carnegie. Steve Jobs. Elon Musk. Bart Simpson. Sergio Marchionne does not likely view himself with Moses-like optics, but the CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently gave a remarkable, perhaps prophetic interview with Automotive News about his interest and the inevitability of merging with a potential automotive partner like General Motors. Marchionne has been overtly public about his notion that GM must merge with FCA. For a bit of context, GM sold 9.9 million vehicles in 2014, posting $2.8 billion in net income, while FCA sold 4.75 million units and earned $2.4 billion in net income, painting a very rosy FCA earnings-to-sales picture. But that's not the entire picture. Most people in the auto industry still remember the trainwreck that was the DaimlerChrysler "merger" written in what turned out to be sand in 1998. It proved to be a master class in how not to fuse two companies, two cultures, two continents, and two management teams. Oh, it worked for the two individuals at both helms pre-merger. They got silly rich. And the industry itself was in a misty romance at the time with mergers and acquisitions. BMW bought Rolls-Royce. Volkswagen Group bought Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, putting all three brands into their rightful place in both products and positioning. No marriages there, so no false pretense. Finally, Nissan and Renault got married in 1999. A successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust. But a successful marriage requires several rare elements in this atmosphere of gas fumes and power lust, the principle part being honesty. Daimler and Chrysler lied to each other. The heads of each unit, the product planners, and finance all presented their then-current and long-range forecasts to each other with less-than-forthright accuracy. Daimler was the far greater equal and no one from the Chrysler side enjoyed that. The cultures were entirely different, too, and little was done to bridge that gap. Which brings me back to the present overtures by Marchionne to GM. "There are varying degrees of hugs," Marchionne stated in the Automotive News piece. "I can hug you nicely, I can hug you tightly, I can hug you like a bear, I can really hug you." Seriously?

2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat pricing revealed in dealer documents

Dodge has released a lot of numbers about the 2021 Durango SRT Hellcat — we know it has 710 horsepower and it will only be built for about six months — but not revealed so far is how much the SUV will cost. While official pricing information remains under wraps, leaked dealer documents suggest it will start at approximately $81,000. Citing anonymous dealer connections, enthusiast website Mopar Insiders reported the SRT Hellcat will carry a base price of $80,995 when it goes on sale. Note that figure excludes the destination fee — and the inevitable dealer markup. For context, the entry-level 2020 Durango SXT starts at $30,795 when ordered with rear-wheel drive, and the all-wheel-drive-only SRT model costs $62,995. That means the Hellcat model will carry an $18,000 premium. For the price, buyers get a 6.2-liter V8 engine topped with a mammoth supercharger, two-piece slotted rotors behind 20-inch wheels, a black radiator grille, a front splitter, and an array of Hellcat emblems. Inside, Dodge added red stitching and red accents in the instrument cluster, among other model-specific visual cues. Buyers can easily bump the aforementioned MSRP over the $90,000 mark. Highlights from the list of extra-cost options include a rear-seat entertainment system with a DVD player ($1,995), red leather upholstery ($1,595), a power sunroof ($1,295), and a trailer tow package with brake control ($1,195). Racing stripes are a $1,195 option, while three-season tires will add $595 to the bottom line. Fully loaded, the Durango Hellcat costs nearly $95,000. Although that's a lot to pay for a Durango, the Hellcat-powered model isn't an ordinary SUV, and it's not going to be a common sight. It's celebrated as the most powerful factory-built SUV in the world; it takes 3.9 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop. And, Dodge confirmed it will only be able to build the model for about six months, though the SRT Hellcat won't be a serialized, limited-edition model like the 840-horsepower SRT Demon.  Still according to Mopar Insiders, Dodge dealers across the nation will begin to receive their Durango SRT Hellcat allocations in November 2020. Production will start in January 2021, and end in May of that year. If you want one, we suggest getting in touch with your nearest Dodge dealer sooner rather than later to ensure you don't miss out. Related Video:    

2018 Dodge Demon comes with a factory tune for race gas

We knew the Dodge Demon was going to make a lot of power, but the ongoing question has been how much. We've seen estimates of between 757 and 1,121, but those have simply been guesses based on the numbers found in promo photos. However, if we had to put our bets on a horsepower rating, we'll probably go with the higher estimates because the Demon can run on race gas. Yes, the latest teaser for the Demon reveals that it will come with a factory tune optimized for race gas, which is rated at 100 octane or higher. Running such high octane, in combination with its heavy-duty intake cooling, means the Demon can handle absurd amounts of boost and advanced timing without running the risk of dangerous pre-ignition or detonation. Of course this also means the Demon should be capable of astonishing power with the high-octane calibration. The tune will be included in the Demon crate on a separate engine computer that the owner can swap out when he or she is ready to race. In addition to the computer, the center stack also has a button to activate the high-octane mode. A pair of fuel pumps and larger injectors also ensure the engine gets plenty of that sweet racing fuel. When not running the high-octane tune, the Demon runs on your average premium gasoline. Also, in case you accidentally run premium gas with the high-octane mode activated, the car will automatically switch to the default tune if engine knock is detected. You can get a peek at the system in the video above, and be on the lookout for a bonus video tomorrow. The full reveal will be next week on April 11 at the New York auto show. Related Video: