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Dodge has released 500 million horsepower onto American roads since 2005

Dodge started using horsepower to measure sales when it launched its Power Dollars rebate program in August 2019. The clever campaign has paid off, and the company reached its goal of putting 500 million horsepower in the hands of enthusiasts two months ahead of schedule. The ongoing Power Dollars program rewards buyers who think big when it comes to their car's specifications sheet. Motorists in the market for a 2019 Challenger, a 2019 Charger, or a 2019 Durango can save $10 for every horsepower their future car's engine generates. There's no replacement for displacement here; the more horsepower you take on, the more discount you'll see when you sign the dotted line. The 797-horsepower Challenger Hellcat Redeye is eligible for a $7,970 discount, for example, while the tamer Charger SXT with a 3.6-liter, 292-horsepower V6 between its fenders costs $2,920 less. The Journey got excluded from the deal. When Dodge announced the program, it explained it had put 485 million horsepower in the hands of enthusiasts since bringing back the Charger and the Challenger in 2005 and 2008, respectively, and it hoped to break the 500 million threshold by the end of 2019. Mission accomplished. Putting horsepower in the bargain bin lured a surprising number of buyers into showrooms. Dodge notably sold 18,031 examples of the Challenger during the third quarter of 2019, a record-setting figure that represents a 21% increase over the same time period in 2018. The Challenger was more popular than the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro, its main rivals. The Charger posted its best third quarter in 13 years with 26,060 sales, a 46% increase over the third quarter of 2019, which is remarkable considering its age. Finally, 2019 might end up being the Durango's best year since 2005. As of the third quarter, year-to-date sales are up 6% to 52,622. Enthusiasts who want to configure the Challenger, Charger, or Durango of their dreams need to act quickly, because Dodge will stop taking orders for 2019 model-year cars on October 23 — that's this Wednesday. Those willing to take home a car from a dealer's inventory will be able to claim the Power Dollars rebate until January 2, 2020. 

Some dealers asking $100,000-plus for Daytona-edition Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats

If you thought the name of the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition was a lot to swallow, then you're definitely going to choke on what some dealers are asking for the privilege of owning one. The $4,495 package is commanding as much as $25,000 in "market adjustments" from stores looking to capitalize on the rarity of this extremely limited-edition model.  The folks over at Moparinsiders.com reported Friday that some dealers are asking Demon-level prices for their limited allocations of the commemorative package. Their assessment? Not worth it. We're inclined to agree.  The Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition package is, fundamentally at least, little more than a set of stickers, a dash plaque and a tiny bump in horsepower. What you really get for your money is exclusivity. 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. The other 50 were reserved for Canada.  To be fair, no variant of the 2020 Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody even approaches the definition of "inexpensive." Just to get behind the wheel of the newest edition to the Charger lineup will set you back at least $71,000. The Widebody package is more than just a set of custom fenders. The Hellcat also gets another 1.6 inches of track width and some extra rubber on the road. SRT engineers also increased the Hellcat’s front spring rate by 32% and beefed up its sway bars (from 19 mm to 21.7 mm in the front and from 32 mm to 34 mm in the rear). The adaptive suspension was firmed up a little bit across the board too for crisper response over road imperfections. Plus, you know, there's that 707-horsepower, supercharged, 6.2-liter engine. The Daytona gets an extra 10 ponies, right? Well, sort of, anyway. SRT rated its output at a slightly higher engine speed. Between us, it's the same thing.  So, there's a silver lining: You don't have to spend $100,000 for a 2020 Charger Widebody Hellcat if you don't want to, but somebody probably will.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Macron and Le Pen decry 'shocking' Stellantis CEO pay

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger in the French presidential vote, Marine Le Pen, on Friday both decried as “shocking” the multimillion euro payout to the CEO of carmaker Stellantis. Stellantis CEO Carlos TavaresÂ’ remuneration package of 19.15 million euros just a year after the company was formed became an issue as Macron and Le Pen campaigned ahead of the April 24 runoff vote. Polls show purchasing power and inflation are a top voter concern. Stellantis was formed last year through the merger of PSA Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Centrist President Emmanuel Macron, perceived by many voters as being too pro-business, called the pay package “astronomical” and pushed for a Europe-wide effort to set ceilings on “abusive” executive pay. “ItÂ’s shocking, itÂ’s excessive,” he said Friday on broadcaster France-Info. “People canÂ’t have problems with purchasing power, difficulties, the anguish theyÂ’re living with, and see these sums. Otherwise, society will explode.” Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who enjoys support from many working-class voters, called for bringing in more workers as shareholders. “Of course itÂ’s shocking, and itÂ’s even more shocking when it is the CEOs who have pushed their society into difficulty,” she said Friday on BFM television. “One of the ways to diminish this pay, which is often out of proportion with economic life, is perhaps to allow workers in as shareholders.” Stellantis continued to back the package despite a 52.1% to 47.9% vote rejecting it at an annual shareholders' meeting chaired from the Netherlands, where the company is legally based, on Wednesday. The company, citing Dutch civil code, noted that the vote is advisory and not binding. The company later said in a statement that it took note of the vote, and will explain in an upcoming 2022 remuneration report “how this vote has been taken into account.” In the 2021 report, the company identified peer group companies that it used as a salary benchmark, including U.S. companies like Boeing, Exxon Mobile, General Electric as well as carmakers Ford and General Motors. Stellantis, whose brands include Peugeot, Fiat, Jeep, Opel and Maserati, reported net profits last year had tripled to 13.4 billion euros ($15.2 billion). The French government is the third-largest shareholder in Stellantis, with a 6.15% stake through the Bpifrance Participations S.A. French public investment bank.