Posted in Rumors

Public dealerships’ F&I gross profits fall in Q2 but most above $2,000 a vehicle

AutoNation, Lithia, Group 1, Sonic and Asbury all had same-store finance and insurance gross profit per vehicle above $2,000 in the second quarter.

Posted in Rumors

CDK Global outage highlights gaps in finance office preparation

Finance managers had to adapt with no notice or preparation, and many came out of the experience with important lessons learned.

Posted in Rumors

Westlake Financial launches fleet financing product to power micro leasing at dealerships

The vehicles used in micro lease programs can fall into a gap not covered by traditional floorplan or rental financing.

Posted in Rumors

Guest commentary: What’s keeping Larry up at night?

Dealers need to protect customer information, train staff and invest in technology to sleep better at night.

Porsche R&D boss: E-fuel plant should serve as "role model"
Posted in Reviews Speed

Porsche R&D boss: E-fuel plant should serve as “role model”

2024 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car being filled with e-fuelPorsche aims to scale production of synthetic fuel Porsche’s R&D boss believes synthetic fuel will play a big role in reducing emissions Ferrari’s counting on synthetic fuel too; Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are investigating whether e-fuels can keep ICE alive Porsche is confident that synthetic “e-fuels” will displace a significant amount of…

2025 Mini Countryman priced from $39,895, offers gas or electric power
Posted in Reviews Speed

2025 Mini Countryman priced from $39,895, offers gas or electric power

2025 Mini Countryman SThe redesigned 2025 Mini Countryman has two gas options and one electric The electric Countryman has a 212-mile range estimate Driver assistance offers hands-free driving in some situations The redesigned 2025 Mini Countryman made its debut last fall, and is now available in U.S. showrooms with the choice of electric or gas powertrains. For…

Posted in General

First Shift: Ford’s product roadmap

Ford’s product roadmap

Canada to impose new EV tariffs

Automakers urged to prioritize privacy

Ford’s Bronco Sport adds steel bumpers

Nvidia CEO tops compensation list

Dodge Charger Daytona possibly preparing for police duty
Posted in General

Dodge Charger Daytona possibly preparing for police duty

  • Dodge is preparing its next-gen cop car
  • Dodge teased what appears to be a police-spec Charger Daytona EV
  • The old gas-powered Charger was popular with police fleets

The outgoing gasoline Dodge Charger sedan has become a staple of police fleets, but will that also be the case for the all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona?

An Instagram post on Dodge Law, the official account for the Stellantis brand’s law enforcement business, shows the new Charger in police garb. The vehicle is labeled as a concept, and the post notes that more details are soon to come.

Dodge Law Instagram post from Aug. 2024

Dodge Law Instagram post from Aug. 2024

While the post doesn’t specify whether the car pictured is a Charger Daytona EV or the companion gasoline model, which uses a turbocharged inline-6 engine, the way the police decal on the hood dips down indicates that the police concept has the R-Wing front blade that is specific to the electric version.

The Charger Daytona will be offered as a three-door or five-door hatchback, with the latter offering space in back for detainees. A 100.5-kwh (93.5-kwh usable) battery pack provides up to 317 miles of range in civilian models, and a peak DC fast-charge rate of 183 kw allows for a 20-80% charge in about 28 minutes. Less relevant to law enforcement is the Fratzonic exhaust system that simulates the noise and vibration of the now-defunct V-8 engine.

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona

This would be the first all-electric police car offered by Stellantis in the U.S., but other EVs such as the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Blazer EV have already been converted for law enforcement work. The City of South Pasadena, California, has even claimed to have the nation’s first all-electric police fleet, although it’s an outlier. U.S. police departments have been slow to adopt EVs, in part due to a lack of suitable options.

Considering the popularity of the old Charger with police fleets, perhaps the Charger Daytona will provide an all-electric platform better suited to their needs and help spur wider adoption of EVs among law enforcement. In the meantime, the civilian Charger Daytona is scheduled to reach dealerships later this year with a base price of $61,590.

Electric Porsche Panamera to live alongside gas-powered model
Posted in General

Electric Porsche Panamera to live alongside gas-powered model

Product strategy continues to shift at Porsche as market winds blow.

In an interview with Autocar, Porsche’s research and development boss Michael Steiner said the gas-powered Panamera will exist alongside the next-generation electric model in showrooms.

“The new Cayenne is fully electric, but for its whole lifespan we will have the ICE version in parallel. It’s the same for the Panamera,” Steiner said.

The revised powertrain lineup and model cycles go beyond the Panamera and Cayenne.

The electric Porsche Macan, which is arriving stateside in the coming weeks, will sell alongside the gas model for the coming years. The Macan EV received a lower price and likely more range for 2025.

The next-generation Cayenne will be electric, but it will sell alongside the gasoline-fueled models. The 2024 Cayenne lineup saw hybrid models receive large upgrades in terms of power and range for 2024.

Porsche has more electric SUVs on the way. A flagship electric SUV will arrive after and be positioned above the next-generation Cayenne. The yet to be named electric SUV will be based on Volkswagen Group’s Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), with Porsche using the specific “Sport” version of SSP for the model.

The automaker has said the  electric SUV will provide “strong performance and automated driving functions with the typical Porsche flyline.” The interior is billed as “a completely new experience.”

In the coming years Porsche showrooms will eventually house three electric SUVs, and an electric hatchback in the form of the next-generation Panamera.

2025 Acura RDX adds refinements inside and out for $46,050
Posted in Reviews Speed

2025 Acura RDX adds refinements inside and out for $46,050

2025 Acura RDXThe Acura RDX received a mild makeover for 2025 The infotainment system’s touchpad remains The 2025 RDX arrives in showrooms this month and costs $46,050 Acura has updated its top-selling RDX compact crossover for the 2025 model year, enhancing the vehicle’s look and adding refinements in the cabin. When the 2025 Acura RDX arrives in showrooms…