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Weekly Recap: FCA hit with record fine as NHTSA crackdown continues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration slapped Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a record fine this week that could reach $105 million. The punishment comes after NHTSA found problems with the automaker's execution of 23 recalls that affect more than 11 million vehicles. The consent agreement, announced Sunday, calls for FCA to pay a $70-million cash fine and requires the company to spend at least $20 million over a three-year period on industry outreach programs and to beef up old recall campaigns. Failure to comply will result in another $15-million fine. FCA also agreed to federal oversight, which includes an independent monitor to oversee the company's recalls. The $70-million cash fine equals a penalty NHTSA levied on Honda in January. "Fiat Chrysler's pattern of poor performance put millions of its customers and the driving public at risk," NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement. "This action will provide relief to owners of defective vehicles, will help improve recall performance throughout the auto industry, and gives Fiat Chrysler the opportunity to embrace a proactive safety culture." FCA called the deal a "consensual resolution," but admitted that it "failed to timely provide an effective remedy" during certain recalls. "We are intent on rebuilding our relationship with NHTSA and we embrace the role of public safety advocate," the company said in a statement. The announcement kicked off a busy week for the automaker. NHTSA agreed FCA did not need to recall 4.7 million vehicles after an investigation failed to find defects with a power module used in some Jeep, Dodge, and Ram vehicles. A Georgia judge also reduced a civil verdict involving a death in a Jeep Grand Cherokee crash. Amid all of that, the company reported net profit of about 333 million euros, or $364 million in the second quarter on Thursday. OTHER NEWS & NOTES FCA ramps up Hellcat production Despite a decidedly legal and financial week for FCA, there was still time for the performance side of the business to briefly grab the spotlight. The automaker is more than doubling its production of the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats in response to strong demand. The order bank opens the second week of August and production begins in September. FCA will finish up its scheduled 2015 model-year Hellcat builds, and cancel any "unscheduled" versions, though customers will get discounted pricing for 2016.

Twin LaFerraris roar around Fiorano

What could possibly be better than a Ferrari LaFerrari running at full clip on the Italian brand's Fiorano test track? The answer is obviously two LaFerraris, both doing hot laps. So far as we know, this is the first time we've had an unadulterated listen - outside of the car, that is - to the latest Ferrari hypercar when it's being ran hard. There's no voiceover or music, just that righteous, hybridized V12.
We're told that the first LaFerrari, without camo, is a production model, while the other car is said to be testing a different exhaust setup. It sounds slightly different, and according to the videographer, it was noticeably louder than the production car. Take a look below for the full 2:48 of Italian V12 noise.

Glickenhaus confirms new sports car in development for 2015 Geneva reveal

James Glickenhaus and his Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus team will have a new model ready for the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Codenamed the P33, not many details are known about the car, but the post in FerrariChat.com says that it will be much smaller than the Glickenhaus P 4/5 (shown above) with a size closer to the Dino Competizone.
The limited available information about the car indicates that the P33 will be crafted from carbon fiber, giving it a 1,600-pound curb weight, with a body that will have a "three-wing design." Planned as a one-off model, the P33 will be powered by a twin-turbo V6 putting out close to 500 horsepower.