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Peugeot's American future looks dead, but Stellantis intends to keep all brands alive

The years-old promise of a Peugeot return in the U.S. is looking bleaker by the second. Peugeot said the French brand would come back to sell cars in the U.S. five years ago, but now that FCA and PSA have transitioned to one Stellantis, that promise is looking a lot shakier. This news comes via a report from Car and Driver. When queried about Peugeot, Carlos Tavares, Stellantic CEO, offered this in response: “For the time being, I don't think that is part of the things that we want to prioritize for the next time window," Tavares said. "I think it's better that we funnel the talent, the capital, and the engineering capability of our Stellantis company to the existing brands to improve what needs to be improved and to accelerate where we need to accelerate, because we already have a very strong presence in this market." Tavares hasnÂ’t ruled it out entirely, but any kind of a Peugeot American renaissance is being pushed onto the backburner.  In good news for American brands, though, Tavares expressed great interest in keeping them all. Chrysler was the most worrisome of the bunch, as it only sells the aging 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan variants. Nevertheless, Tavares sees Chrysler as one of the “three historical pillars of Stellantis” and is eager “to give this brand a future.” Specifically, Tavares sees a high-tech future for the once-great American car company. Motor Trend reported on what Tavares spoke about in a call with the media. "It needs to rebound,” Tavares said. “We could think about what could be the next technologies in the automotive industry.” The obvious hint here is electrification and greater autonomy. Chrysler could theoretically become StellantisÂ’ electric showcase brand. ItÂ’s partway there with the Pacifica Hybrid PHEV minivan, but thereÂ’s still a long way to go for it to become the conglomerate's tech pillar. And then thereÂ’s Dodge and its powerful but emissions-heavy lineup. "We have the technology to deliver the torque, dynamics, and acceleration feeling, while also dramatically reducing the emissions," Tavares said. The Hellcat canÂ’t have a window-shattering 6.2-liter supercharged V8 forever, but it looks like Stellantis is at least committed to keeping the performance of DodgeÂ’s current lineup. Related video:

2019 Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Editions debut in Chicago

Just ahead of the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, FCA revealed a pair of special editions to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. The 2019 Chrysler Pacifica, Pacifica Hybrid and Dodge Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Edition models will make their full debut this week sporting special badging and paint. Since the original 1984 models debuted, Chrysler has sold more than 14.6 million minivans around the world. Chrysler introduced the original Caravan and Voyager in late 1983. The pair shared much with Lee Iacocca's storied K-platform. K-based models such as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon helped turn around Chrysler's fortunes in the early '80s. Likewise, the Caravan and Voyager were a huge success and provided the template for modern minivans including the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The Pacifica and Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Editions both come with an all-black interior featuring Cranberry Wine accent stitching on the seats, steering wheel, door trim, instrument panel bezels and door handles. There's also a 35th Anniversary logo on the floor mats plus badges on the grille and liftgate. The package is available on Pacifica Touring L, Touring L Plus and Limited trims, including hybrid models. An optional S package (blacked out trim) can be added to any 35th anniversary Pacifica. The anniversary package can be added to Grand Caravan SE and SXT models. The anniversary package will be available sometime this summer.

One-of-four carbon fiber-bodied Dodge Challenger Demon listed for sale

Exclusivity often comes at a high price; in this case, it's $169,995. That's how much Texas exotic car dealer BJ Motors is asking for one of the four carbon fiber-bodied Dodge Challenger Demons built by Speedkore. Many enthusiasts would balk at the idea of spending Audi R8 money on a Demon, but this example isn't your average Challenger. Unveiled at the 2017 SEMA show, and upgraded with 1,400 horsepower the following year, the model ditches the standard coupe's metal body panels for carbon fiber parts to lose about 200 pounds. The example offered for sale has six miles on the odometer so odds are no one has verified its quarter-mile time. The dealer noted the Demon in its inventory is the fourth and final carbon fiber-bodied example built. It's fitted with the stock engine, meaning power comes from a supercharged, 6.2-liter V8 engine that delivers 840 horsepower and 770 pound-feet of torque when burning 100-octane race gas, or 808 horsepower and 717 pound-feet of torque when slurping pump gas. It pops a 2.9-foot wheelie as it screams to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds. The person who ordered this Demon new ticked nearly every box on the list of options. It's equipped with heated and cooled front seats, an 18-speaker sound system, plus two-tone leather and Alcantara upholstery. However, as AllPar pointed out, the dealer makes no mention of the Demon Crate, which included skinny front tires, a block-off plate for the passenger-side door mirror, and a conical air filter, among other go-fast goodies. While spending $170,000 on a Dodge Challenger sounds utterly insane, we wouldn't be surprised if this rare example in like-new condition finds a new home quicker than the Demon goes down a drag strip. Dodge made 3,300 units and stock, metal-bodied examples with delivery mileage sold for an average of $143,000 in 2018, according to Hagerty. AllPar learned Speedkore charged $90,000 for the carbon fiber conversion. The equation tilts in favor of the buyer, which suggests the car's next owner may be more of an investor than an enthusiast. If you're more into classics, Speedkore also gave a 1970 Charger the carbon fiber treatment and rounded out the modifications with a 996-horsepower Demon crate engine. Alternatively, if you have a family to haul, the company made a carbon fiber-bodied Charger with 1,525 horsepower at the crank when running 26 pounds of boost. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.