1955 Dodge Royal Lancer Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Chrysler investing $20M in Toledo plant to support 9-speed auto production

In 2011, Chrysler announced a $72-million investment in its Toledo Machining Plant to modernize production of the eight- and nine-speed torque-converters for automatic transmissions made there. That upgrade work won't be finished until Q3 of this year, but Chrysler has already announced a further $19.6-million investment to increase production capacity for the nine-speeders.
The extra units will be necessary because the nine-speed transmission they'll be mated to is going into three popular models: it will debut on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, then go into the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart. The company predicted that this year alone it would sell 200,000 units equipped with the nine-speed tranny, and it is spending some $374 million in addition to the investment in Toledo to upgrade production capacity for it.
The work attached to this new investment won't begin until Q3 of 2014, and it will be finished by the end of that year. There's a press release below with all the details.

Florida Highway Patrolman seen watching YouTube in traffic

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating allegations of a trooper watching YouTube videos on his official in-car laptop while driving. Lee County Florida resident James Peebles caught the alleged offender during his morning commute in early April, NBC2 reported. After exiting I-75, Peebles said that the FHP cruiser rolled up next to him at a stop light where he could clearly see the trooper inside watching a car race on Youtube on an official FHP laptop. Peebles put his car in park and snapped a picture of the cruiser before continuing to work. Later that day, he posted the photo to Facebook where it quickly went viral. "It blew my mind," Peebles told NBC2. "Everybody's human though, so I do know that we all make mistakes." NBC2 contacted the FHP for a statement after speaking to Peebles. An FHP spokesperson told the station that troopers are allowed to use their laptops while driving squad cars when carrying out official duties such as "simple inquiries" and "reviewing the nature of incoming messages". Other Florida motorists, like Jim Kosmerick who was interviewed by NBC2 for this story, don't consider watching an old race on YouTube to be official FHP business. "It's not official business, there's no way you can convince me otherwise," said Kosmerick. The FHP says that they are now aware of this fast moving viral image, and that they are taking the issue very seriously. They state that an investigation into the matter is underway, and that troopers are expected to abide by department policy and lead by example. Related Video News Source: NBC2 Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Driving Safety Police/Emergency Videos Sedan distracted driving Dodge Charger Pursuit

Vin Diesel's Fast 8 Charger has fake jet power, sounds mean

With filming for Fast 8, the eighth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, well underway, we've gotten some sneak peeks into the actors' vehicles. Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, will once again get behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger. The Charger, which was revealed as Toretto's ride in Iceland, has been heavily modified and even features a jet turbine. Sadly, the turbine is purely cosmetic, but the sound from the car's V8 is glorious. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The videos, which were posted to Jadatoys Instagram account, capture the Charger's incredible sound when it starts, revs, and idles. While the V8 sounds amazing, there's no word on what engine lurks behind the Charger's hood. The previous vehicles from Furious 7 featured 500-horsepower V8 crate engines from General Motors, which may make another appearance in the upcoming film. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Despite being a prop, Fast 8's film crew will surely find a way to bring the turbine to life in the movie that, according to Diesel, will come out on April 14, 2017. If the movie is anything like previous ones, it should have over-the-top action and an incredible selection of cars. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Star Wars Stormtrooper Dodge Charger | Beauty-Roll