According to automotive consulting firm IHS Global Insight, the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep lineups are going to look drastically different over the next few years under Fiat control. No surprises there, but the report goes on the forecast which current Chrysler vehicles will be dropped and which ones will be transferred to new platforms. We’ve already heard that the next Alfa Romeo 169 sedan will be built atop Chrysler’s LX platform in Ontario, Canada and that the Fiat 500 will be built ASAP in Toluca, Mexico, but that’s only the beginning.

If IHS is right, joining the 500 in Toluca will be the Jeep Panda, which, as you may have guessed, will be a version of the Fiat Panda wearing Jeep’s trademark seven-slot grille. Furthermore, Alfa Romeo may get two new SUVs that would be built in Jeep factories in Jefferson, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio – one midsize ‘ute called the GTX that’s based on the WL platform that underpins the Jeep Grand Cherokee and a smaller one built on Fiat’s C-EVO platform, which will also underpin the next Jeep Liberty. That leaves the unloved Jeep Compass and its somewhat more likable brother, the Patriot, to die slow and inglorious death.

Fiat’s C-EVO platform will also spawn the next-gen Dodge Journey, Chrysler Sebring (and presumably the Dodge Avenger if it survives past its current form), and Dodge Caliber. Moving downward in size a notch will (finally) be the Dodge Hornet, which will forgo Bad Chrysler’s old deal with Nissan in order to share its Fiat 199 platform with the Alfa Romeo MiTo, both of which will be assembled in Belvidere, Illinois sometime in 2011. Thanks for the tip, Dad!

Barely a half a day has passed since the FOTA announced it start a breakaway championship, and as predicted, the FIA has announced it’s suing the rebel teams. The FIA’s sternest words were aimed at Ferrari, saying “The actions of FOTA as a whole, and Ferrari in particular, amount to serious violations of law including willful interference with contractual relations, direct breaches of Ferrari’s legal obligations and a grave violation of competition law.”

Max Mosley has been saying for months that F1 can do without the Ferrari and its rebel cohorts, and that the teams would be left off the 2010 championship entry list if they didn’t come into line. Apparently, even though the sport can survive without them, and even though there are plenty of other teams applying to get into F1, the FIA would rather not explore that option. Hence the 2010 entry list has been “put on hold while the FIA asserts its legal rights.”

Call us crazy, but it looks like the FIA knows who puts the gold in the coffers. In one of the many statements made before the racing and litigating begins this weekend, BMW’s normally reserved Mario Thiessen said that the FIA’s position was unacceptable, and McLaren’s Martin Whitmarsh said that a breakaway series would “be recognized as the major championship.” Hat tip to James.

[Source: Crash.net]

Nearly a year ago, the cover of Mopar Enthusiast asked the question: Could the Plymouth Road Runner be reborn? The obvious answer: No. But that didn’t stop the buff book from publishing a host of gorgeous renderings by Michael Leonhard, an independent artist hailing from Austria.

Based on the Dodge Challenger, the Road Runner concept takes its cues from the ‘71-72 models, and in Leonhard’s active imagination, it would be powered by a choice of 5.7-, 6.1- or 7.0-liter engines, each available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox, complete with paddle shifters. The 20-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) wheels combine a little old-school nostalgia with a new-school flavor, along with a glowing Roadrunner logo placed between the LED tail lamps. We’ll let the artist and his work speak for themselves, so check out the gallery below and make the jump for Leonhard’s own description, along with a brief video of the concept.

The new 2010 Ford Taurus may share nothing mechanically with the model that ended production a few years ago, but it will launch this September with one thing in common: incentives. A poster car for rental fleets, the last-generation Taurus was being sold with rebates of between $3,000 and $4,000 before Ford stopped selling it to retail customers altogether. The new Taurus, despite being better in every way and touted as the brand’s new halo sedan, will go on sale with an early-order incentive offering $500 to buyers who receive their car by September 1 and an additional $1,000 cash rebate on all but the base model Taurus.

The new Taurus shouldn’t be judged too harshly for launching with money on its hood. Poor sales can’t be blamed, because none have been sold yet. The incentives are meant to kick off Taurus sales and get the numbers up to where they might have been had the economy not gone sour. And to ensure the new Taurus doesn’t wind up clogging rental fleet lots like the last one, Ford has stated that it will keep rental sales in the single- or low-double-digit range.

When the Audi Q3 compact CUV hits the streets in 2011, its assembly will be handled by the workers at VW’s Spanish division, SEAT. In preparation for the crossover’s arrival SEAT is building an all-new body shop at its Martorell factory. Like other modern body shops, the 322,000 square-foot facility will be heavily automated with over 300 robots handling most of the welding and stamp manipulation.

A ceremony was held at the site this week to lay the cornerstone for the new building, and as is typical for these types of events, all the usual politicians and dignitaries turned out for their photo op. The €300 million euro factory is the largest investment made by SEAT in 15 years, and signals that the Volkswagen group tends to keep it around for a while. An estimated 1,500 people will be employed building the Q3 when it launches in two years.

If you’re looking for a Maserati that’s easier on your wallet, or a treat for a Maserati lover, then you should check out the Maserati model configurator. Three base models in 1/43 scale are available: Quattroporte, Quattroporte S, and Granturismo S. From there you can choose from among seven exterior and two interior colors, four or five different brake caliper colors, two or three different kinds of rims, and select a sunroof which is made of glass. No, it doesn’t open.

You can even select a personalized license plate written in one of four fonts. Naturally, once you’re finished, you can buy it. The models are €230 ($320 US), which includes shipping, and are sent within 30 days. If your Maserati doesn’t match your expectations, you can return it (good luck doing that with a real car). If you don’t want to go all the way then you can just display your modeling prowess in the virtual showroom. Everybody wins.

[Source: Maserati]

While the age-old question of whether the fastest way ’round a race track is on two wheels or four isn’t likely to get a definitive answer, on July 13th at the Ducs Fly South track day at New Jersey Motorsports Park we’ll get another bit of evidence to consider.

Three Ferrari Challenge cars will take to the track driven by the staff from Universal Autosports, with each competing against the other to set the fastest lap. Immediately following that hot lap competition, a series of professional instructors and racers from Ducati will perform an identical contest piloting the Italian bikes.

You know where this is heading, right? Naturally, the Ferrari Challenge driver and Ducati rider with the fastest laps will go head-to-head in a winner-takes-all race. Wanna watch? No problem – you can even hit the track yourself on your own motorcycle. Click past the break for all the details.

Beware of speeding ticket myths

We’ve all heard stories about ways you can avoid or get out of a ticket, but how many people do you know that have actually pulled it off? One? Two? None? Virginia traffic attorney Andrew Flusche probably knows a thing or two about fighting moving infractions, and he came up with a list of some of the “get out of a moving violation free” ticket myths.

You’ve all heard this one: “the officer won’t show up in court if you fight it.” According to Flusche, that’s flat-out wrong in most cases. In fact, some municipalities pay police overtime for court time, making it that much more enticing to show up, and as Flusche points out, it’s the officer’s job to show up.

Another common myth is that you can simply plead to the judge that you were going with the flow of traffic. That’s the traffic infraction equivalent of “the other kids were doing it.” That didn’t fly with your parents, and it won’t fly with the judge.

The third myth Fusche brings up is the argument that the radar system was poorly calibrated. To successfully argue this point in court, Fusche says that you must first obtain evidence that the equipment is faulty. You can request calibration dates and data, and you can research the information online, but the burden of proof is on you. Without the evidence, the judge will rightfully side with the guys and gals in blue.

[Source: Dumb Little Man via Life Hacker | Image Source: Ramzi Haidarr/Getty/AFP]