Mopar Insiders Articles

FCA 5 year plan slide (FCA Group) Lots in the works according to the 5 year plan The 104 year old Maserati brand will have a completely fresh model lineup by the 2022 car year. According to the FCA 5 year plan, presented on Friday June 1st there is a lot on the works for the Maserati Future. Full battery electric Maserati 5 year plan slide (FCA GROUP) First up is the launch of what is being referred to is Maserati Blue, available up the upcoming Maserati Alfieri, redesigned Quatroporte and Levante. Maserati Blue models will be fully electric and offer state of the art battery technology. Maserati is touting long range and quick charge times while being light weight and taking up minimal space. Performance wise it will be a 3 motor...

Why The Dodge Charger R/T AWD Might Be The Greatest All-Around Muscle Car: HEMI Power, AWD Capability... 2014 Dodge Charger R/T AWD Sport. (MoparInsiders) Living in the state of Michigan can be challenging for most car buyers. The extremely terrible roads, short but amazing summers and dreadful long winters most Michiganders are limited to choosing one vehicle to drive throughout the year. But there is one vehicle, that I personally believe might be that greatest all around vehicle for those looking for performance, comfort and all-weather capability. That vehicle was the Dodge Charger R/T AWD (all-wheel drive). Unfortunately, Dodge ended production of the V8 all-wheel drive muscle car in 2014. While Dodge has expanded its all-wheel...

Hybrid will now be available with the same sporty S appearance package as non hybrid Pacificas Back in April, Chrysler announced a “Hybrid Special Appearance Package” for 2018 Pacifica Hybrid models, bringing a few cues from the sporty S appearance package available on the non Hybrid Pacifca over to the Hybrid model. Now for 2019 Chrysler has announced that the S appearance package will be available on all Pacifica Hybrid models. “The factory custom look of the S Appearance model is really resonating with our Pacifica buyers, so much so that we are now making it available on the Pacifica Hybrid model, as well,” said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. “With 84 miles per...

100% of the proceeds go to the United Way Last week we told you about what was being called “The ultimate last chance”, the last production Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and Dodge Viper that were being auctioned off at Barrett Jackson over the weekend. The weekend has come and gone and the final production 2017 Dodge Viper and 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon have sold for $1 Million US. The winning bidder took home the cars themselves as well as authentication kits for both vehicles consisting of: letters of authenticity, assembly line build sheets, carbon fibre certification cards as well as a Demon and Viper branded tablet loaded with photos and videos. The Demon also came with a Demon crate signed by FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, a...

Ram Looking At Adding A Pursuit Rated 1500 To The Mix? Is FCA Going After The Law Enforcement Crown Again? 2020 Ram 1500 Pursuit Design. (Dark Sky Design) While fleet models are usually frowned upon by the automotive press car companies still rely on fleet sales to help push profit. One of the most profitable fleet markets, is law enforcement. Law enforcement depends on automakers to create vehicles that are easy to upfit, inexpensive to maintain, safe and comfortable to work out of. Each of the American big-three automakers have a different outlook on the market. Chevrolet has the market on law enforcement when it comes to full-size SUVs with the Tahoe PPV (Police Pursuit Vehicle), Ford has their Police Interceptor Utility...

SPIED: 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody With New Spoiler? Interesting Shots Of Covered Spoiler: 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody Prototype. (Real Fast Fotography) Dodge teased us early last month about the Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT offering a new dual-snorkel hood for the 2019 model year. However, our friends at Real Fast Fotography have spotted another SRT HELLCAT this time with some different kind of camouflage. 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT Widebody Prototype. (Real Fast Fotography) Dodge seems to be putting camouflage tape over all the badging on this Go ManGo Dodge Challenger SRT HELLCAT widebody. But out back, the rear spoiler is covered completely up all the way down to the "Dodge" text between...

This series will focus on my ownership experience with my 2016 Ram 1500 Sport Just short of 2 years ago, I was in the market for a full sized pickup to replace my 2012 Mercedes C350 coupe. While I loved that car, it just wasn’t practical for my lifestyle and I needed something with a little more utility. My 2012 Mercedes C350 Coupe (Mopar Insiders photo) I should preface this by saying that prior to owning 2 Mercedes in a row I have typically always owned a Ford, GM or a Mopar vehicle. In the beginning of my search for a new truck I was looking at 2016 Ford F150s and while they are nice trucks, I noticed build quality issues with every one I looked at. After about a week of searching I found an F150 that I liked and left a deposit on...

Yesterday, stories started showing like wildfire about possible 2019 Ram 1500 production issues. This morning our sister site 5thGenRams took them head on. “Yesterday, Automotive news released an article titled 2019 Ram Launch slows to a trickle. In the article it is said that the V6 Pentastar with eTorque and the 5.7 Hemi V8 with eTorque have not yet been approved by the EPA. This article has since spread around to many automotive sites putting their own take on it, in some cases resulting in articles not even resembling the original context. Lets break it down and look at the facts.” Read the whole story here: https://5thgenrams.com/are-the-2019-ram-production-doom-and-gloom-articles-accurate/

UPDATE: Meet The 2019 Dodge Charger GT RWD: GT Package Goes Rear Wheel Drive: 2019 Dodge Charger GT RWD Prototype. (MoparInsiders) In 2018, Dodge introduced that all of their Charger all-wheel drive (AWD) models would carry their GT trim name to align the Charger lineup with the Challenger lineup. The Dodge Challenger had gotten an AWD package for the 2017 model year carrying the GT name. On Charger, the new trim level meant that the big Dodge sedan would no longer offer an AWD option on the SXT and SXT models. The marketing team worked along side the engineers to create a more sporty package for the Charger AWD model, by listening to customer input. 2019 Dodge Charger GT RWD Prototype. (MoparInsiders) For the new Charger GT...

Important Image Shows Up On Facebook Of New Jeep Truck: Aftermarket Supplier Shows Public New Truck Cab Shell: The Jeep community has been very excited about the upcoming 2019 Jeep Wrangler (rumored to be called Scrambler) pickup truck codenamed JT. With the truck due out for production in April of 2019, the Toledo Supplier’s Park in Toledo, Ohio has been revamping the old Jeep Wrangler JK assembly line and getting it ready for production of the new JT. 2019 Jeep “JT” Truck. (Real Fast Fotography) Utah based aftermarket manufacturer Artec Industries, designs and builds aftermarket accessories for multiple generations of the Jeep Wrangler, Ram Trucks and Ford Super Duty. An interesting post popped up on June 5th, on Artec Indusrties’...

Here is tomorrows front page Challenger review article... A perfectly executed blend of past and present MoparInsiders was fortunate enough to get some seat time in a 2018 Dodge Challenger 392 Scat Pack Shaker thanks to our friends at Abbotsford Chrysler. 2018 Challenger R/T 392 Scat Pack Shaker (Moparinsiders) Design Our tester was beautifully finished in Octane Red with black accents and featured 20×9 matte black aluminum wheels. Red Brembo calipers are visible behind the wheels and really complete the red and black look. Although the overall design dates back to the 2008 Challenger which in itself was a re-imagining of the iconic 1970 model it still turns heads everywhere you go. 2018 Challenger R/T 392 Scat Pack Shaker...

This story goes up tomorrow... Why Mopar Fans Should Be Excited For Alfa Romeo! Forum Member Ryan Explains... Our forum moderator @Ryan, has this to say about why Mopar fans should be excited about the Alfa Romeo. Between the constant whining about FCA's decisions on other sites and the hopeful discussion of upcoming products, there is a topic I have not seen addressed: Alfa Romeo's influence on the future of the Mopar brands. 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti (FCA US Photo) I got an opportunity to briefly drive a Giulia yesterday. It was a very quick drive and I was behind the wheel for maybe fifteen minutes, but I came away impressed. Around town, the steering is sharp and the ride is comfortable, but the highway is where it comes...

MoparInsiders spends a few hours with a Challenger R/T 392 Scat pack Shaker... I got to spend a few hours with a 2018 Dodge Challenger R/T 392 Scat Pack Shaker yesterday afternoon, thanks to our friends at Abbotsford Chrysler. While I am still working on the full written review for tomorrow, here’s a fun video I shot with the car.

Deserthawk - The New Jeep Rated Trim Level: Arrives In First Quarter Of 2020... A few months ago at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, Jeep showed off a custom Wrangler called the Sandstorm. Inspired by Baja desert racers, the Jeep Sandstorm concept is all about blitzing long, sandy straightaways while still being capable of handling the daily driving duties. To accomplish this, the Sandstorm featured off-road hardware that would handle both with ease, as well as an extreme-duty suspension system. 2018 Jeep Sandstorm Concept. (FCA US Photo) It was a departure from the rock crawling vehicles Jeep is known for. Going back to last week, Jeep shocked the automotive world by showing off another marque to go along with the "Trailhawk"...

One of the forum members on our sister site 5thGenRams.com, has provided us with a behind on the scenes look at the manufacturing process of the all-new Ram 1500 at the recently revamped Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in Sterling Heights, Michigan. All of the new generation (DT) Ram 1500s will be produced at SHAP, by a workforce of over 7,200 employees. The plant itself is over 5 million square feet and features more than 1,100 state-of-the-art robotics, which work in perfect harmony. The plant received a $1.48 million investment last year, to make the plant to most advanced assembly plant that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has in the United States. SHAP can easily produce over 500,000 trucks a year with it's new...

A New Midsized Ram Pickup Is Coming: This Is What We Know... FCA had their Capital Markets day last Friday, June 1st, in which they outlined their 5 year plan for all global brands. As part of the 5 year plan for the Ram brand a new mid-sized pickup is shown with an on sale date before 2022, getting them back in the market created by the Dodge Dakota in 1987. Production of the Ram HD trucks will be moving from Saltillo, Mexico to Warren, Michigan for the upcoming 5th Generation Ram HD . At a press conference back in January after the opening day at the North American International Autoshow, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne was asked what would be produced at the Saltillo plant after it is freed up. Marchionne responded by saying that...

Next-Generation Dodge Durango Goes BoF! Durango Replacement To Be Based On Ram 1500... 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Rendering. (DarkSky Design) Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) currently has one assembly plant operating inside the city limits of Detroit. The Jefferson North Assembly Plant (JNAP) produces the Grand Cherokee for US and worldwide export and the Durango for US, Canada, Mexico. The Grand Cherokee has called JNAP home since the nameplate was first introduced in 1993. Grand Cherokee is a solid performer with sales over 257,000 units in North America alone last year. Many questions have been raised about production capacity restraints at the plant. The Durango currently sells 75,000 units built per year. It is believed both...

What To Expect With FCA’s Future Plan: FCA Investor Day Will Show Off What Is To Come Over Next 5 Years... With June 1st only a couple days away, rumors are running rapid on the internet about Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) big investor meeting. Friday’s meeting will host FCA’s Investor Day, where FCA will layout its plan on how the company will operate for the next 5 years. It will also mark the last time that FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne will lead such a meeting as he is set to retire from his CEO position in early 2019. Amid the rumors is that Marchionne will name is successor at the meeting. This could happen, however we feel it will probably happen later in the year. Some people have FCA Chairman John Elkann as Marchionne...

Grand Commander – The Jeep We Don’t Get! The Chinese Seven-Passenger Jeep... The Chinese auto market is a bit different than the US. The top selling vehicles are smallish minivans, CUV’s, and a few VW and Buick sedans. The Chinese really like Americana, and the Jeep brand is a prime example. The new Jeep Grand Commander (K8) is looking to be a big part of FCA’s Chinese product plan but why make a three row small midsize CUV instead of simply making a three row Grand Cherokee using the floor plan of the Durango? Well there are a few reasons and one is profitability. The Grand Commander will be produced at the GAC/FCA joint venture in Changsha which is in the Hunan providence in Southern China, saving import taxes which will make...

The Two Cars Missing From The Charger And Challenger Lineups: HEMI Power and All-Wheel Drive... Since Sergio Marchionne has taken the helm at Chrysler (now FCA US), his plan has been to change Dodge from a mainstream brand to the performance brand of the FCA US lineup. While it has caused endless arguments between the brand’s fan base, there is no doubt that Dodge has become the American performance brand. Last year, Dodge released the long awaited 475 horsepower all-wheel drive (AWD) Dodge Durango SRT which was a huge hit. The Dodge brand has been pushing the SRT cars unique looks across the lineup, even including the SRT performance looks on the V6 powered SXT STP (Super Track Pak) model Chargers. Durango R/T got it’s big brother...