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The mad genius of killing the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200

Sergio Marchionne isn't crazy. At least not with respect to the recent announcement that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will cease production of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. Instead of crazy I'd call this CEO ruthlessly pragmatic, and perhaps short-sighted. The latest revisions to FCA's most recent five-year plan tell some truths about the company's finances. In other words, it can't afford to build mainstream sedans. With only 87,392 units sold in 2015, the Dart is an also-ran in the segment. The axe falls easily there - Chrysler hasn't had a compact-car hit since the second-generation Neon. The 200 isn't so cut and dried: Last year sales increased 52 percent, and the 177,889 total for 2015 is more than those for the Subaru Legacy and Kia Optima. But looking at the overall FCA picture the Chrysler 200 has to go, at least from a short-term perspective. The vehicles that make big money – Ram trucks; Jeep's Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, and Wrangler – can't be made fast enough. FCA can't afford to idle the 200's Sterling Heights, MI, assembly plant to cut back on inventory when other plants are running flat out. It seems crazy to throw away 265,000 sales, but FCA is leaving money on the table by not building more profitable vehicles. The Wirecutter's Senior Autos Editor (and former Autoblogger) John Neff agrees. "As bold as it looks from the outside, he's really making a safe bet that their money is better spent on designing better and building more crossovers and trucks. He's probably right about that." But according to Jessica Caldwell, Executive Director of Strategic Analytics at Edmunds, "FCA's strategy of eliminating the Dart and 200 might be short-sighted if gas prices were to rise and Americans, once again, flocked to small vehicles. FCA must have plans to expand the lineup of small SUVs and position them as small-car alternatives in terms of price and fuel efficiency for this strategy to make sense." FCA's latest announcement focuses mainly on the profitable brands and nameplates. There's hardly a mention of Chrysler, Dodge, or Fiat. And future planning is where the plot holes appear. This realignment cuts dead weight from the product portfolio, but FCA's latest announcement focuses mainly on the profitable brands and nameplates. There's hardly a mention of Chrysler, Dodge, or Fiat. So what's Sergio up to? David Sullivan of AutoPacific thinks Marchionne is still looking for another CEO to hug.

The Dodge Demon's massive drag tires are just barely street legal

Despite the gaffe that was the Vin Dieselgate leak (no, not that one), Dodge and SRT are soldiering on with the twelve-part Dodge Demon rollout in the lead up to the car's reveal at the New York Auto Show. The Vin Diesel video showed what is almost assuredly the car's front, but now we get an official view of the Demon's rear in this week's video, "Wide Body." Along with the new view, Dodge shows off a cryptic license plate (Michigan #2576@35) and details on the Demon's tantalizing wheel and tire combo. That wheel and tire combo, meant to fill out the Demon's new wide wheel arches, is frankly impressive. Lightweight 18- by 11-inch wheels are wrapped in special Demon branded Nitto NT05R tires measuring an astounding 315/40R18 at all four corners. Not only does that trump the old Camaro Z/28's 305 section tires, it makes the Demon the first production car to come equipped from the factory with drag radials, claims Dodge. Presumably, the goal with the Demon is to provide enough power and grip to rotate the Earth underneath the car rather than propelling the car itself down a dragstrip. Beyond that, few other details were revealed. Dodge provided some vague information about how the "wide-body is laser clearanced, and the entire chassis is e-coated for durability before final assembly," but doesn't actually explain what that really means. We do know now that the flared fenders add 3.5 inches to the Demon's overall width. Overall, the car looks mean and purposeful, especially wrapped in just barely street-legal rubber. Follow along at www.ifyouknowyouknow.com and see if you can find and decipher all the hints. Related Video: Design/Style New York Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance tires dodge demon dodge hellcat

Watch a Dodge Viper driver show off his V10 all the way into a wall

Has there ever been a show-off video that doesn't end terribly? This video clip captured with a cellphone shows the driver of a neon green Viper GTS giving a fellow motorist a couple throttle blips to signify his intent – which seems to be to crash the Viper into a concrete wall as quickly as possible. It's not pretty. The mean machine seems to be a second-generation Viper GTS in Stryker Green. To our knowledge, no photos have surfaced of the aftermath, so we wish both the driver and their most-likely bruised ego a speedy recovery. Who knows, maybe the Viper is also salvageable.