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These three automotive Lego kits deserve your suppoort

Lego has been quite good to car enthusiasts over the past few years. We've seen traditional kits for the classic VW Microbus, Mini Cooper, and the Caterham 620R, as well as an elaborate Technic kit for the 911 GT3 RS. But why stop there? The Lego Ideas page, which allows users to submit ideas with the chance to see their kits reach production, has many more cool car kits we'd love to see. Check them out below, and be sure to log on to vote for them. If a submission hits 10,000 votes, it is considered for production. That's how we got that Caterham kit, so it's worth your time to show your support. Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 This is a submission aimed at becoming one of Lego's Speed Champions kits. These are very small mini-figure scale car models, and the series has included the Ford GT, Audi R18 Le Mans racer, and more. This kit features a tiny version of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a Group B rally racer that gave Peugeot World Rally Championship titles two years in a row. The kit has a well-executed version of the car and its massive rear spoiler on the hatch. It also comes with a big dirt crest for it to fly over, along with amazed spectators on the sidelines. Porsche 911 Turbo 930 We love the GT3 RS Lego kit, but we think it's a little lonely as the only Porsche kit available. Such an impressive Porsche deserves an impressive companion, like this 911 Turbo. It's the 930 version, which is arguably the most famous classic 911 with its turbocharged power, whale-tail wing, and scary driving dynamics thanks to considerable turbo lag and rear-engine handling characteristics. This model is quite large at 1:10 scale, and comes with a detailed interior and exterior. The best part is the remote-control components underneath that allow the car to be driven. Jeep Wrangler JK Moving off the beaten path again, we have this highly detailed Wrangler kit. Actually, we have two kits, as the creator designed both two-door and four-door versions. They both feature removable hard tops, detailed interiors, and big tires. They also come with an assortment of off-road accessories such as auxiliary lights, an off-road jack, winch, gas can, roof rack, and off-road bumper. You can also find various fluid reservoirs and engine details under the opening hood. Related Video: Image Credit: AbFab1974 / Lego Ideas, brickmasterno1 / Lego Ideas, RREYES77 / Lego Ideas Auto News Toys/Games Jeep Porsche Peugeot Lego

Jeep first American carmaker to return to Tokyo show

Despite foreign-brand car sales in Japan declining six percent in the first four months of this year, Jeep sales are up 21 percent in the same period. That could explain why Jeep will be the first the US manufacturer to return to the Tokyo Motor Show after eight years away. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler walked away during the global crisis that struck after the 2007 show. Jeep will be part of an eight-vehicle, four-brand showcase overseen by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Japan, the local subsidiary. For the moment, it is the only US brand to sign up - neither Ford, GM, or even Chrysler are committed to attend. Stablemates Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Abarth will be there, along with 13 other foreign makes, answering the "Technology & Fantasy" theme for this year's event. In total, organizers announced 15 brands from 14 Japanese manufacturers, and 27 brands from 17 foreign carmakers. The show opens to the public from Oct. 30 to Nov. 8. Related Video:

FCA profits surge in second quarter

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gave the cash register a beating in the second quarter, improving its net profit to 333 million euros ($364M US), which is a 263-percent jump over its reported Q1 profit of 92 million euros ($108M US). At the same time, FCA improved its global profit margin to 7.7 percent. Compared year-over-year, in Q2 2014 FCA reported net profit of 197 million euros making this year's Q2 a 69-percent increase, and profit margins a year ago were 4.9 percent. The two big factors for this increase are strong NAFTA sales and Jeep. In the US alone, Jeep sold 222,940 units in Q2 this year, a jump of almost 20 percent over the same period last year. Revenue in the NAFTA region totaled $18.8 billion, adjusted earnings before interest and taxes were $1.45 billion, both of those numbers more than doubling compared to 2014. The vastly better numbers come on marginally more global sales, 1,181,000 units sold in Q2 2014, 1,193,000 units sold in the same span this year. In the US, FCA began charging dealers one-percent more for vehicles to up the margins, a move that helped boost its US margin from 4.1 percent a year ago to 5.8 percent the first half of this year. The company is holding steady on its guidance of global deliveries at 4.8 million and its net profit guidance at $1.1 to $1.3 billion. It has increased its adjusted outlook for the year to $120.5 billion in revenue, and EBIT to "over $4.93 billion." News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Jeep FCA