Hot off the press!
Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty to merge . . . but into what?: Although Chrysler has several wrinkles to iron out in its North American operations, eliminating product overlap is a key priority for the automaker. The privately owned company is moving to get its three brands — Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep — under one roof, which makes vehicles that are a bit too similar even more redundant now. The new direction will see more than a few models ride off into the sunset, the first of which will either be the Dodge Nitro or Jeep Liberty. According to Steven Landry, Chrysler’s vice president of North American sales, the two sport-utility models will merge within three years. Industry experts have long expected the slow-selling Nitro to be cut, and it appears as though its days are numbered.
BMW’s Motorsports division on a path to revive the 8 Series: The Sleuth hears that German automaker BMW plans to bring back the 8-series nameplate on a new four-door model. The previous “8” was a high-performance two-door. Sources tell the Sleuth that the new car, which will be a production version of the Concept CS, will apparently be turned over to BMW’s “M” (for Motorsports) performance division. It will be the first time that a Bimmer will be totally developed by the company’s famed in-house tuner. Riding on a modified version of the new 7-series full-size sedan platform, the 8 will be no small car. Despite its generous proportions, however, the sleek four-door should be rather svelte, thanks to its aluminum and carbon-fiber construction.
