Four Door Sedan on 2040-cars

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We aren't the only ones who want a Chrysler Pacifica Hellcat

Yes, you read that correctly: Chrysler. Pacifica. Hellcat. We want one. It's definitely not happening. But that doesn't mean we – and the FCA designers – can't dream, right? That's what led to this sketch, posted on Instagram by Fiat-Chrysler design boss Ralph Gilles. It looks pretty sweet, including that hella important wing for maximum downforce, yo. As long as we're dreaming, we've got a few other requests. Let's put that 707-horsepower, 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 in the middle of the van. Screw the Stow 'N Go seats – let's get that engine mounted as low in the car's midsection as possible. And while we're at it, let's go for rear-wheel drive. And a six-speed manual transmission. And a third row of seats behind the engine, but rear-facing, so we can make our friends puke. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In all seriousness, we're looking forward to driving the regular Pacifica when it launches this Spring. To refresh your memory, it's a totally new van, and will even be offered in Hybrid spec with an 80-mile-per-gallon-equivalent rating. Sounds impressive. Oh, heck. Hellcats > Hybrids. Ralph, we urge you to make this one a reality. Related Video:

Chrysler set to make $266M-investment into 8-speed transmission production

Chrysler will shortly make a significant $266-million investment into its Kokomo, IN transmission factory in a bid to expand production of its eight-speed automatic transmissions. The gearboxes, which are built under license from Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen, have been well received by customers and critics, and according to an SEC filing obtained by Automotive News, the transmissions will eventually find their way to all of Chrysler's rear-drive offerings (Viper and heavy-duty Ram models, aside). According to AN, a Chrysler spokesman says the investment has not been confirmed, but once it is, it'll mark the company's latest in a growing line of investments at the facility. Chrysler has poured $1.5 billion into Kokomo since 2009.

Feds fretting over remote hack of Jeep Cherokee

A cyber-security gap that allowed for the remote hacking of a Jeep Cherokee has federal officials concerned. An associate administrator with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that news of the breach conducted by researchers Chris Valasek and Charlie Miller had "floated around the entire federal government." "The Homeland Security folks sent out broadcasts that, 'Here's an issue that needs to be addressed,'" said Nathaniel Beuse, an associate administrator with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Valasek and Miller commandeered remote control of the Cherokee through a security flaw in the cellular connection to the car's Uconnect infotainment system. From his Pittsburgh home, Valasek manipulated critical safety inputs, such as transmission function, on Miller's Jeep as he drove along a highway near St. Louis, MO. The scope of the remote breach is believed to be the first of its kind. The prominent cyber-security researchers needed no prior access to the vehicle to perform the hack, and the scope of the remote breach is believed to be the first of its kind. A NHTSA spokesperson said the agency's cyber-security staff members are "putting their expertise to work assessing this threat and the response, and we will take action if we determine it's necessary to protect safety." A Homeland Security spokesperson referred questions about the hack to Chrysler. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has already been the subject of a federal hearing this month, in which officials scrutinized whether the company had adequately fixed recalled vehicles and repeatedly failed to notify the government about defects. But cyber-security concerns are a new and different species for the regulatory agency. Only hours before the Jeep hack was announced by Wired magazine earlier this week, NHTSA administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind said hacking vulnerabilities were a threat to privacy, safety, and the public's trust with new connected and autonomous technologies that allow vehicles to communicate. NHTSA outlined its response to the cyber-security challenges facing the industry in a report issued Tuesday. In it, the agency summarized its best practices for thwarting attacks and said it will analyze possible real-time infiltration responses. But the agency's ability to handle hackers may only go so far.