Inside the “High Prices, High Discounts” strategy
Stellantis appears to have adopted a strategy of keeping list prices on its cars high, but offering large discounts to clear out cars when sales lag. There are some advantages to this strategy…
Mopars
New engine in development for heavy duty Rams
According to rumors in Auburn Hills, a second engine is planned for these trucks. It, too, would be an inline six-cylinder, but engineered specifically for truck engines. The new engine is rumored to be larger—3.7 liters—and to have a more traditional design, other than an odd 30° tilt. A source within Engineering told us that it was tilted over to make room for accessories on the side so that it could fit into smaller engine bays; and to provide space for a better air path, increasing its efficiency.
Mopars at auto shows (with videos), revisited
Video coverage of this year’s 2024 New York Auto Show, as well as coverage of the few Mopars to be found there, brought up memories of past shows.Camp Jeep is a relatively new phenomenon, and it’s gotten progressively more elaborate over the years; when it started out, admittedly, it was already a bit more impressive … Read more
Mopars at the 2024 New York Auto Show
Camp Jeep sat outside the New York Auto Show [see story/video], displaying a good range of Jeeps, but what about the show itself? Officially, Stellantis had no presence; but other exhibitors brought some Mopars in, and here they are…. with a brief video!First, when we come in, we see this Emergency Safety Solutions Jeep, which … Read more
California lets Stellantis into the deal; 4xe restrictions to end
FCA US will have a bit more flexibility in meeting emissions targets over the next few years after having reached an agreement with the California Air Resources Board. Part of the deal is being carbon-net-zero by 2038, which is 14 years away.Stellantis pledged to expand its commitment to electrification through educational efforts, collaborating with Veloz; … Read more
A few Mopar recalls during Charger Week
While the week’s reporting was dominated by the release of the Dodge Charger, Stellantis did have a few recalls as well. The 2022-23 Ram ProMaster could fail to warn drivers when the seat belt was unlocked, affecting around 30,000 vans—not all of them. High beams might not activate on 2023-24 Grand Cherokees (including L)—a recall … Read more
Mopars may not support next-gen Apple CarPlay
Apple will be launching a more fully-featured version of CarPlay later this year, letting owners use climate control, rear view cameras, and tire pressure gauges without leaving the system; it will also include charging status for EVs. There are other features as well, such as turn-by-turn directions in the gauge cluster.Support for CarPlay, as with … Read more
Industry report: BEVs (Apple, batteries, and such)
Apple car dead. Apple, which has been semi-secretly working on making its own electric car in conjunction with a real automaker, today officially cancelled the project.The Apple Car was likely first initiated under Steve Jobs; around 2,000 people were working on it as of this month. The project has been going on for over ten … Read more
Two Mopar marques fare well in JD Power Dependability (Toyota, GM on top)
The good news: Two Mopar marques were rated as above average in the J.D. Power 2024 Dependability Study, which looks at problems per vehicle after three years of ownership. It is a better test of quality than the initial quality study, which only looks at around 90 days and is more heavily influenced by dealer and factory preparation.
The bad news: Chrysler was the absolute worst brand on the list, coming in even below Land Rover and Tesla; though the study covers the first year of the Pacifica PHEV, which had a rough launch. Ram came in below average, but still beat fellow truck sellers GMC and Ford.
BurgerCuda: Plymouth touring the country for McDonald’s
McDonald’s made a brave choice when they adopted a Plymouth Barracuda, rather than the default choice of a Mustang, for the Hamburglar to drive across America.
The relatively rare Barracuda, with a Shaker hood and cheeseburger-themed spare tire, was worked over by Sean Smith Designs much more tastefully than most custom jobs. As a getaway car, it’s probably not quite as useful as a Plymouth Road Runner would have been, but it’s also far more muscular-looking than a Mustang.
A national Chrysler club closes its doors
The National Chrysler Products Club (NCPC), created in 1979, is closing down in 2024, on its 45th anniversary. The club was reportedly split from the Walter. P. Chrysler Club, which continues to be active.Despite its name, the NCPC was mainly active in three states—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, rotating its annual shows mainly between New … Read more
Ticket Sales to Race with the Legion of Demons End This Weekend
If you have any Mopar product and you want to go racing with a group of the quickest and fastest Mopars on Earth, you only have a few more days to buy tickets to register for the Legion of Demons in January. What started in 2019 as an event specifically for 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT … Read more
Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas from Mopar
Christmas is rapidly approaching and right now, anyone who is ordering items online with the hopes of getting them in time for Christmas morning are running out of time. However, if you haven’t come up with a gift for a Mopar enthusiast in your life, WearMopar may be able to help. We aren’t sure if … Read more
Cars on lots, deals galore: wacky high Mopar inventories
FCA US, sometimes referred to as “Mopar” (the name of its parts division), had all four of the highest-inventory marques at the end of October, according to Cox Automotive. This includes vehicles in inventory and those in transit.The Hornet threw Dodge off somewhat, as many cars are in transit rather than inventory, and the days’ … Read more
US strike ending, Canadian strike started and ended
With a tentative contract out to members for a vote, Stellantis plants and warehouses are preparing to return to full strength; but 8,200 Unifor workers walked off the job in Stellantis’ Canadian plants after weeks of trying to negotiate. The union had set a Sunday night deadline for resolving the conflict.The strike has already ended … Read more
Another Hurricane Four on the way?
The Hurricane Six was reportedly created using the combustion chamber from the 2.0 liter GME engine—essentially creating a new block around that chamber. However, in a recent interview, Micky Bly, head of Stellantis propulsion, said that the Hurricane will spawn a new 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine. …