Tailfins resurrected

Tailfins web site

Some more-experienced (older) readers may recall, among the very early Internet car sites, one named Tailfins which covered a variety of then-modern and classic cars, with special sections for slant six, V8, and 2.2/2.5 four-cylinder power. (Don’t look for tailfins-dot-com, it’s long since moved on to a domain squatter.) The site was set up by … Read more

GM laying off 1,000 people globally

General Motors GM Flint Metal Center

General Motors told news organizations that it was laying off a thousand people around the world, mostly salaried workers with some hourly people. The layoffs were announced by email. According to MSN, some of the layoffs were due to poor performance, while others involved changing priorities. GM has been cutting back on some projects, such … Read more

Century of Chrysler retrospective now available in cheaper B&W format

cheap chrysler book

The only full retrospective of the Chrysler marque, covering everything from Maxwell’s birth to the present day, has just been released in an inexpensive black-and-white format. By taking out the photos and otherwise leaving the book intact, the price could be dropped from the usual $32 down to $19.24. The text size and basic formatting … Read more

This beloved car parts retailer is closing stores! (Advance Auto closes 700 locations)

Dodge Upgraded Driveline

Advance Auto is closing 700 stores, according to the company, 500 of which are directly owned and 200 of which are independently operated. They have not yet released the list of locations. CNN Business noted that many retail operations are shutting locations after their “sugar high” of 2021-22, when people were buying heavily after COVID … Read more

Durango sticking to V8s, adding features for 2025

2025 Dodge Durango Hellcat Brass Monkey (STLA pics)

With today’s announcement of the 2025 Dodge Durango lineup, it seems that the Hurricane twin-turbo six is not going to join the big Dodge SUV. The 2024 engine lineup is still available for 2025, from Pentastar V6 to supercharged Hellcat—and the 5.7 remains between them, possibly because sales of the 2024s were insufficient to go … Read more

Maserati chief is now Chief Heritage Officer

davide grasso

Stellantis has museums to celebrate the past of companies such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Peugeot, but some years ago Fiat Chrysler emptied out the former Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills to make room for Maserati and Alfa Romeo office space. In this context, the appointment of Davide Grasso, head of Maserati and … Read more

If Ram or Dodge return to V8s, what path will they take?

V8 engines

Sister publication Motales delved into Stellantis’ options for bringing a V8 back to the Ram 1500 and Dodge Charger. Each carries its own risks, costs, and benefits; some (making the “truck 6.4” optional on Ram 1500) are clearly easier and cheaper than others (using the Ferrari twin-turbo V8), and there’s at least one un-obvious choice. … Read more

2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn: My Newest Long-Term Test Vehicle

2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn

Since I first drove the new Ram 1500 with the Hurricane twin turbocharged inline-six, I have been impressed with the capability of this new engine family. My 2006 Ram 1500 with a 5.7L Hemi is getting quite tired, with upwards of 140,000 hard miles, so my wife and I decided to add a new Hurricane-powered … Read more

Stellantis: Rebuilt parts are made to Mopar standards

Mopar World 2016

Stellantis’ SUSTAINera division guarantees that its rebuilt parts are up to Mopar standards, according to a press release, which was meant to show the company’s commitment to SUSTAINera and to Mopar as a global parts brand. Rebuilt parts include items such as air suspension compressors, half shafts, transmission valve bodies, touch-screen displays, 2.4 liter engines, … Read more

How President Trump Can Help Bring Back the Hemi

President Donald Trump

Over the past few years, many members of the community suggested that a second term by President Donald Trump would lead to the demise of electric vehicles and a quick rebirth of the modern Hemi era. As you likely know, President Trump won the election earlier this week, sparking many conversations about what he will … Read more

2025 Jeep Wagoneer Grand Wagoneer Get Big Price Cuts, More Power and More Features

2025 Jeep Wagoneer

This afternoon, Jeep announced pricing for the 2025 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, with price cuts as large as $5,685 for the Wagoneer and $7,000 for the Grand Wagoneer. More importantly, these prices do not come as a result of the Trail Rated brand removing features. Instead, both the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer get more standard … Read more

Minivan, Ram, Ford, Mercedes, and other recalls

recalls-bolts

The NHTSA announced two Stellantis recalls along with those of Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, and other companies. At Stellantis, the previously-announced 2025 Ram 1500 recall covered nonfunctional electronic stability controls, due to improper handling of a part. At Chrysler, side curtain airbags may not work on the 2020-23 Pacifica/Voyager minivans. The factory apparently did not secure … Read more