2003 Dodge Durango Sport/sxt on 2040-cars

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Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango to lose color options temporarily

In the market for a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango? Well, if you fancy a more expressive color for your new SUV, you'd better get your order in, or plan on waiting until well into 2015.
The SUVs will be limited to just four monochromatic shades - black, white, silver and gray - until at least February, thanks to an upgrade to the paint shop at the two vehicles' Jefferson North factory. For the Grand Cherokee, that means it's losing more than half its color palette while the Durango is dropping two-thirds of its color catalog.
The loss of colors is inconvenient, but the upgrade will have a slightly bigger effect on the overall supply of SUVs, as Chrysler will need to end its relentless build pace at the factory for a three-week shutdown starting on December 22. The good news for fans of the SUVs is that once the work is completed, we should see a gradual expansion of the color palettes for both the Durango and Grand Cherokee, beyond even what's offered now.

Preserved truck found at the bottom of frozen lake

A fisherman in central Minnesota pulled more than bluegill and bass out of his local fishing hole earlier this month. While ice fishing on Mayhew Lake, a local man was startled when, using an underwater camera to scout for fish, he discovered a vehicle sitting on the lakebed, the SCTimes reported. He immediately called the Benton County Sheriff's office, which sent deputies to examine the vehicle. Once they arrived, the deputies used their own camera to have a look and discovered a late-90s to early-00s model Dodge Ram pickup in roughly 12 feet of water. The Sheriff's department dive team was then dispatched to search the truck and the area surrounding it for bodies or valuables. The truck was lifted from the lakebed through a huge hole in the ice. The Sheriff's office ran the plates and discovered that it was reported stolen in March of 2000 from a nearby address. Investigators believe that given the truck's location, almost 100 yards from the lake's public access ramp and 25 yards from the north shore, that it was driven on to the lake while it was frozen, then allowed to sink to the bottom once the ice melted. Thanks to the lake's frigid waters, the truck was surprisingly well preserved. Aside from a missing grille, a coating of mud inside, and a patina of rust on the sheet metal, there was little damage to the truck despite its long rest in the lake. With an engine full of lake water and the damage done by roughly sixteen freeze-thaw cycles, the truck will never run again, but its condition is a good testament to the build quality of those old Rams. It certainly held up better than that '57 Plymouth Belvedere they buried in the time capsule under the Tulsa city courthouse. News Source: SCTimesImage Credit: Benton County Sheriff's Office Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Truck water lake

VW scandal, Alan Taylor on Vipers, and future cars | Autoblog Podcast #474

Episode #473 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week, Dan Roth chats with Sam Abuelsamid of Navigant Research about the just-announced deal pending between Volkswagen and the EPA, and Navigant's Transportation Outlook for 2025 to 2050. Alan Taylor, host of The Drive on ERN also visits the Podcast to talk about picking up his Viper ACR in Texas and driving it back to the West Coast. It all starts with the Autoblog Garage - check it out! Check out the rundown with times for topics, and thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #474 Topics VW/EPA deal Navigant Research Transportation Outlook Alan Taylor In The Autoblog Garage 2016 Lincoln MKX 2016 Volvo XC90 2016 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk Hosts: Dan Roth Guests: Sam Abuelsamid, Alan Taylor Rundown Intro & Garage - 00:00 VW/EPA - 25:51 Navigant Outlook - 38:47 Alan Taylor - 54:43 Total Duration: 01:13:11 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Dodge Volkswagen