6,896 Mi.,laramie, Deep Water Blue Pearl Coat, Dk Slate Leather, Like New on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Autoblog Podcast #402

Episode #402 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the Audi A3 TDI Challenge and luxury car features we not-so-secretly love. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #402: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Audi A3 TDI road trip Luxury features we're sort of ashamed we love In The Autoblog Garage: 2014 Land Rover LR4 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:17:40 Rundown: Intro & Garage - 00:00 Audi A3 TDI Challenge - 42:51 Luxury Features We Love - 01:00:05 Q&A - 01:09:17 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts Aston Martin Audi Dodge Land Rover Diesel Vehicles Luxury Performance aston martin vanquish

Dodge could enter Peugeot's Le Mans-bound 9x8 hypercar in IMSA races

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA Group merged under the Stellantis umbrella in early 2021 to achieve economies of scale, and this benefit could surprisingly extend to racing. Executives are debating whether to give Dodge its own version of Peugeot's recently-unveiled 9x8 hypercar to race in America, according to a recent report. "While we only heard [the new rules] confirmed a week ago, it has certainly led to some very open discussion, not only about whether Peugeot might add races in the United States, but also about whether the spine of this car might have opportunities with other brands in the Stellantis Group. There are no conclusions yet, but there are now open discussions," affirmed Jean-Marc Finot, the Senior Vice President of Stellantis, in an interview with Racer. His comments refer to an agreement signed in July 2021 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). They chose to align their technical regulations to let manufacturers compete in different events on both sides of the pond without going through the resource-consuming process of developing a specific car for each series. As of writing, the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) and Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) categories fall under the newly-announced common set of rules. On the surface, this means Peugeot could enter its 9X8 (pictured) in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as soon as the 2023 season. While this is seemingly under consideration, Peugeot has little to gain from winning a major race in the United States. It hasn't sold cars here since 1991, and its long-mooted comeback was canned after PSA merged with FCA. Giving a variant of the 9X8 to Dodge is a more credible possibility, according to Racer. If not Dodge, then who else? Chrysler hasn't been linked to racing or performance for decades. Jeep is no stranger to performance vehicles, but IMSA would be pushing it. Ram is Ram, while Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati are rooted in Europe. The rest of the Stellantis brands (like Opel, Lancia, and Citroen) are not distributed in America. Nothing is official, and the publication stressed it's unclear whether Dodge will commit part- or full-time to the series (assuming the program receives the green light). Finot underlined the parallel car would use the 9X8's "spine," so don't expect to see a Peugeot hypercar with a Dodge emblem driving flat-out on the Sebring International Raceway.

FCA plants skipping summer shutdown to keep up with demand

Hopefully, some FCA US factory employees don't have big plans for the usual summer shutdown, because the automaker is keeping several plants running this year. Demand is so high that the company wants to keep models rolling off the assembly lines. Four FCA US assembly plants, all the engine factories, and some locations that build transmissions are staying open throughout the summer, according to the Detroit Free Press. Usually, these sites would see a two-week shutdown for the company to retool and perform repairs. This year, factories are staying open for FCA to support its strong sales. The lines that remaining humming through the summer show an inclination toward the automaker's popular SUV's and crossovers. They include the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Michigan that builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango; Saltillo Van Assembly in Mexico that constructs the Ram ProMaster; Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio that produces the Cherokee and Wrangler; and Toluca Assembly in Mexico that makes the Dodge Journey and Fiat 500. Related Video: News Source: The Detroit Free PressImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM FCA dodge journey fca us ram promaster Jefferson North Assembly Plant