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Ram confirms Fiat Doblo-based ProMaster City for North America

As Sergio Marchionne flies back and forth between Turin and Auburn Hills, he doesn't just bring Chryslers back with him to Italy to sell as Lancias. He also brings Fiat products to sell Stateside under various Chrysler labels, chief among them Ram.
The former Dodge truck brand launched the Fiat Ducato as the Ram ProMaster earlier this year, giving it a greater foothold in the commercial vehicle market and a replacement for the Sprinter which Mercedes-Benz took back from its Chrysler-partnership days. Now Auburn Hills has announced that Ram will begin selling the Fiat Doblo on this side of the Atlantic as the Ram ProMaster City.
The Doblo, which was twice named International Van of the Year, has sold over 1.3 million units worldwide. Whether that includes the rebadged version which Vauxhall and Opel sell as the Combo is another matter, as is the question over how much longer Fiat and General Motors will continue that particular partnership as the ties between Fiat and Chrysler deepen.

Mopar highlights wild SEMA creations, AWD Challenger Concept

Thanks to 15,345 square feet of display area, FCA US' Mopar division certainly has ample space to display its parts and accessories at the SEMA Show. To lure attendees to check out all of those cars and components, the company is now revealing ten tuned vehicles for this year's aftermarket event. This isn't even the brand's whole fleet for the show, but it includes some major highlights for Dodge and Ram fans. A lack of traction traditionally makes rear-wheel-drive muscle cars dismal to drive when the weather gets slippery, but the Dodge Challenger GT AWD Concept (above) solves that age-old problem at SEMA. In addition to powering all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic, it boasts an angry-looking, wide-body kit with aggressively flared wheel arches. The asymmetrical stripe with Header Orange accents also adds some extra panache to the Destroyer Grey and Matte Black color scheme. The coupe can back up the macho look thanks to the Scat Pack 3 Performance Kit that adds 75 horsepower and 44 pound-feet of torque to the 5.7-liter V8. However, before you get too excited about driving one this winter, FCA US spokesperson Ariel Gavilan tells Autoblog: "It is only a concept." Mopar isn't done tuning Dodges for SEMA. The Charger Deep Stage 3 shows what's possible with the company's catalog by packing the Scat Pack 3, strut tower braces, coilover suspension kit, and bigger brakes. Meanwhile, the blacked-out Dart GLH Concept tries to harken back to the style of the famous Omni GLH by fitting a red-accented body kit, including a Mopar Performance aluminum hood. If the standard Ram 1500 Rebel is somehow too subdued, check out the Rebel X (right) in a vibrant shade called Copper. To be ready for anything offroad, it wears some muscular flares to fit 17-inch beadlock wheels and 35-inch Toyo tires. A concept, two-piece front skid plate protects the front. Drivers should also be comfortable no matter where they drive thanks to prototype Katzkin leather seats and a concept air-ride suspension. Chrysler enjoys some mods, as well. The 300 Super S has suave style with Matte Cerulean paint, concept 22-inch wheels, and a grille with little Mopar Ms dotted around it. Performance also sees a boost with a tuned engine, bigger brakes, and coilover kit. The gray 200 S Mopar is similarly stylish with a complete body kit, including a conceptual, dual-vented hood. Fiat and Ram's commercial models aren't left out of the SEMA fun, either.

Houston road rage incident devolves into all-out brawl

The video is no longer available. It appears the associated account has been terminated. Chaos erupted on a Houston freeway last weekend when an altercation spiraled out of control and ended up in a battle-royale style brawl in the middle of traffic. According to KTRK, David Dao and his daughter were traveling along FM 1960 on the morning of May 14 when they came upon a white Honda and a blue Ram truck parked in the right lane. The drivers and passengers of the vehicles were engaged in a spirited argument about something that had happened moments before Dao pulled up. Dao parked in his lane to block traffic in an attempt at making sure other drivers didn't hit the people fighting in the right lane, and instructed his daughter to start filming the incident in case they were needed as witnesses. As Dao's daughter filmed, the incident quickly escalated–harsh words were exchanged, a drink was thrown in a woman's face, and then the driver of the Ram kicked in the Honda's grille. "I couldn't believe it. As soon as he kicked the grille, I was like, 'This is going down now," said Dao. "I was thinking this is going to be bad. At that time, I knew because there was physical damage." As soon as the Ram driver kicked the Honda the entire situation went sideways and devolved into a huge brawl, with the people from both vehicles throwing wild punches and grappling with one another. A woman who was a passenger in the Ram attempted to break up the scrum but took a haymaker in the face for her troubles. Eventually, the fight broke up and the people returned to their vehicles which Dao assumed meant that the altercation was over. Apparently though, the Ram driver felt he hadn't made his point, and he reversed at high speed into the Honda, smashing the fascia and buckling the hood. The Ram then sped off westbound on U.S. 290 with the Honda on its tail. According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the incident was not reported and there is no word what happened to the brawlers after they left the scene. Related Video: News Source: KTRK Weird Car News Dodge Lexus RAM Driving Safety Truck Videos Sedan road rage houston fight