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China's Great Wall confirms its interest — in Jeep, or all of FCA

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI — Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor reiterated its interest in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Tuesday, but said it had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. China's largest sport utility vehicle manufacturer made a direct overture to Fiat Chrysler on Monday, with an official saying the company was interested in all or part of FCA, owner of the Jeep and Ram truck brands. Automotive News first reported the news, quoting Great Wall Motor President Wang Fengying as saying she planned to contact FCA to discuss acquiring the Jeep brand specifically. Those comments sent FCA shares higher but also raised questions over the ability of China's seventh-largest automaker by sales to buy larger Western rival FCA, or even Jeep, which some analysts value at as much as one-and-a-half times FCA. Great Wall sought to dampen speculation on Tuesday. It confirmed it had studied Fiat Chrysler, but said there was "no concrete progress so far" and "substantial uncertainty" over whether it would eventually bid. "The company has not built any relationship with the directors of FCA nor has the company entered into any discussion or signed any agreements with any officer of FCA so far," the company said in an English-language stock exchange filing. It did not give further detail. Fiat Chrysler stock dipped on the statement on Tuesday. Great Wall said trading in its Shanghai-listed shares would resume on Wednesday after having been suspended. Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on Great Wall's statement. On Monday, it said it had not been approached and was fully committed to implementing its current business plan. FLUSHING OUT RIVALS? Great Wall Motor, which was early to spot China's love of SUVs, had revenue of $14.8 billion last year and sold 1.07 million vehicles - but that compares with FCA's 2016 revenue of 111 billion euros ($130.6 billion). Analysts said Great Wall would need to raise both debt and equity to complete any deal, meaning its chairman Wei Jianjun could lose majority control. One possible scenario, according to analysts at Jefferies, would see Wei keeping a roughly 30 percent stake, while Great Wall would raise $10-$14 billion in debt and $10 billion in equity - hefty for a group currently worth just $16 billion. Ultimately, politics could be the clincher.

Hennessey's Dodge Challenger Hellcat cranks out 1,032 hp

Enthusiasts know the Dodge Challenger Hellcat produces 707 horsepower. It's one of the modern muscle-car era's iconic numbers. But for some, that's not enough. Enter Hennessey Performance. The Texas tuners loaded the Hellcat with a twin-turbocharger that works with Dodge's supercharger to boost output to 1,032 hp and 987 pound-feet of torque. Yes, that's an engine dyno rating, not at the rear wheels, but still! It's a little more complicated than a bolt-on booster. Called the HPE1000, the turbo kit has stainless steel headers and down pipes, billet aluminum compressor wheels, and a high-flow air system. There's also an an improved fuel pump, and the engine and chassis are specially calibrated. You also get numbered plaques signed by John Hennessey himself and the engine tech who builds your mill. All of this helps get your Hellcat to 60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds, and it can do the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds at 142 mph. The Hellcat and it's 6.2-liter blown Hemi V8 are not for the faint of heart. Hennessey makes this Dodge downright demonic. Related Video: Related Gallery 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat View 23 Photos Image Credit: Hennessey Performance Dodge Coupe Performance

2020 Dodge Charger Widebody Daytona wrecked with 296 miles on the clock

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition can do 0-60 faster than you can say its name, and one new owner appears to have proven that it can all go wrong just as quickly. This one-of-501 sedan currently resting on a Copart lot in California has already met its end.  Dodge named the model after NASCAR's season-opening venue. The Daytona 500 gets the numerical part of its name from the length of the race — 500 miles. This poor White Knuckle example didn't even live long enough to put that much distance behind it; it shows just 296 miles on its odometer, says Motor1.com, who spotted the wreck on Copart.  This poor Widebody suffered a front-end accident severe enough to pop the airbags, which is never a good sign. Both front fenders took a beating, and the passenger-side panel was ripped off completely. The hood was badly buckled in several places, and the bumper covers appear pretty badly thrashed. It's difficult to tell from these photos whether the front crash structure was badly mangled, but we suspect it didn't come out unscathed. The passenger-side front suspension clearly took a beating, as the tire on that side was de-beaded from the wheel.  On the bright side, multiple images show that the car's electrical system is intact; whether it starts and runs is another matter.  The Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition package is, fundamentally at least, little more than a plaque, a sticker package, and a re-rated 717 peak horsepower. What you really get for your money is exclusivity, and thanks to this little "oops," there's more of that to be had. Only 501 were built (to commemorate the number of production units required to homologate the original Charger Daytona for NASCAR racing); just 451 went to U.S. dealers, and the other 50 were reserved for the Great White North where it's built. These models are so scarce that some dealers were already tacking on tens of thousands of dollars in additional markup. Back in December, at least one dealer had slapped a $25,000 market adjustment on a Daytona model (in the same "White Knuckle" finish as the wrecked car here), and others were being spotted with similar tacked-on premiums.  Related Video: