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Leith Cars Blog
This isn’t Days of Thunder; the 1990 Tom Cruise NASCAR flick where it’s implied that the fictional driver, Cole Trickle, just needs to mash the gas, turn left, and hang on, prior to his superspeedway debut. If you haven’t seen the movie, there’s a lot of fender-banging, paint-swapping, crashes, smashes, and bashes as Cruise’s character learns how to handle a big American stock car on the NASCAR circuit.
This is the REAL deal at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the stage is Memorial Day Weekend, when just about all eyes in the motorsports world will be on the Queen City’s jewel of a race track. With a three-day slate of racing, beginning with the NC Education Lottery 200 on Friday night and culminating in the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday afternoon, the stakes couldn’t be much higher for a driver making his debut at “America’s Home for Racing.”
Tyler Hill, the younger brother of NASCAR driver and Hill Motorsports co-owner Timmy Hill, will make his first-ever start Friday night at 8:30 pm in the No. 56 LeithCars.com Toyota Tundra at Charlotte. As he told us in a recent interview for our Zero to 60TV series, Tyler has raced on the quarter-mile infield track at Charlotte as a kid in what is known as a Legends car, a three-quarter-sized version of a 1930s Ford coupe or sedan that uses a high-revving Yamaha engine under its hood for motivation.
But this weekend will be the first time he’s raced on the 1.5-mile high-banked superspeedway oval at Charlotte, where he’ll be piloting a V8-powered race truck with over 600 ponies under the hood. Hill should be good for some 180+ mph runs down the backstretch with that kind of power beneath his right foot. Tyler Hill’s race truck will carry a patriotic paint scheme in honor of our fallen heroes too, continuing a tradition that Timmy Hill started a few years back when he has driven the No. 56 on Memorial Day Weekend.
Unlike Days of Thunder, they’ll be no “rubbin’s racing” advice from older brother Timmy on Friday night, but more likely, a calm, cool, and focused message to keep his Toyota race truck in the best line possible, make calculated moves to gain position, and to save his equipment for the end of the race in order to make a final push towards the checkered flag.
Watch our latest LeithCars.com episode of Zero to 60TV featuring Tyler Hill and Timmy Hill of Hill Motorsports and follow our @LeithCars social channels as well as @HillMotorsports56 for coverage before, during, and after the race.
The NC Education Lottery 200 can be seen on FSI and heard on the Motorsports Racing Network and Sirius/XM beginning at 8 pm Friday night, May 26th.
Written by Mark Arsen for LeithCars.com.
The electrification of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram is underway in earnest.
Record books will be rewritten, expectations will be surpassed and what was once thought impossible will become routine. The electrification of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram was the subject of a recent super-secret Mopar dealer’s group meeting in Las Vegas. How secret, might you ask? Attendees had to pass through “TSA-style” security to enter the room and were told they couldn’t record any audio or take a video of the upcoming models on display.
Everything we’re reporting to you in our latest Leith Cars blog was taken with hand-written notes. Oh, the humanity! But seriously, what went down in Vegas is a big deal and it definitely isn’t staying in Vegas, if you get our drift?
Here are a few of the highlights and yes, they are electrifying.
Ram 1500 REV:
Ram’s first electric pickup truck will be able to drive 500 miles between battery charges when it goes on sale in 2024. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the new Ram 1500 REV’s range is 100 miles more than any other electric pickup currently in or nearing production.
The new electric Ram will host a 229 kWh hour battery pack, the largest battery ever announced for a pickup truck. A standard-level Ram 1500 REV will come with a 350-mile range battery pack producing 168 kWh.
Those are impressive numbers for any EV, but this is a truck and trucks need to be capable of carrying heavy payloads and hauling big stuff. Thanks to the Ram’s optional battery pack, the new EV truck can tow a maximum of 14,000 pounds and receive a max payload of 2,700 pounds.
You can even use your new Ram 1500 REV as an emergency power backup at home due to the truck’s ability to provide 7.2 kW of power for electrical equipment and with its home integration system, allow you to power your home in the event of a blackout.
Dodge Charger SRT Concept:
Even though several video reels teasing the next-gen Charger have been released since news broke last year about Dodge’s iconic nameplate going full EV, there are not as many confirmed details on the new model as we have on the Ram 1500 REV. For the sake of our blog though, we’ve cobbled together some scribbled intel following the Vegas meeting to provide you with what we know so far.
The two-door Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept you see above will be the brand’s halo electric vehicle once it reaches production form. Of course, any EV offering by Dodge is big news since the brand, up until now, with its famed high horsepower, gas-chugging Charger sedan and Challenger coupe, was the antithesis of the electric vehicle movement.
So to keep Mopar fans happy and hopefully bring new fans to the brand, Dodge intends to build its Charger EV like a new-age muscle car. Complete with a front wing that acts as an aerodynamic pass-through for downforce, a multispeed transmission with electro-mechanical shifting and what Dodge calls an “exhaust” sound (artificially created) that can reach 126 decibels, (as loud as a Hemi V8-powered Hellcat), the Charger EV will be built to thrill.
One year after the release of the production Charger Daytona EV, Dodge plans to release what it’s calling a Charger “Banshee” available as an EV and as an “I.C.E.” (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle. The old-school powered Banshee can be had with a 400 hp 3.0 liter, single-turbocharged I6 under the hood or with an optional 500 horsepower dual-turbo I6 engine code-named Hurricane.
Chrysler Airflow:
It only makes sense that the company that pioneered aerodynamic automotive design in the 1930s with the original Chrysler Airflow would bring back the moniker and apply it to its future electric vehicle offering. In the case of the upcoming battery-electric powered Chrysler Airflow, slated for a 2025 release, Chrysler is setting the stage to reintroduce itself as a builder of “clean mobility,” promising an all-electric portfolio by 2028.
As Chrysler states in their new promo video, the move to electric is more than just engineering a new powertrain, Chrysler plans to change how “we” as consumers interact with our vehicles. From elegant but athletic sculpted lines across the Airflow’s exterior to a warm, inviting interior featuring a full, panoramic roof to let in plenty of natural lighting, the new Airflow hopes to elevate every road trip or commute.
Chrysler intends to build a premium, connected vehicle with the new Airflow, one that will enhance the lives of those who travel within its space. Featuring a connectivity hub that will allow drivers and passengers to integrate all things digital, the Airflow will offer video conferencing, gaming and screen sharing. Customization will allow passengers to personalize their digital space within the Airflow’s cabin.
The Chrysler Airflow will also feature STLA Auto Drive which is capable of up to Level-3 autonomous driving, the convenience of “over-the-air” tech updates and an electric driving range of up to 400 miles.
Jeep Recon:
Dubbed “Recon,” the first all-electric Jeep is Inspired by the Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid. The all-new four-wheel-drive Recon EV is a mid-size SUV slated to arrive sometime in 2024.
The Recon will offer an available power-folding rooftop and easy-to-remove doors, just like the Wrangler. Also similar to the Recon’s cousin, the new electric off-roader is expected to feature a tailgate-mounted spare tire.
Nothing else has been confirmed yet regarding price, range, the size of the Recon’s battery or the expected total power output. What does seem ready for the production version can be seen in the images shared so far by Jeep like the illuminated seven-slot front grille, seating for five and aggressive rubber at all four corners.
Now the question is, are you ready to get your juice on?
Written by Mark Arsen for LeithCars.com.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Feb 03, 2023, 06:12 ET
RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The culmination of a more than two-yearlong construction boom at Leith Auto Park Wendell has ramped up the dealership’s commercial truck service business.
“We’ve added service bays, techs, and advisors; we’ve expanded our service reception areas and customer lounge,” said Brad Smith, fixed operations director at Leith Auto Park Wendell. “With our continued growth, we are focused on taking care of our customers, keeping them moving, with less waiting, and less downtime for their vehicle.”
The recently completed second phase of construction brought improvements to the Leith Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram service area with a larger parts department that allows for stocking more fast-moving, regular maintenance parts like brake pads, tires, belts, and fluids, aiding the dealership’s Express Service capability.
The Leith Auto Park Wendell service enhancements began with the completion of the Leith GMC heavy-duty truck shop in the winter of 2021. The new expansion increased Leith GMC’s service capacity by over 75%. Three new 18,000-pound lifts were added along with a heavy-duty alignment lift that allows for servicing larger commercial vehicles like box trucks, service body trucks, and tanker-style trucks.
“Expanded commercial service with a quick turnaround is extremely important to commercial vehicle owners,” said Smith. “We began providing more services to our commercial customers in the GMC shop, and with the recently completed upgrades in our Ford and Ram shops, we can better take care of our commercial customers there as well.”
Leith Ford added four new service bays which include a new 12,000-pound drive-on rack to aid in servicing larger box trucks and commercial vehicles. The upgrades also include a new, large tire changer that allows Leith Auto Park Wendell to change truck wheels up to 24 inches in diameter.
LeithCars.com is one of the largest automotive groups in North Carolina. A family business founded in Raleigh, LeithCars.com has been serving the Triangle community for over 50 years, employing over 1,900 from the area. Named the #1 place to buy vehicles in the Raleigh Metro area for six years running, according to a Marshall Marketing Survey, with 39 franchise locations throughout the state. For more information, visit www.LeithCars.com.
Media Contact:
Jade Johnson
919-832-3232
jade.johnson@leithcars.com
SOURCE LeithCars.com
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Jan 27, 2023, 06:12 ET
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — LeithCars.com will be back in Victory Lane this season at Raleigh’s Wake County Speedway, with a continued commitment to grassroots motorsports.
Since 2018, LeithCars.com has played a prominent role in the success of the historic racing venue located just south of downtown. The quarter-mile oval opened in 1962 as a dirt track, was paved in the late 1980s, and became NASCAR sanctioned in 2020.
As title sponsor of the LeithCars.com Late Model Stock Car Division, Victory Lane, and a feature race event in mid-July, the Leith name has become synonymous with area stock car racing fans and race teams.
“We are extremely grateful for the continued support of our facility, racers, and fans by Leith,” said Charlie Hansen, Wake County Speedway Owner and Promoter. “Along with our fans through the gate and drivers on the track, for grassroots motorsports to continue to thrive, we need the support of great partners like Leith Automotive.”
Fans in attendance at Wake County Speedway this season will once again see the familiar LeithCars.com logo on the windshield of every Late Model Stock Car chasing after NASCAR Weekly Series points. In fact, the 2022 Late Model Track Champion at Wake also went on to earn the NASCAR State Points Title with LeithCars.com along for the ride.
In honor of NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary, the speedway is planning on featuring a collection of classic NASCAR Cup cars and replicas in a pre-race ceremony prior to the start of the LeithCars.com 160 on July 14. As in past Leith events at the speedway, many of Leith’s employees and their families will go to the race, making the July 14 Leith Night one of the largest attended events of the season.
LeithCars.com is one of the largest automotive groups in North Carolina. A family business founded in Raleigh, LeithCars.com has been serving the Triangle community for over 50 years, employing over 1,900 from the area. Named the #1 place to buy vehicles in the Raleigh Metro area for six years running, according to a Marshall Marketing Survey, with 39 franchise locations throughout the state. For more information, visit www.LeithCars.com.
Media Contact:
Mark Arsen
919-832-3232
mark.arsen@leithcars.com
SOURCE LeithCars.com
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Jan 19, 2023, 06:12 ET
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Leith Toyota has earned the number one Toyota sales ranking in the Raleigh metro based on new car sales as reported by Southeast Toyota for all of 2022.
“We’re extremely proud and humbled to continue to earn the business of so many great people over the past year,” said Boris Fershteyn, General Manager of Leith Toyota. “Whether it’s our sales department, service, parts, business development center, or administration here at Leith Toyota, our team effort is what leads to our success every day.”
Another key to Leith Toyota’s success is their commitment to not charge over MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) on new Toyotas. “We will never charge over MSRP,” said Alan Broughton, General Sales Manager of Leith Toyota. “We want customers for life.”
Leith Toyota has also earned multiple DealerRater awards including “Toyota Dealer of the Year for North Carolina” in 2022 and 2020, as well as the “Consumer Satisfaction Award” in 2021, 2019, and 2017. DealerRater is the global standard for car dealership reviews and research.
Beyond Leith Toyota’s success in new car sales, the dealership is also actively involved in helping local non-profits in the Triangle area through annual blood drives, toy drives during the holiday season, and more. Since 2016, Leith Toyota has donated to charitable organizations through their monthly “Win for Local Charity Contest.” They have also made donations to Reelin for Research to benefit UNC Children’s Hospital and childhood cancer research.
LeithCars.com is one of the largest automotive groups in North Carolina. A family business founded in Raleigh, LeithCars.com has been serving the Triangle community for over 50 years, employing over 1,900 from the area. Named the #1 place to buy vehicles in the Raleigh Metro area for six years running, according to a Marshall Marketing Survey, with 39 franchise locations throughout the state. For more information, visit www.LeithCars.com.
Media Contact:
Mark Arsen
919-832-3232
mark.arsen@leithcars.com
SOURCE LeithCars.com
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