Laramie Diesel New 6.7l Nav Cd 4x4 Turbocharged Tow Hitch Tow Hooks Abs on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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

FCA is setting a five-year strategy: Here's how the last one played out

We're slightly more than four years removed from Sergio Marchionne last five-year plan for FCA, a tell-all where the Italian-American automaker divulged its plans for the 2014 through 2018 model years. It was a grand affair, where Sergio told FCA investors that all was right in Auburn Hills, Alfa Romeo and Maserati were making comebacks, and the fifth-gen Dodge Viper received a mid-cycle refresh. You can read every last one of those past predictions right here. We're on our way to Europe to see Sergio's sequel, coming out Friday straight from FCA's Italian headquarters. (Bloomberg reports a plan to expand Jeep and Ram globally, combine Alfa Romeo and Maserati into a single division for an eventual spinoff, and downsizing Fiat and Chrysler. Also, EVs.) But before we arrive in Italy and find out exactly what Marchionne has planned for 2019 through 2023 as his last act as CEO, let's take a minute to tally up the results of his last term based on the same scoresheet we used in 2014. Now, we're only five months into 2018, so much of this — including vehicles like the Ram HD and Jeep Grand Wagoneer — could still debut this year. For those, we'll mark things TBD. We're not going to draw any conclusions or make any objectionable remarks. We're simply going to let the stats speak for themselves.

2019 Ram 1500 Tradesman shows off its simple lights

Each time a spy photographer has caught the 2019 Ram 1500 pickup running around, it's always had the same style of lights and grilles. This time, one of our photographers caught two Rams that have noticeably different versions of those body parts. The first one shown above has the same grille we've already seen. The difference is that the flashy LED-accented headlights are gone. Instead, it uses much simpler, more conventional reflector-style headlights. That doesn't mean Ram hasn't taken the time to give them a little flair, though. The lamps are divided such that the upper element lines up with the upper portion of the grille, and the lower portion with the grille bars and lower opening. The taillights are much simpler, too, also using a reflector setup and very clear lenses. These plain headlights lead us to believe that this is a base-model 1500 Tradesman. The second Ram shown has its lights well-covered, but the grille is exposed, and it's also different from past prototypes. It has a wavy mesh pattern in the grille openings rather than slats. The crossbar design remains, though. This different grille also confirms that Ram will offer appearance variations to distinguish models. We're not sure if this is a higher-level or lower-level trim, though. We would have a better idea if we could see the lights. All our questions should be answered soon, since the new Ram 1500 will be fully revealed next week at the Detroit Auto Show. Then we'll see all the grilles and headlights and their associated trims as they were meant to be. Related Video: