Automotive Einstein

Autoblog Dodge

Autoblog Dodge

Rebadged Dodge, Chrysler model sales a mixed bag in Europe Friday, 18 May 2012, 8:58 pm

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Sedan, Europe, Crossover, Chrysler, Dodge, Lancia, Fiat

Fiat, in an attempt to make its purchase of Chrysler more profitable, has been marketing rebadged Dodge and Chrysler models in Europe with mixed results.

Europeans apparently love the Fiat Freemont, known as a Dodge Journey here in the States. Fiat sold almost 6,500 of the crossovers over there in the first quarter and hopes to move 30,000 by year’s end. Sales were helped by Fiat’s large European dealer network as well as an MSRP lower than the model it replaced. Since the Journey is built in Mexico, it can be imported into Europe tariff-free, which helps keep the sticker price lower.

On the other hand, sales of the Lancia Thema (Chrysler 300) and Lancia Voyager (Dodge Grand Caravan) are not doing so well due to several factors. One is the limited reach of the Lancia brand outside Italy. Then there’s the 10 percent import tariff since they’re both built in Canada, a yearly 500 euro luxury tax (about $630 USD) on the Thema, and a limited advertising budget for the two cars.

Only 1,342 Voyagers were sold in Europe in the first quarter of this year, which means the 11,000 unit goal for the year will probably be missed. Lancia sold only 480 Themas during the same period, well short of the 2,500 Fiat had hoped to sell.

Rebadged Dodge, Chrysler model sales a mixed bag in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Chris Tutor

2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video] Friday, 18 May 2012, 7:30 pm

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge

On Thursday night’s Autoline After Hours, SRT boss Ralph Gilles sat down with show hosts John McElroy and Peter DeLorenzo, along with Autoblog and AOL Autos staffers to talk all things Viper. Among the interesting tidbits disclosed about the 640-horsepower supercar are plans for a new dealer certification process designed to encourage the sort of purchasing, service and ownership experience that buyers of six-digit cars have come to expect.

According to Gilles:

“It’s going to be a qualified dealer situation… The ones who do the dealer training in terms of the tech. I want a tech. I want a display car. I want all these things. There’s going to be a list. It’s not going to be impossible, it’s just that someone has to put in the extra effort and say ‘I’m an SRT dealer.’”

Off the air, Gilles told Autoblog that Chrysler officials have already approached a number of dealers with a strong record of Viper and SRT sales to discuss how the certification process will work, gaining valuable feedback in the process. A document outlining the new certification program will go out to Dodge dealers next month.

Chrysler has yet to announce official pricing and the Viper won’t go on sale until sometime in the fourth quarter of the year, but that hasn’t stopped a queue of customer deposits from piling up. According to Gilles, one particularly strong Viper dealer already has around 90 such deposits in-hand. Considering that Viper sales averaged about 1,600 units in past years, that’s a substantial figure.

In other news, Chrysler officials have been making a big point of talking about the 2013 Viper’s newfound refinements, from reduced NVH to nicer interior materials and improved drivability thanks to the institution of technologies like stability control and traction control. Gilles says that great care has been taken to ensure the model’s core personality still shines through, but given that much of the Viper’s mystique is centered on its raw, leg-burning, hairy-knuckled persona, we couldn’t help but wonder aloud if the new model’s refinements have left room for a stripped-out hardcore version for Viper purists and racers. With raised eyebrows, arms gesturing wildly and stifling a smile, Gilles wryly said: “I love how you think. Next subject!”

To watch the Autoline After Hours episode in its entirety, scroll down.

Continue reading 2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video]

2013 SRT Viper to require dealer certification; hardcore model planned? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Chris Paukert

Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012 Saturday, 12 May 2012, 1:00 am

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Celebrities, Racing

It’s darn near impossible to overemphasize the impact that Carroll Shelby has had on the automotive world as we know it today. Born in 1923, Shelby took part in his very first race, a quarter-mile drag, in 1952. Later that year, he’d go on to win his first road race in an MG-TC. By 1956, Shelby had garnered enough race wins to earn the title “Driver of the Year” from Sports Illustrated. He would win that award again in 1957.

Carroll Shelby was nothing if not a keen businessman. In early 1957, Shelby opened his first car dealership in Dallas, Texas. Bolstered by his success behind the wheel – Carroll won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959, driving an Aston Martin – Shelby went on to build the iconic Cobra using a chassis built by AC Cars in England and powered by a Ford V8 engine. Officially homologated in 1962, the Cobra Roadster won its first race in January of 1963.

Driven by legendary drivers like Phil Hill, A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney, the Shelby Cobra and its aerodynamic Daytona Coupe sibling won the Sports Car Club of America’s A-production title and the United States Road Racing Championship in ’63. The following year brought with it the big-block 427 Cobra, and the machine went on to deal serious blows to Ferrari, the dominant sports car manufacturer of the time.

Shelby began his long-running relationship with the Ford factory in 1965, as the Shelby GT350 hit both the street and the race track. That year, Shelby secured the FIA World Championship of GT cars. In 1966, a Shelby-backed Ford team finished in first, second and third place at Le Mans; this was the first time an American team claimed victory in the historic race, but it would not be the last – Shelby’s team would go on to win Le Mans again in 1967. The Ford GT40 ended up in first place four straight years from 1966-1969.

The Shelby GT350 claimed the Trans Am racing title in 1967, and in that year, the very last 427 Shelby Cobra was built. In 1970, Ford ended its partnership with Shelby, and the man would remain mostly quiet in the automotive industry until the 1980s, when Lee Iacocca approached Carroll about building high-performance versions of Dodge products. The Omni and Charger would Go Like Hell for several years, embarrassing V8-powered Mustangs and Camaros along the way.

Carroll Shelby received a heart transplant in 1990 and would go on to reintroduce Cobra 427 S/C continuation cars and 4000-series cars throughout the 1990s. Shelby was also involved heavily with both the Dodge Viper and Ford GT programs. No wonder why Carroll Shelby was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.

Today, the name Shelby may be most often tied to the latest and greatest GT500 models from Ford, but it’s clear that the man has impacted the performance world for decades. While he may no longer be alive, there can be little doubt that Carroll Shelby’s influence will be felt by enthusiasts for as long as cars move us from one place to another.

We’ve collected a couple of videos that we thought were a fitting tribute to Shelby’s unending legacy. Join us in watching them by scrolling down below.

Continue reading Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012

Carroll Shelby, 1923-2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Jeremy Korzeniewski

Rendered Speculation: SRT Viper Roadster Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 9:30 pm

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge

When our man Scott Burgess asked SRT CEO Ralph Gilles about the Dodge SRT Viper Roadster, Gilles naturally demurred. The Internet, however, always provides an answer to every question, and German magazine Auto Bild has rendered its take on the droptop snake.

Unlike previously, when the coupe and roadster were rather dissimilar, this time the brotherhood will be more traditional… at least according to this artist’s take.

We won’t speculate on how close the rendering might be, but we will say we like it. With the coupe having already enjoyed its 600-horsepower burst onto the scene, it shouldn’t be long before the roadster begins leaking its way out.

Rendered Speculation: SRT Viper Roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Jonathon Ramsey

Chrysler recalling 471 minivans over liftgate issue Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 8:30 pm

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Safety, Chrysler, Dodge

Chrysler has already sold over 84,000 minivans this year, but an unfortunate few were built with defective liftgate sensors. The 471 vehicles with the bad parts include both Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan models, all of them 2012s built in March, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall report.

The power liftgates are supposed to stop during automatic closing if they detect resistance, but NHTSA says the recalled vehicles could malfunction, and “may close on an appendage.” Owners should keep their arms and legs safely inside the vehicle and look for notification from Chrysler this month. Dealers will be fixing affected vehicles free of charge.

Scroll down to read the full report.

Continue reading Chrysler recalling 471 minivans over liftgate issue

Chrysler recalling 471 minivans over liftgate issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Jeff Sabatini

MotoMan at Targa Newfoundland, Part Two Wednesday, 9 May 2012, 12:59 am

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Videos, Dodge, Mazda, Canada, Racing

The crew at MotoMan has rolled out the second episode of its Targa Newfoundland coverage. This time around, Brandon Fitch and I spend plenty of time talking with the guys about the challenges of Day One, how the Flyin’ Miata supercharged NC MX-5 Miata handles some of the more technical stages and joy of hauling ass through a subdivision. Meanwhile, team MotoMan gets a few valuable lessons on competition in targa from veterans of the race like Rob Pacione and learns a little about Newfoundland hospitality at the same time. As the week continues, competitors are forced to overcome a variety of challenges, from an entire engine swap in a Lotus to a water-logged 911.

Part Two gives us all a better idea of what it’s like to compete in Grand Touring, where the goal is to hit a specific time and speed, rather than simply beat a time like in Targa class. Both competitions are challenging in their own right, but we have to sympathize with MotoMan’s frustration at being forced to limp a Dodge Challenger 392 along at 40 miles per hour with an open road ahead of you. Scroll down to check it out for yourself.

Continue reading MotoMan at Targa Newfoundland, Part Two

MotoMan at Targa Newfoundland, Part Two originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Zach Bowman

2013 Dodge Dart production kicks off in Belvidere [w/video] Tuesday, 8 May 2012, 11:30 pm

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chrysler, Dodge, UAW/Unions

The 2013 Dodge Dart’s trajectory towards dealer lots has officially begun. The first Dart rolled of the line at Chrysler’s Belvidere Assembly yesterday, en route to a late June appearance at your local Dodge showroom.

Belvidere’s future was uncertain after the poor reception given its previous product line, the Dodge Caliber and its Jeep platform mates, the Compass and Patriot. The Dart launches with more promise than any product since the original Neon, which began production at the Illinois plant in 1995.

While Belvidere has been open since 1965, it has had a long history of building inexpensive Mopar models since the Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury went out of production in the late 1970s. Belvidere built Dodge Omnis and Plymouth Horizons through the 1980s, and the K-car-based Chrysler New Yorker and Dodge Dynasty before retooling for the Neon.

Belvidere was also home to several of Chrysler’s awesome budget performance models, the Shelby GLHS, Neon ACR and Dodge SRT4. Here’s to hoping that it can soon add a hot-rodded Dart to that resume.

Scroll down to see video of the event and read the full press release.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart production kicks off in Belvidere [w/video]

2013 Dodge Dart production kicks off in Belvidere [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 May 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Dodge | Jeff Sabatini