1949 Dodge Coronet on 2040-cars

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2015 Ford Mustang vs. Camaro and Challenger [w/poll]

The horsepower wars are tightening among the Detroit Three, as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger are getting bigger, more powerful, and yes, more fuel efficient.
That came into sharper focus this week as more information was revealed about the most insane Challenger ever - the 707-horsepower Hellcat - followed quickly by Ford's in-depth showcase of the 2015 Mustang in Dearborn.
It's shaping up to be a golden age for enthusiasts, and what's under the hood is becoming more important than ever.

Stellantis invests more than $100 million in California lithium project

Stellantis said it would invest more than $100 million in California's Controlled Thermal Resources, its latest bet on the direct lithium extraction (DLE) sector amid the global hunt for new sources of the electric vehicle battery metal. The investment by the Chrysler and Jeep parent announced on Thursday comes as the green energy transition and U.S. Inflation Reduction Act have fueled concerns that supplies of lithium and other materials may fall short of strong demand forecasts. DLE technologies vary, but each aims to mechanically filter lithium from salty brine deposits and thus avoid the need for open pit mines or large evaporation ponds, the two most common but environmentally challenging ways to extract the battery metal. Stellantis, which has said half of its fleet will be electric by 2030, also agreed to nearly triple the amount of lithium it will buy from Controlled Thermal, boosting a previous order to 65,000 metric tons annually for at least 10 years, starting in 2027. "This is a significant investment and goes a long way toward developing this key project," Controlled Thermal CEO Rod Colwell said in an interview. The company plans to spend more than $1 billion to separate lithium from superhot geothermal brines extracted from beneath California's Salton Sea after flashing steam off those brines to spin turbines that will produce electricity starting next year. That renewable power is expected to cut the amount of carbon emitted during lithium production. Rival Berkshire Hathaway has struggled to produce lithium from the same area given large concentrations of silica in the brine that can form glass when cooled, clogging pipes. Colwell said a $65 million facility recently installed by Controlled Thermal can remove that silica and other unwanted metals. DLE equipment licensed from Koch Industries would then remove the lithium. "We're very happy with the equipment," he said. "We're going to deliver. There's just no doubt about it." Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares called the Controlled Thermal partnership "an important step in our care for our customers and our planet as we work to provide clean, safe and affordable mobility." Both companies declined to provide the specific investment amount. Controlled Thermal aims to obtain final permits by October and start construction of a commercial lithium plant soon thereafter, Colwell said. Goldman Sachs is leading the search for additional debt and equity financing, he added.

Plymouth Rapid Transit System muscle car concepts going to auction

Over the past decade, Chrysler has built a reputation for amazing custom concept cars based on production vehicles for the SEMA Show and the Easter Jeep Safari. But the company's customization tradition has much deeper roots that include this collection of muscle car concepts headed for Mecum's Indianapolis auction this May. The collection includes three Plymouths that were featured in the traveling display called the Plymouth Rapid Transit System, and a Dodge that appeared at the 1969 Chicago Auto Show. The possible crown jewel of these cars is the 1971 Plymouth Road Runner, and that's simply because the car is completely unrestored with just 1,300 miles on the odometer. Apparently the owner of the shop that built the car for Chrysler got it back after the Rapid Transit System tour ended and took care of it until he later sold it to the late Steven Juliano, whose estate is now selling this collection of cars. Like all of these cars, modifications were mainly visual, but they were extensive. A custom nose and headlight lenses were fitted that added six inches of length, according to Mecum. The car's bumpers were removed completely, as were the external door handles. Recessed hood scoops were added to the hood, and the trunk lid was lowered by four inches to create a rear wing. The taillights were given red, yellow and green lenses like traffic lights. But the best additions were molded Road Runner head marker lights. The interior is mostly unchanged, and the engine is a stock 383-cubic-inch V8 with an automatic transmission. It also has power steering and brakes and the Plymouth Road Runner horn, which makes a "Beep! Beep!" sound like the cartoon the car is named after. 1970 Plymouth Duster View 12 Photos Then there's the 1970 Plymouth Duster in the collection with arguably the best paint scheme. It's bright green with groovy "DUSTER" lettering on the hood and various contrasting panels. It's actually the second scheme the car used, as according to Mecum, the car was built for the 1970 tour and then redesigned for the 1971 tour. The paint is matched with color-coordinated wheels and blue and green floral pattern floor mats. There are unique body changes, too, such as the custom headlight housings, functional brake air ducts up front, fake extractor vents above the rear window, racing-style fuel cap and rectangular exhaust. Mechanically, it has a stock 275-horsepower 340-cubic inch V8 and four-speed manual transmission.