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Jay Leno drives a 1970 Dodge Charger with 1,650 horsepower

When Jay Leno says a vehicle might have too much horsepower, he's got our attention piqued. That's exactly what he thinks about the 1970 Dodge Charger Tantrum from Wisconsin-based SpeedKore Performance. While it still looks like a classic muscle car, the front end now features a carbon fiber hood and fenders. Underneath the lightweight parts, there's a twin-turbo, 9.0-liter Mercury Marine offshore boat racing engine with an astonishing 1,650 horsepower, or an only slightly less asinine 1,350 hp on pump gas. Jay is very mechanically intrigued by the Charger at the beginning of this video, and puts it on the lift to take a look at the underside. The engine plumbing is a thing of beauty, and the mill packs a massive radiator and intercooler to keep things running cool. Leno's drive in the Tantrum is especially interesting. The beastly engine is difficult to control, and anything above half throttle in most gears can spin the rear tires. The significant turbo lag also makes the power unpredictable. When Jay finally finds a straight piece of road, he puts the hammer down and rockets into the distance. And, of course, you know Jay's not going to end the video without some suitably smoking tires. Related Video:

Chrysler recalling 700k minivans and Dodge Journey for ignition switch woes

General Motors isn't the only automaker with ignition switch problems. Chrysler is fighting it too and is now announcing a recall of 695,957 examples worldwide of the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2008-2010 model years, plus the 2009-2010 Dodge Journey.
According to a statement from Chrysler, the models have a bad wireless ignition node detent ring in the ignition switch, making it possible for drivers to appear to have the key in the "Run" position but for the spring not to fully engage. It can then slip back to the "Accessory" position and shut the car off. If this happens, the vehicle loses power steering, brake boost and the airbags.
There is some disparity about the number of vehicles affected under this recall. In its statement, Chrysler claims that it covers 525,206 vehicles in the US, 102,892 in Canada, 25,591 in Mexico and 42,268 elsewhere. However, the recall announcement posted by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists an estimated 438,109 vehicles in the US. Chrysler spokesperson Nick Cappa told Autoblog via email that the reasoning for the different figures "will become clear at a later date."

Fiat/PSA's dominance in small vans hangs up EU's merger approval

BRUSSELS — EU antitrust regulators are concerned about Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot / PSA's combined high market share in small vans and may require concessions to clear their $50 billion merger, people familiar with the matter said. The companies, which are seeking to create the world's fourth biggest carmaker, were told of the European Commission's concerns last week. If Fiat and PSA fail to dispel the European Commission's doubts in the next two days and subsequently decline to offer concessions by Wednesday, the deadline for doing so, the deal would face a four-month-long investigation. The EU competition enforcer, which has set a June 17 deadline for its preliminary review, declined to comment. Fiat was not immediately available for comment while PSA had no immediate comment. Hiving off overlapping businesses, usually a regulatory demand to ensure more competition, could prove tricky for the carmakers because of the technicalities. Fiat and PSA are looking to merge to help offset slowing demand and shoulder the cost of making cleaner vehicles to meet tougher emissions regulations. The deal puts under one roof the Italian carmaker's brands such as Fiat, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Maserati and the French company's Peugeot, Opel and DS. Related Video: Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Citroen Opel Peugeot