2012 Dodge Ram 1500 Slt V8 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 2005 Dodge Neon AAR

Chrysler sold the Neon in North America for the 1995 through 2005 model years, with respectable sales for most of that period. The Neon had decent power for the price, and could be very quick on a road course in the hands of a good driver. With so many made, the Neon came to have a strong aftermarket for performance and customizing components, and many owners opted to spruce up their cars for added coolness. Here's a last-year-of-production Dodge Neon SXT with some SRT-4 body components and aftermarket "AAR" stripes, spotted in a self-service yard in Fargo, N.D. Chrysler sold AAR-badged Plymouth 'Cudas in 1970, inspired by Dan Gurney's All American Racers team in SCCA racing, and the stripes on those cars looked great. However, no factory-made AAR Neons ever came off the assembly line, so the owner of this car applied these aftermarket stripes. The VIN tells me it's an ordinary Neon SXT. The SRT-4 hood looks mean. While this car does have a proper manual transmission, its power came from a distinctly non-SRT naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter 16-valve engine. With 132 horses, this car would have been reasonably quick. Brake calipers look better with the application of a little spray paint. Someone loved this car very much, so it made me sad to see it among all the rust victims of Fargo. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Here comes the hot Neon SXT. Always sporty and sooo extra good!"

FCA's U.S. sales chief sues company for wrongful retaliation

Some fresh controversy is brewing at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as The Detroit News reports that the head of U.S. sales has filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit against the company.. Reid Bigland, who's also in charge of the Ram truck brand, alleges that FCA made him a scapegoat for wrongful sales inflation practices and fixing vehicle sales statistics, which are currently under investigation by federal agents. Bigland claims that FCA executives punished him for cooperating with the federal investigators in the case by cutting his pay by more than 90 percent, according to the lawsuit he filed. The plan apparently was to use the money saved to pay for fines following any settlements made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. So far, the lawsuit alleges that FCA cost Bigland over $1.8 million in income. "They had the largest growth in retail sales in 17 years last year and refuses to pay him," Deborah Gordon, Bigland's lawyer in the case, said to The Detroit News. "Why is that? Because he participated in the SEC investigation and they don't like what he said." Bigland claims he just cooperated with the SEC investigation by testifying about FCA's sales reporting, from the time he took the position to the period prior to being appointed the company's U.S. sales chief. "In late 2018, presumably as a way to wrap up their investigation with some result, the SEC suggested to plaintiff that he admit to some wrongdoing as to defendants' monthly sales reporting," Gordon further said in a statement as part of the lawsuit. "The SEC also suggested a resolution involving some penalty to FCA. Because (Bigland) had not engaged in any wrongdoing, and there was no wrongdoing, he declined to do so." However, exacerbating the issue is the fact that Bigland reportedly sold his shares in the company last year, prompting FCA to act against him even more. FCA came under fire recently by federal agents in at least two separate investigations, potentially exposing conspiracy and corruption between company executives and private entities. The investigations are being led independently by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI. So far, eight convictions were reportedly secured, with one including former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Vice President Alphons Iacobelli, as one of the defendants. Iacobelli was one of the former top labor-relations executives for the automaker.

Mopar rolls out new Scat Packages for Dodge Challenger, Charger and Dart

Dodge buyers looking for that extra performance edge, take note: Mopar is bringing back the Scat Pack. Announced at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas today, the new Scat Packages will be available in three stages for the Challenger, Charger and Dart starting next spring.
Upgrades for the Charger and Challenger equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine include a
new cold-air intake and cat-back exhaust, as well as a remapped ECU. Upgrade to the Scat Package 2 and you get a new camshaft, and the Scat Package 3 tosses in ported and polished heads and hi-flow headers. Upgrades for the Dart GT with the smaller 2.4-liter, four-cylinder Tigershark engine with six-speed manual transmission start with a cold-air intake, short-throw shifter and upgraded brakes. The second stage kicks in a remapped ECU and cat-back exhaust, while the Scat Package 3 for the Dart gives you even bigger brakes, an adjustable suspension and sway bars front and rear.