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Chrysler's mysterious limo spotted in trailer for new Wolverine movie

Way back in the warm, sunny days of June, we reported on a rather strange looking Chrysler-badged limousine spotted during filming for the latest installment in the Wolverine saga. Now, with the first trailer for Logan (or Wolverine 3, if you prefer its informal name) hitting the internet, we're getting another look at the odd limo, along with a few other offerings from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. There's a flock of "Federal Police" Rams and a spinning, bluish-green Rebel – we're guessing Wolverine and Professor Xavier stole it from some kind of work crew – judging by the gold-ish decals on the door and the work box in the bed. Our look at the Chrysler limo isn't great, although it does appear in two scenes of the trailer. We're thinking these shots are connected, and here's why. Our first sighting comes in a cemetery, where the hulking limo sits in the background while Wolverine takes a pull from a pint of liquor. This scene ties in neatly with the images from June – we've embedded the tweet that posted the original shots at the bottom – which shows Wolverine wearing the same clothing. Comparing the shape of the limo's mirrors in June with a later scene in the trailer, we can safely say that Wolverine eventually ends up driving the limo, with a worried Professor Xavier in the backseat. While FCA hasn't been shy about wanting to hook up with Hollywood blockbusters, Logan is quite a lot different than Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens, or even Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The tone of this entire trailer, from Johnny Cash's baleful cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt to the dire medical condition of Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier, is depressing and emotional. That's a far cry from the super-successful superhero blockbusters that roll out of Marvel Studios every year. You can spot the exterior of the limo at 0:17, the interior at 1:03 (the scene is cut to make it look like Logan and Professor X are driving the Ram Rebel that appears at 1:02), and the police Rams at 0:48. Aside from the new FCAs, there's also a lovely first-gen Ford Bronco. Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video:

Fiat Chrysler open to mergers, and PSA is looking for one

GENEVA — Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is open to pursuing alliances and merger opportunities if they make sense, but a sale of its luxury brand Maserati is not an option, Chief Executive Mike Manley said on Tuesday. "We have a strong independent future, but if there is a partnership, a relationship or a merger which strengthens that future, I will look at that," Manley told reporters at the Geneva Motor Show. Asked whether he would consider selling Maserati to China's Geely Automobile Holdings, as suggested by recent media reports, Manley said: "Maserati is one of our really beautiful brands and it has an incredibly bright future. ... No." FCA is often cited as a possible merger candidate. Bloomberg said this week that the Italian-American carmaker was attractive to France's PSA Group given its exposure to the U.S. market and its popular Jeep brand. The Detroit News' headline on the situation Friday read, "Fiat Chrysler CEO open to a deal as PSA circles" and stated that Manley's open-to-just-about-anything comments were aimed directly at PSA. Bloomberg said talks between the two were preliminary and said PSA chief Carlos Tavares has also contemplated mergers with General Motors or Jaguar Land Rover, which is losing money for Indian owner Tata. PSA has enjoyed a decade of turnaround and has $10.2 billion in net cash available. The maker of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, acquired Opel and Vauxhall in 2017 and made them almost instantly profitable. Manley, who took over after the death of Sergio Marchionne, said he currently had no news on possible deals. Manley also said the world's seventh-largest carmaker, which is lagging rivals in developing hybrid and electric vehicles, would take the least costly approach to comply with increasingly more stringent European emissions regulations. "There are three options. You can sell enough electrified vehicles to balance your fleet. Two: You can be part of a pooling scheme. Three is to pay the fines," he said. "I don't see a scenario when (carmakers) continue to subsidize technologies ... indefinitely." The carmaker had said last June it would invest 9 billion euros ($10.19 billion) over the next five years to introduce hybrid and electric cars across all regions to be fully compliant with emissions regulations. Asked about a 5-billion-euro investment plan for Italy FCA announced in November but then put under review, Manley said the plan had been confirmed as originally presented.

Has Dodge stepped in it again with Scat Pack lawsuit?

Lawsuits are an unfortunate part of doing business in just about any industry, so the latest complaint filed by a California-based aftermarket firm against Chrysler would seem to be nothing more than business as usual. But this isn't the first time the two companies have sparred over this particular issue.
According to a report from Automotive News, the dispute revolves around the Scat Pack name that Chrysler first offered on the Charger, Coronet, Dart and Super Bee starting in 1968. Scat Enterprises, a manufacturer of crankshafts and other components for Dodges and other vehicles, sued Chrysler for using its name. A few years later the Scat Pack disappeared from the Dodge catalog.
Fast forward to August 2013 when Chrysler applied to register the Scat Pack name anew. The US Patent and Trademark Office turned down Chrysler's application, but the automaker proceeded anyway, unveiling new Scat Packs for the Challenger, Charger and Dart at last year's SEMA show.