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Preserved truck found at the bottom of frozen lake

A fisherman in central Minnesota pulled more than bluegill and bass out of his local fishing hole earlier this month. While ice fishing on Mayhew Lake, a local man was startled when, using an underwater camera to scout for fish, he discovered a vehicle sitting on the lakebed, the SCTimes reported. He immediately called the Benton County Sheriff's office, which sent deputies to examine the vehicle. Once they arrived, the deputies used their own camera to have a look and discovered a late-90s to early-00s model Dodge Ram pickup in roughly 12 feet of water. The Sheriff's department dive team was then dispatched to search the truck and the area surrounding it for bodies or valuables. The truck was lifted from the lakebed through a huge hole in the ice. The Sheriff's office ran the plates and discovered that it was reported stolen in March of 2000 from a nearby address. Investigators believe that given the truck's location, almost 100 yards from the lake's public access ramp and 25 yards from the north shore, that it was driven on to the lake while it was frozen, then allowed to sink to the bottom once the ice melted. Thanks to the lake's frigid waters, the truck was surprisingly well preserved. Aside from a missing grille, a coating of mud inside, and a patina of rust on the sheet metal, there was little damage to the truck despite its long rest in the lake. With an engine full of lake water and the damage done by roughly sixteen freeze-thaw cycles, the truck will never run again, but its condition is a good testament to the build quality of those old Rams. It certainly held up better than that '57 Plymouth Belvedere they buried in the time capsule under the Tulsa city courthouse. News Source: SCTimesImage Credit: Benton County Sheriff's Office Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Truck water lake

FCA goes all-in on Jeep and Ram brands on cheap gas bet

It's no surprise that as SUV and truck sales remain strong in the wake of unusually cheap gas, Jeep and Ram sales are taking off. What is a surprise is that FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne thinks that cheap gas will be a "permanent condition," and feels strongly enough about it to change up North American manufacturing plans. Jeep appears to be the biggest beneficiary of the product realignment. In addition to increasing the sales estimates for the brand worldwide upwards to 2 million units a year by 2018, the brand will get a flood of investment for new product and powertrains. Consider the Wrangler Pickup to be part of the salvo, as well as the Grand Wagoneer three-row announced in 2014 as part of the original five-year plan. The Wrangler four-door will get at least two new powertrains, a diesel and mild hybrid version, in its next generation. That mild hybrid powertrain may utilize a 48-volt electrical system like the one that's being developed by Delphi and Bosch – which the suppliers think will be worth a 10 to 15 percent fuel economy gain at a minimum. Down the road, in the 2020s, the Wrangler could adopt a full hybrid system. The diesel powertrain is planned for 2019 or 2020. The Ram 1500 is also pegged to receive a mild hybrid system, again potentially based on 48-volt architecture, sometime after 2020. Lastly, Jeep and Ram will take over some of the production capacity of existing plants. The Sterling Heights, MI, plant that builds the Chrysler 200 will now build the Ram 1500; the Belvidere, IL, facility that produces the Dodge Dart will take over Cherokee output; the big Jeep facility in Toledo, OH, will be used for increased Wrangler demand. In 2015, according to FCA's numbers, car and van demand went down by 10 percent, but SUV demand went up 8 percent and truck demand 2 percent. Considering that these are high-margin vehicles, FCA can't ignore the math. FCA also won't build any new factories to supplement production to meet demand, but instead are reshuffling production priorities. Think of it this way: FCA is gambling on cheap gas being a permanent part of our lives, at least into the 2020s. By doubling down on SUVs and trucks, the company stands to win big, unless a spike in gas prices changes the landscape. FCA isn't talking about a Plan B, so they're all in. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Car dealership in East Texas destroyed by tornado

Few things are as fundamentally and unconditionally destructive as a tornado. These cataclysmic phenomena pass through towns, leaving nothing in their wake but ruin and despair. According to an NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a car dealership in nearby Canton was hit by a tornado Saturday night. No employees were hurt. Four other people in the area weren't so lucky. Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton's new showroom and service center were pounded by the storm, leaving dozens of cars in various states of ruin. Some merely lost windows, while others were flipped and left on their sides or roofs. Photos show piles of cars stacked up like Hot Wheels dumped on the ground. According to a statement from the National Weather Service, winds reached speeds of up to 140 mph. Two other tornadoes were reported in the region. The area has been declared a disaster zone and first responders from up to 100 miles away have swarmed in to help out those in need. According to Reuters, the storms Saturday killed 11 people nationwide. Related Video: News Source: NBC DFW, National Weather Service, Reuters via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Reuters Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM tornado