1988 Chrsyler Lebaron Convertible on 2040-cars

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Watch a roundabout foil a driver fleeing from the cops

Roundabouts aren't just improving traffic flow and confusing the elderly, the circular intersections are helping to fight crime now as well. A Michigan scofflaw fleeing from police was thrown for a loop last week when he entered a newly-built roundabout at 90 miles per hour and flipped his car. According to WXYZ, on the evening of August 18 a police officer in Marysville, Michigan attempted to stop a tan Chrysler Concorde traveling north on Range Road with expired tags. At first, the driver of the Chrysler seemed to comply and activated his turn signal. Then, with no warning, he sped off in an attempt to escape the officer. "They proceeded northbound on Range Road, through Marysville, and entered Port Huron Township approximately 90 to 100 mph," said Marysville Police Sergeant John Stover. The chase was cut short in dramatic fashion after about four miles when the Chrysler approached the intersection of Range and Griswald to discover that it had recently been turned into a roundabout. Dashcam footage from the pursuing MPD cruiser show the fleeing driver hit the brakes coming into the roundabout, but it did him little good. The rear end of the car stepped out and bumped over the curb surrounding the traffic island. The car flipped on its side, slid into the center of the island and came to rest on its roof. The driver and his passenger – Jeffery Sharp and Nichols Belkiewicz – both have sizable rap sheets and Belkiewicz has an outstanding warrant. Thankfully no one was injured in the crash, but both men are facing numerous charges including eluding, driving with a suspended license, and firearms charges. Related Video: News Source: WXYZ Auto News Weird Car News Chrysler Driving Safety Videos Sedan Michigan police chase roundabout

SRT belatedly claims Plymouth Prowler as one of its own

Before Chrysler had Street and Racing Technology, it had Performance Vehicle Operations. What the two entities have in common, before SRT became its own brand, of course, is that each was created to take Chrysler and Dodge (and Plymouth, before it was unceremoniously killed off) vehicles to the next level of style and performance.
We'll leave the question of whether or not the old Plymouth (and later Chrysler) Prowler was ultimately a stylish, performance-oriented car to you, but the boys and girls currently leading the SRT charge at the Pentastar headquarters are keen to accept the retro-rod into the fold.
According to the automaker, all of SRT's current high-performance models owe a debt of gratitude to the old Prowler, due mostly to that car's use of lightweight bits and pieces and innovative construction techniques. If nothing else, the fact that the Prowler's frame is "the largest machined automotive part in history" is pretty cool. Read all the details here.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.