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Today’s Issue WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2026
Automotive News reports that a Dodge planning document sent to suppliers schedules the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V-8 to launch at the end of 2027, at about 12,000 cars a year. Dodge declined to comment. The V-8 would sit above the six-cylinder Charger Super Bee, which makes 600 horsepower.
The 2+2 concept has coach doors, air suspension and steer-by-wire, and is slightly longer and wider than a Giulia Quadrifoglio. It pairs a hybrid system with Alfa's twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 and weighs about 3,900 pounds. Alfa calls it a "manifesto destined to inspire future models" rather than a production preview.
Twenty-three Chinese brands showed cars at Paris, up from nine last time and close behind Europe's 27. In the US, 100% tariffs and a ban on Chinese-derived software keep them out. Kelley Blue Book notes that Geely-owned Volvo, still sold in the US, could become a back door.
Frank van Meel says the manual is "not off the table" and names 48-volt mild-hybrid hardware, rising torque and fewer gearbox suppliers as the obstacles. About half of US M2 buyers choose the six-speed manual. He says the M2 keeps it for at least a couple more years.
Doug DeMuro reviews a 2001 Clio V6 listed on Cars & Bids. Renault built it by mounting a 3.0-liter V6 behind the front seats of its commuter hatchback and driving the rear wheels. DeMuro calls it one of the most iconic and ridiculous hot hatchbacks ever made.
The Pacific P510 hauled logs in New Zealand with a turbocharged 14.6-liter Caterpillar diesel in the tractor and a second on the lead trailer, for about 900 horsepower combined. Each engine drove its own Allison automatic. A driver who worked with the owners says the truck is being restored.
The October 9 fire at Fort Worth's Frank Kent Cadillac began in one vehicle and destroyed six SUVs, including some Escalade IQs. The fire department says watertight battery packs made it hard to get water to the flames. The Autopian notes that EVs catch fire less often than gas cars.
The sixth-generation Valtra T Series runs a 7.5-liter six-cylinder engine on Nokian tires. It reached about 54 mph on the Austrian circuit's main straight. The Drive notes that no other tractor lap record appears to exist there.
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