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A car writer's year in new vehicles [w/video]

Christmas is only a week away. The New Year is just around the corner. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm not the only one taking stock of the year that's we're almost shut of. Depending on who you are or what you do, the end of the year can bring to mind tax bills, school semesters or scheduling dental appointments. For me, for the last eight or nine years, at least a small part of this transitory time is occupied with recalling the cars I've driven over the preceding 12 months. Since I started writing about and reviewing cars in 2006, I've done an uneven job of tracking every vehicle I've been in, each year. Last year I made a resolution to be better about it, and the result is a spreadsheet with model names, dates, notes and some basic facts and figures. Armed with this basic data and a yen for year-end stories, I figured it would be interesting to parse the figures and quantify my year in cars in a way I'd never done before. The results are, well, they're a little bizarre, honestly. And I think they'll affect how I approach this gig in 2015. {C} My tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015 it'll be as high as 73. Let me give you a tiny bit of background about how automotive journalists typically get cars to test. There are basically two pools of vehicles I drive on a regular basis: media fleet vehicles and those available on "first drive" programs. The latter group is pretty self-explanatory. Journalists are gathered in one location (sometimes local, sometimes far-flung) with a new model(s), there's usually a day of driving, then we report back to you with our impressions. Media fleet vehicles are different. These are distributed to publications and individual journalists far and wide, and the test period goes from a few days to a week or more. Whereas first drives almost always result in a piece of review content, fleet loans only sometimes do. Other times they serve to give context about brands, segments, technology and the like, to editors and writers. So, adding up the loans I've had out of the press fleet and things I've driven at events, my tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015, it'll be as high as 73. At one of the buff books like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, reviewers might rotate through five cars a week, or more. I know that number sounds high, but as best I can tell, it's pretty average for the full-time professionals in this business.

Hackers stole Jeeps in Texas using FCA's internal dealer software

This article has been updated with details on how the thefts were carried out, and with comments from FCA. It seems the news regarding vehicle hacking continues to get worse, especially when it comes to products from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Last year, a Jeep Cherokee in St. Louis, Missouri, was wirelessly hacked from Pittsburgh. Nissan had to shut down its Leaf app because of vulnerabilities. Now, a pair of hackers in Houston, Texas, stole more than 30 Jeeps over a six-month period. The two were arrested by police last Friday while attempting to steal another vehicle. ABC 13 in Houston reports that police had been following Michael Arcee and Jesse Zelay for several months but were unable to catch them in the act until now. The two were using a laptop to connect to and start a vehicle. The thieves were able to access Fiat Chrysler's own DealerCONNECT software. After entering the vehicle identification number, the hackers were able to reprogram the cars' security systems to accept a generic key, according to The Houston Chronicle. Additionally, Automotive News reports that FCA subsequently updated the terms of use for its DealerCONNECT program. These thefts were not related to the UConnect remote hacks from last year. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In April, this surveillance video showed the theft of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It was this footage that first led the police to Arcee and Zelay. The police began to follow and record the pair. That investigation eventually led to Friday's arrest. Both are charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. In addition, Arcee is charged with felon in possession of a weapon and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. According to ABC 13, Homeland Security is investigating more than 100 stolen FCA vehicles that they believe were hacked using this method. After their theft, the vehicles were brought across the border to Mexico. FCA is currently conducting an internal investigation into the matter. After this article was posted, the company reached out to Autoblog, stating "FCA US takes the safety and security of its customers seriously and incorporates security features in its vehicles that help to reduce the risk of unauthorized and unlawful access to vehicle systems and wireless communications. FCA US has been cooperating with Houston Police Department since they first started the investigation.

2013 Dart GT will hold us over until SRT stokes Dodge's handsome compact

No, this isn't quite the Dart SRT4 we've been waiting for - and still believe is coming - but as part of its 2013 Detroit Auto Show lineup, Dodge will be showing off the slightly sportier Dart GT seen here.
Building on the already well-equipped Limited model, the GT adds performance enhancements including a more powerful engine, 18-inch aluminum wheels, sport suspension calibration, unique front fascia and dual exhaust. Inside, you'll find perforated Nappa leather seats, a heated steering wheel and front seats, dual-zone climate control, remote start (if you spec the automatic transmission), Chrysler's 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen, a seven-inch TFT display in the gauge cluster, and a whole lot more. Optional goodies include hyper black aluminum wheels, a technology group (pushbutton start, keyless go, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring and smart-beam headlamps), power sunroof, Sirius radio, Garmin navigation, Alpine premium sound and high-intensity discharge headlamps.
Powering the Dart GT is Chrysler's 2.4-liter MultiAir2 four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. That grunt is sent to the front wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission, but a six-speed automatic 'box is optional.