Chrysler News
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The Dodge Challenger Drag Pack is a factory production heavily modified Dodge Challenger built exclusively for drag racing. Don Garlits, 17-time Top Fuel drag racing champion and still getting behind the wheel after over 50 years in the sport has cooperated with Dodge to create a special edition Challenger Drag Pack car for the 2008 SEMA show. The "Big Daddy" Don Garlits edition started with the third of the drag pack cars built, which was then treated to a custom set of graphics plus an array of signatures and tweaks to make the car a one-of-a-kind special. It's not yet clear which of the...
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2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger unveiled at SEMA
Formula Drift is serious business for those involved in the series and the drift community, and Chrysler's Mopar division has revealed its latest entry to the field at the SEMA show today. The 2009 Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger will be the factory ride for Samuel Hubinette during the 2009 season. In...
Ralph Hanson -
GM-Chrysler details expected Friday alongside release of GM's Q3 results
The ongoing merger-acquisition talks between Chrysler and General Motors are expected to bear fruit in the form of an announcement this Friday revealing some of the details being discussed. The timing of the announcement coincides with GM's release of its third-quarter earnings report, which is...
Nelson Ireson -
Mopar Underground unveils handful of modified Dodge vehicles
The star of Dodge’s lineup at this year’s SEMA Auto Show is undoubtedly the V10-powered Challenger SRT10 Concept, but there are a slew of other modified Dodge vehicles on show in Las Vegas this week that are also worth mentioning. These include cars like the Mopar enhanced Dodge...
Ralph Hanson -
Autonet Mobile and Delphi team up to provide wireless internet for cars
Automotive parts supplier Delphi Corporation and wireless internet company Autonet Mobile announced an agreement this week to market and develop Internet-connectivity technology products for a number of automobile manufacturers. The two companies are field testing new telematics and in-car...
Jeremy Weber -
Chrysler adds features, efficiency to Sebring, 300 and Dodge Avenger
Stronger fuel efficiency, better value and more features are the focus of the 2009 model year updates for Chrysler's Sebring, 300 and Dodge Avenger. Other touches include updated exterior design and upgraded interior materials. Fuel consumption is improved by offering smaller engines, such as the...
Ralph Hanson -
With a number of reports claiming a formal announcement detailing a merger partner for Chrysler is expected within the next two weeks, all eyes are currently focused on the two most likely suitors – General Motors and Renault-Nissan. However, it appears more and more likely that GM will be the eventual merger partner for the Auburn Hills carmaker, and latest reports confirm it citing information revealed by people close to the matter. Talks between Chrysler and Renault-Nissan have reportedly come to an end, as both sides have acknowledged that Cerberus Capital Management...
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Group 5 building Dodge Challenger speedster for SEMA
While Chrysler may have ruled out adding a convertible variant of the 2009 Dodge Challenger, no fewer than three open top versions of the rejuvenated muscle car will be on show at this year’s SEMA event in Las Vegas. The first custom convertible, announced two weeks ago, is the creation of...
James Martinez -
Treasury ends talks with GM and Chrysler, puts merger on hold
The United States Treasury Department has put an end to any hope that additional federal money will be lent to either General Motors or Chrysler to help aid a merger. The Bush administration's decision not to fund the merger at this time effectively puts the question on hold until after the...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: GM merger could axe all but seven Chrysler models
One of the more worrying scenarios resulting from a possible merger between General Motors and Chrysler is that the Auburn Hills carmaker could be absorbed entirely by GM, meaning most of its models, plants, dealers, and employees would be dropped. Chrysler, along with Dodge and Jeep, would then...
Ralph Hanson -
Toyota denies GM ever requested its help
The negotiations between General Motors and Chrysler are reportedly going well, with some major hurdles being overcome this week. However, discussions on how GM plans to finance Chrysler's estimated $10 billion of debt are proving to be a major snag in the process, with cash-strapped GM struggling...
James Martinez -
Chrysler unveils new Dodge Trazo compact car for Latin America
Chrysler LLC launched into a new segment in Latin America today, with the introduction of the new Dodge Trazo at the São Paulo Motor Show. The Dodge Trazo C1.8 will be offered as a low-cost four-door sedan focused on fuel efficiency in select Latin American markets, including Brazil, Argentina...
Kenneth Hall -
As the potential merger between General Motors and Chrysler becomes clearer in detail, it is beginning to look less and less likely due to problems with the financing necessary for GM to complete the deal. Government aid could bridge the gap, and recently we saw reports that the Treasury was considering an aid package of at least $5 billion to facilitate the merger and help preserve thousands of jobs. However, latest reports indicate that GM has already asked the government for a $10 billion aid package to help it acquire Chrysler. Instead of a standard loan the federal government would...
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Daimler suspends production for 1 month
Even the upper tier of the mass-market luxury car manufacturers are facing troubled times this year. Sales are down, inventories are up and there appears to be no end in sight. In response to this situation, Daimler has decided the right move is to cut all production for at least one month...
Nelson Ireson -
Chrysler confirms plans to discontinue Aspen and Durango hybrid SUVs
Chrysler has announced that it will discontinue its Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango full-size hybrid SUVs less than a year after first revealing them and only two months into their full-scale production. The main reason behind the move is the closing of the Delaware plant where they are made...
Kenneth Hall -
Report: Chrysler to use more Mercedes diesels in Europe
Though Daimler and Chrysler split last year, cooperation between the two carmakers is ongoing, and it looks to be headed into the future as well, with the next-generation Mercedes four-cylinder diesel headed into Chrysler vehicles in Europe, according to the latest reports. A 2.1L unit will be the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Chrysler announces 25% of salaried jobs to be cut by year end
Ongoing merger negotiations, record financial losses and the worst sales figures in recent history have all been pointing to serious trouble for Chrysler, LLC, and today CEO Bob Nardelli said in a letter to employees that the company will cut 25% of its workforce - or about 4,300 salaried jobs -...
Nelson Ireson -
Daimler values 19.9% stake in Chrysler down to zero
Both General Motors and Renault-Nissan are reportedly eying an acquisition of Chrysler, or at least some of its shares, but one carmaker that already owns a stake in the Auburn Hills-based firm has downgraded the value of its holding to zero. Daimler AG, which retained a 19.9% share in Chrysler...
Jeremy Weber -
Chrysler’s future Phoenix V6 engine has been speculated on for the past several years and now as the company is the midst of merger talks there have been claims that the $3 billion engine project may have been shelved. The Phoenix V6 was touted to be a world class engine designed for Chrysler’s entire portfolio of brands, including its Jeep SUVs, Chrysler sedans and minivans, and Dodge pickup trucks. Some of its planned features included direct-injection and cylinder-deactivation technologies as well as variable valve timing. A recent report claimed that workers at one of the...
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Cerberus won't split Chrysler up, wants single buyer
Talk of General Motors purchasing or merging with Chrysler, sale to a third party or other speculation has been refined somewhat by Cerberus' statement today that it is trying to find a single buyer for Chrysler. The ideal situation for Cerberus would be a merger with GM, stake in the combined...
Nelson Ireson -
Report: Dodge Viper now eligible for employee pricing
Carmakers are usually cautious when it comes to discounting their performance flagships and halo models, but a new report claims Chrysler has finally made its Dodge Viper supercar eligible for its employee discount program. According to the company’s employee advantage website, both the Viper...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Chrysler plans to drop AWD option on 2009 Sebring, Avenger and Caliber
Chrysler will drop its all-wheel-drive option for the 2009 Dodge Avenger, Caliber and Chrysler Sebring because of low demand. The information was confirmed by company spokesman Jiyan Cadiz, who said the option never really caught on since its introduction for those particular models late last year...
James Martinez -
Chrysler cancels Getrag dual-clutch contract
Just as Chrysler was preparing to begin bringing a dual-clutch transmission to its North American fleet, a dispute with Getrag has sent plans for yearly production of up to 700,000 of the units up in smoke. Earlier this month Chrysler brought a lawsuit against Getrag, and now the German gearbox...
Kenneth Hall -
Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango hybrids rated at 22mpg highway
Chrysler’s new Dodge Durango and Aspen hybrid SUVs finally began rolling off assembly lines in late August at the company’s Newark plant in Delaware. The two SUVs are Chrysler’s first entries in the hybrid market and are now able to backup Chrysler's claimed fuel efficiency...
James Martinez