October 2018

The Hellephant — Mopar shows 1,000-horsepower HEMI crate engine

(November 1, 2018) LAS VEGAS — The Mopar brand is stampeding into the 2018 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show with a brand-new HEMI-engine-powered beast: the “Hellephant” 426 Supercharged Mopar Crate HEMI engine, which turns the crank at a mammoth 1,000 horsepower and 950 lb.-ft. of torque.
 
The “Hellephant” 426 Supercharged Mopar Crate HEMI engine is a Mopar-first for a 1,000-horsepower crate engine kit offered by an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

Mecum Chicago auction realizes $17.5 million in sales

(October 31, 2018) Mecum’s Chicago 2018 classic and collector car auction marked another in a long line of successful auctions that have shown huge growth with margins exceeding 30 percent from the previous year. With overall sales totals of $17.5 million, Mecum Chicago 2018 constituted a 38-percent increase over 2017 totals as 75 percent of all 896 vehicles offered hammered sold.

Mini USA offers 'Tweet to Test Drive' delivery to potential customers homes

(October 31, 2018) WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.— MINI USA today announced a new collaboration with Twitter which allows Mini to offer potential customers the first ever, “Tweet to Test Drive” on-demand delivery to their home or office via Tweets. The offering will be available exclusively in San Francisco and Los Angeles through  Nov. 30.

GM Collision Repair Network to have 1,000 dealers enrolled

(October 31, 2018) LAS VEGAS — General Motors’ Customer Care and Aftersales division has announced that in a few months, nearly 1,000 dealers and repair facilities will have begun enrollment in the GM Collision Repair Network to help with safe and proper repair of GM vehicles.

“The industry response means that repair facilities are seeing business value in becoming a part of GM’s Collision Repair Network,” said John Eck, collision manager, GM Customer Care and Aftersales.

Kia shows off four highly modified Telluride SUVs in Las Vegas

(October 31, 2018) LAS VEGAS — Following the surprising appearance of Kia’s newest SUV, the upcoming Telluride, at this year’s New York Fashion Week, Kia returns to SEMA with an outdoor activation that’s "bigger and better than ever," eclipsing Kia’s 2017 SEMA drifting experience. Designed as a thrill ride for those brave enough to jump into the passenger seats of four highly-modified Tellurides, Kia’s 2018 “Torque Track,” located just outside the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center (Orange lot), promises to leave a lasting impression and will be running through Thursday.

2019 Volkswagen Jetta chosen by top tuners for display at SEMA

(October 30, 2018) HERNDON, Va.  — Volkswagen of America has announced that the Volkswagen Jetta has been chosen by three top automotive builders and customizers as a platform to showcase parts, equipment and build potential at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas this week. The sedan’s large, more dynamic proportions have made it an appealing car to highlight both cosmetic and performance-based parts and accessories to attendees.

Catch the drift — New limited-edition Mustang comes to life

(October 30, 2018) DEARBORN, Mich. — World champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR Vehicles team are working with Ford Performance to provide a definitive collaboration of style, performance and fun with the new Series 1 Mustang RTR Powered by Ford Performance — the latest addition to the Mustang family.

Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC to be available in Europe in December

(October 30, 2018) The new Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC is now available for order. The heart of the agile entry-level model into the world of Driving Performance is the newly developed 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with an output of 306 hp. High driving dynamics are also ensured by the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7G dual-clutch transmission, the AMG-specific suspension and the variable AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

Ford recalling 1.5 million Focus cars for fuel system issue

(October 29, 2018) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is issuing a recall for approximately 1.5 million 2012-18 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter GDI and 2.0-liter GTDI engines for a malfunctioning canister purge valve.

Affected vehicles are equipped with a canister purge valve that may become stuck in an open position. If this occurs, an excessive vacuum in the fuel system could cause deformation of the vehicle’s plastic fuel tank. As a result, the customer could observe a malfunction indicator light or a fuel gauge with fluctuating or inaccurate fuel levels. This could lead to a stall while driving and/or an inability to restart the vehicle, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat gets new stripe options for 2019

(October 29, 2018) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world, looks even more menacing for 2019 as Dodge//SRT adds three new stripe options, giving performance enthusiasts even more custom options straight from the factory.
 
“The Dodge Charger continues its run as the sales leader in the large car segment for the fifth year in a row,” said Steve Beahm, head of Passenger Cars, Dodge//SRT.