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GM, FCA retain financial advisors amid merger rumors

Well, here we go again. Despite allegedly shutting down the idea of a merger, General Motors has retained financial advisors to, well, advise it on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' advances. GM brought in New York-based Goldman Sachs, while FCA is currently working with Switzerland's UBS. Another source told Reuters that GM was working with Morgan Stanley, as well. But what does all this mean? Well, as we know, FCA boss Sergio Marchionne still has his eyes set very much on merging his automaker to combat what he claims are the prohibitive costs that come from developing today's vehicles. And while GM has said "no thanks," to a merger, the FCA boss is still looking to shareholders of the world's third-largest automaker to force the issue. Rather than a sign of an impending merger, voluntary or otherwise, between the two automotive powers – analysts called a hostile move by FCA "beyond ambitious," after all – retaining financial advisors on both sides could be viewed as just good business. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Paul Sancya / AP Chrysler Fiat GM Sergio Marchionne FCA

Dodge Challenger spied exercising supercharged Hellcat Hemi V8

One of the prime complaints against the Dodge Challenger is that, even in SRT8 guise, its 470 horsepower is responsible for hauling over 4,200 pounds of vehicle. For comparison, the 420 hp in the Ford Mustang GT only has to deal with 3,618 lbs. Things only get worse from there, as the higher-performance variants of both the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro are far more powerful than an SRT8 without adding on much heft.
So what is Chrysler to do? The correct answer is add a whole lot more grunt to its hefty two-door and even the odds. That's where the all-new Hellcat engine comes into play. We reported on this engine in May, and suggested that the Hellcat, a supercharged powerplant based on a 6.4-liter V8, would easily generate 500 to 570 hp and could likely arrive boasting more than 600 ponies.
Chrysler's ace in its sleeve has now been spied testing, with a number of Hellcat-equipped Challengers running the potent new engine both in more urbanized areas and under the sun of Death Valley. The hoods on these testers have been raised to accommodate the engine, and that camouflage over the fascias of these prototypes is there to hide a larger air intake. We also note what appears to be a new split grille under wraps. As for power output, our spies are now suggesting a Viper-equalling 640 hp from the Hellcat-equipped cars.

Woman who gives birth on video in moving car gets another surprise

A mother of (now) five gave birth on video in her minivan on the way to the hospital last week, and she was just gifted a brand new Chrysler Pacifica minivan by none other than Jimmy Kimmel. He brought the now viral family live on air to talk about the crazy experience. The birth video is stunning, scary, but hilarious too once you realize who all is in the car. Alexis Swinney, the mother, was reportedly only minutes away from the hospital when the baby just couldn't wait any longer. Swinney's husband filmed the entire thing while driving (not recommended) on the way to the hospital. Kimmel echoed our thoughts on this exactly, "The whole time I'm watching, I'm thinking put the camera down and drive the car!" As she gives birth, he swivels the camera back to their other children in the rear seat with shocked looks on their faces — they just witnessed their mother giving birth to their new sister. Obviously the car was a complete mess after giving birth, so Kimmel did the best he could to help them out. "We were concerned that things might not be clean in the car anymore, so we called our friends at Chrysler ... so we're upgrading you. Go ahead, go in there, have a couple more kids," Kimmel said. This story transitioned from scary to unbelievable, and finally, incredibly heartwarming. The family can now pack all of their kids into the wonderful children transporting machine that the Pacifica is.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.