Honda Cars : Details Surface: Chrysler Readying SRT Barracuda to Succeed Challenger | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Not much about the 2013 Viper deviates from the formula that made the car famous—it has a monstrous V-10, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission, and it still looks ready for a 10-on-1 bar fight. Branding it not a Dodge but an SRT, however, has raised eyebrows. Giving that new brand heft is a ­second model: the 2015 SRT Barracuda, the Dodge Challenger’s replacement.

Unlike the Viper, it will be a dramatic departure. Chrysler’s LX platform (Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Charger) benefited from front and rear ­suspension setups derived from the Mercedes-Benz S- and E-class, respectively, but it’s huge for a pony car. Since the Challenger’s inception, the LX has evolved into the LY and gained weight in the process. Now that it’s part of Fiat, Dodge would like to export Challengers, but their mass and zaftig proportions limit overseas sales potential. With fuel economy a growing ­priority—not to mention four-cylinder versions of both the Mustang and Camaro on the horizon—Chrysler needed to slim down its offering. Fortunately, Fiat has been on the prowl for a rear-drive platform for use by Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and possibly Maserati. These factors motivated Chrysler to develop a new platform, and the Barracuda will be its first fruit.

Similar in size to the current Mustang, the Barracuda is expected to lose more than six inches from the Challenger’s wheelbase and close to eight in overall length. Rear track and overall width are forecast to shrink by a bit more than two inches. Weight will drop by between 250 and 300 pounds. The front suspension may move from control arms to a strut setup; the rear suspension will remain multilink, with new geometry.

Mindful of tightening CAFE requirements, power­train offerings will expand to include at least one ­variant of the new 2.4-liter Tigershark inline-four, possibly force-fed. While the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is expected to get direct injection at about the time the ’Cuda arrives, CAFE more than market demand will determine whether a V-6 is offered. Expect the Hemi V-8 to carry on, with direct injection increasing power and efficiency. We hear it’s unlikely that both the 5.7- and 6.4-liter versions will be offered but hope Chrysler reverses its thinking there. Two Hemis would go a long way toward cementing the SRT brand’s authenticity.

Source;

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2015-srt-barracuda-future-cars

Honda Cars : NY Preview: SRT releases final teaser of new Viper | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Below is a rendering of the Next Gen Viper....

By Mark Kleis
Chrysler’s SRT division has released its fourth and final teaser of its 2013 Viper, giving us our first look at the car’s overall shape. The 2013 SRT Viper will debut in just a few days at the NY auto show.

This latest teaser isn’t in high-resolution, but gives us a basic idea of what to expect when SRT finally pulls the sheet on the new Viper this week. From what we can see in the photo, the Viper will come with a far more sculpted body than the last version of the car.

Set to become the first vehicle marketed under the SRT banner, the 2013 Viper has been a long time coming. Its Dodge Viper predecessor has been out of production since mid-2010, but a fifth-generation snake will bring the nameplate back sans “Dodge” for the first time in its history.
Our illustration is based on information culled from a number of sources, one of which is rather unusual, to say the least. While information gleaned from insiders, including those few members of the public who have been allowed to see the car, and photos of cleverly disguised test mules form the basis of much of the illustration’s details, a leaked image of a Hot Wheels 1/64-scale toy car helped put the finishing touches on our rendering.

That Hot Wheels model made its way online last week when it was posted on a Viper forum.

We expect the Viper’s proportions to remain mostly unchanged, but its rear end is more aggressive and angular than the one seen on the last generation. As predicted by spy shots and previous reports, the car features a high-sculpted hood fitted with two big air vents.

Those vents will be needed as the SRT Viper is expected to arrive with an 8.7-liter V10 engine that will send over 600 horsepower to the rear wheels. Early rumors suggested the car would share some of its architecture with the voluptuous, if slightly un-engaging Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, but SRT chief Ralph Gilles has been quick to dispel those rumors by stating that “The new Viper is not based on anything else.”

As previously reported, Chrysler is reopening its Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit to build the Viper. The automaker has offered jobs to all 150 workers it once employed at the facility, which it uses exclusively to hand-build Vipers.

“The next generation Viper will make its return to the product lineup in late 2012 as a 2013 model,” said SRT Brand & Motorsports President/CEO Ralph Gilles in a statement released to the media. “We’re extremely excited that our ultimate American sports car will continue to live on and be produced exclusively here in the Motor City.”

Source;

http://www.leftlanenews.com/srt-viper.html

Honda Cars : Daimler Faces New German Probe in Accident | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By CHRISTOPH RAUWALD

Daimler AG and Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche were Friday facing a new probe into the death of a company engineer on a test track last year, but Daimler said it expects the company and CEO to be cleared.

A Daimler spokeswoman said the investigation by a German public prosecutors office was "a pure formality." In Germany, a prosecutor is obliged to look at any allegations of serious wrongdoing. A German media report said the new probe was at the request of the dead engineer's family.

"We firmly expect Mr. Zetsche to be cleared from these allegations," the Daimler spokeswoman said. The public prosecutor's office wasn't immediately available for comment.

In July, a separate probe by another prosecutors' office into the same accident ended with a German district court and public prosecutors finding the company and Mr. Zetsche not guilty of any wrongdoing. Instead it found that a driver of one of the vehicles in the accident was solely responsible, a Daimler spokeswoman said.

The Daimler engineer had been sitting in a second vehicle involved in the crash. Mr. Zetsche himself was not involved in the accident but was being probed because he is the CEO of the company.

Source;

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903927204576574672468850748.html

Honda Cars : Honda names former Chrysler exec to steer U.S. marketing | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

By Mark Rechtin, Crain News Service



LOS ANGELES (Aug. 19, 2011) — American Honda Motor Co. has chosen an outsider and former Chrysler executive Michael Accavitti as its chief marketing officer.



Mr. Accavitti most recently was executive automotive adviser for Cisco Systems, but is better known as the veteran Chrysler executive who was president of the Dodge brand and lead marketing executive of the Chrysler Group before his 2009 departure.



Mr. Accavitti replaces Steve Center, who will lead a new enterprise within American Honda called the Environmental Business Development Office.



Mr. Center has been in Honda’s top U.S. marketing post since June 2008.



Mr. Accavitti inherits an organization that’s battling production shortages stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. American Honda’s U.S. sales have declined 3 percent this year through July in a market that’s up 11 percent.



To retain U.S. customers until stockpiles are replenished, Honda has taken the unusual step of extending leases or offering vouchers or rebates toward the future purchase of a new Honda.



Honda has told its U.S. dealers car and light truck inventories are not expected to return to normal levels until the last quarter or early 2012.



New group

The new environmental group will oversee Honda’s various green business initiatives, from the Fit electric vehicle to solar panel arrays to home co-generation units fueled by natural gas.



“Honda is structured by distribution group, by auto brands, motorcycles, and power equipment.



But these futuristic energy creation groups are transcending those silos,” Mr. Center said in an interview.



With “the dynamics (of) the utility business, you can see that things are starting to break through all the distribution channels,” he added.



Mr. Accavitti first worked for Chrysler starting in 1977. He installed axles on trucks at Chrysler’s Warrren, Mich., truck plant—known as Dodge City—to save money for college. He worked on the line for two years and one summer before starting college.



He rejoined Chrysler in 1984 when the auto maker was hiring engineers and spent time in product marketing, brand management and racing.



At Honda, he will oversee the marketing of the Honda and Acura brands, public relations, auto shows and emerging-markets advertising.



The transition is occurring immediately, although it was announced internally on Aug. 1.

Mr. Accavitti is in the process of relocating to Los Angeles and was not immediately available for comment.



Fresh blood

“You need the fresh blood,” Mr. Center said about the changes. “Fresh thinking is good, but too much and you can lose your culture or focus.”



Last year, Honda extended voluntary retirement offers to certain employees and lost about 50 managers, many of whom had more than 30 years of experience at the company. Center said Honda is “still a very young company.”



Mr. Accavitti will have a full plate awaiting him as Honda strives to recover from the March earthquake.



Because of the earthquake-related inventory crunch that killed the momentum of the spring launch of the Civic, Honda will re-launch the compact car this fall. Also, a redesigned CR-V crossover arrives later this year, and a new Accord comes next spring. Those are three of Honda’s four “pillar” vehicles, Mr. Center said.



Honda brand sales are off 2 percent this year, and Acura sales are down 6 percent.



Like Mr. Center did, Mr. Accavitti will report to Tetsuo Iwamura, president of American Honda. Unlike other auto makers, Honda separates its auto operations—such as product development, product planning and marketing—from auto sales, which covers distribution, wholesale and retail and is overseen by executive vice president John Mendel.



Mr. Center, 54, joined Honda in 1993 as part of Dick Colliver’s team of transplants from Mazda North American Operations. Mr. Mendel was formerly executive vice president and chief operating officer for Mazda North America before joining Honda in 2004.



Mr. Center’s career has included managerial positions in market support, e-business, Acura sales, advertising and public relations.



The Environmental Business Development Office will receive additional staff, but Mr. Center declined to give further details.



He called it “a combination of a brain trust, think tank and venture capital firm.”



Source;

http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/headlines2.phtml?cat=1204552929&headline=Honda+names+former+Chrysler+exec+to+steer+U.S.+marketing&id=1313763465

Honda Cars : Report: Chrysler developing TR Ram Life Style Truck to compete with Honda Ridgeline | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Does the world need a competitor to the Honda Ridgeline? While sales figures of Honda's half-truck would lead us to believe consumers aren't clamoring for such a vehicle (Honda only sold 16,142 Ridgelines in 2010, barely more than the 13,047 Dakota's Dodge moved), recent reports indicate that Chrysler seems to think otherwise.

We've known for some time that Dodge was considering a small urban-style pickup – ever since it showed off the Rampage Concept (shown above) at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show and then mentioned it again in Chrysler's rambling five-year plan announced in 2009 – but talk of the so-called Lifestyle Pickup had cooled off... until now.

According to wheels.ca, Chrysler suppliers were recently briefed on the automaker's future product plans, and a replacement for the unloved Dakota is on the docket. It's thought that Chrysler may build the vehicle in Windsor, Ontario atop its minivan platform, which lends credence to the Ridgeline comparison.

We have to wonder if the crossover platform employed by the latest (and very well-received) Durango might be a better bet, but we'll surely reserve judgement until something more concrete than these rumors begin to surface. We're also curious as to whether the small pickup would wear a Dodge or Ram badge. Stay tuned for more...

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/18/chrysler-developing-tr-ram-life-style-truck-to-compete-with-hond/

Honda Cars : Last Of Chrysler’s PT Cruisers Rolls Out Of The Factory | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Today marks the end of the line for the Chrysler PT Cruiser, one of the most mocked and misunderstood vehicles of the past decade, but also one of the more successful. Its 1930s delivery-van looks have long seemed out of place among the more modern designs of recent years. But mostly it has been a strong, steady seller. Chrysler may wind up missing the PT.

I remember the hype that preceded the PT Cruiser’s release 10 years ago. What stands out most is the way Chrysler aimed the PT at younger drivers. Back then it seemed every carmaker claimed to have the automotive honey that would attract buyers in their 20s and 30s. Pontiac tried it with the Aztek, a clunky SUV that looked like a soft luggage on wheels and appealed to almost no one. The PT missed the mark in a different, more fortuitous way.

While youthful motorists never really took Chrysler’s bait, their parents and grandparents did. Older drivers, from aging baby boomers to octogenarians. My own parents debated at length about the car’s design. Did it look more like great Grandpa’s 1940 Plymouth or Uncle so-and-so’s 1937 Ford? While my friends made fun of the car, my parents’ friends bought them. They also loaded them with optional equipment and, in the first year or so, waited in line to get them. Many even paid premiums to dealers to get theirs sooner.

For many years Chrysler steadily sold more than 100,000 PT Cruisers annually, which is a strong number for what was considered a niche vehicle. Even 2008 saw more than 50,000 sold. This year just 4,917 found buyers through the end of June, down 43% from last year. One can argue Chrysler let a good design languish, largely failing to update it during a decade when other cars were redesigned every few years. But the company needs to make room in the PT’s Toluca, Mexico, factory for the coming Fiat 500, another promising retro design.

Source;
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/07/09/last-of-chryslers-pt-cruisers-rolls-out-of-the-factory-today/

Honda Cars : Chrysler, Honda, Nissan and Toyota betting on the old minivan comeback | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

There are signs that the minivan will be making a comeback and carmakers are only too eager to prepare for this scenario. Later this year or early in 2011, Chrysler Group, Toyota Motor Sales USA., American Honda Motor Co. and Nissan North America will be introducing new-generation vans to the market.

Edmunds has noticed a sudden increase in Web traffic for consumers researching minivans on its site. On any typical month, only 2 to 3% of consumers on the site check out minivans but in April, this number rose to nearly 5%. Ivan Drury, an Edmunds analyst, said that this represents a definite “peak in interest.” He assumes that the public has heard about the arrival of new minivans and they want to read about them. Used-vehicle barometer LeaseTrader has also noted a rise in demand for minivans, with its Web site recording a 23% rise in interest in April. LeaseTrader works by arranging lease-swaps for consumers who want to switch to another vehicle before their lease is up. John Sternal, the company’s vice president of marketing, revealed that these consumers who are in search of a minivan have commented that “crossovers are just too expensive and not practical enough.”

Source;

http://www.4wheelsnews.com/chrysler-honda-nissan-and-toyota-betting-on-the-old-minivan-comeback/#more-8417

Honda Cars : Mr. Burlapp has the scoop on what Chrysler's plans are.... | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

For those interested....
-Jeep Patriot and Compass killed in 2012
-Replacement will be a Fiat based Jeep SUV.
-New jeep Liberty in 2013
-Fiat 500 in the US at the end of 2010 with 1.4 Liter engine
-Every Chrysler V6 killed except the new Pentastar V6. It will be used first in the new Grand Cherokee.
-6.4 Liter V8 Hemi will produce 450hp
-Electric car available for 2012
-New Jeep Libery will be 600 lp lighter.
-3 new small cars by 2014.
-Challenger getting minor refresh for 2011.
-Dodge Caliber killed by 2012. Replaced by Fiat based small sedan. Made by Fiat and imported to the US
-New C segment sedan coming up.
-New B segment hatchback
-New D segment sedan to replace the Avenger
-All new 7 passenger CUV
-New interior and engine for the Dodge Caravan ( SO I guess they won't kill it...)
-Dodge Nitro to be 'repackaged" (Whatever that means...)

Source;
http://www.burlappcars.com/2009/11/new-chrysler-news.html

Honda Cars : Documents reveal Chrysler tried to sell parts to Chinese, tie-up with almost every automaker | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

An interesting bit of information....
According to an affidavit filed in the New York U.S. Bankruptcy Court where Chrysler filed for Chapter 11, the automaker's Co-President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda is quoted as saying "Chrysler has attempted in recent weeks to sell product lines and other units to a number of Chinese companies, but these efforts ... have been unsuccessful." The now bankrupt automaker offered the Chinese firms – including the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. and Chery – engines, transmissions, vehicle lines, intellectual property rights, distribution channels and its brands during a five-day summit in February. But nothing came to fruition.

Even more interesting/disturbing is the revelation that for the last two years, Chrysler has attempted to forge an alliance with nearly every automaker on the planet, including GAZ, Honda, Hyundai, Magna, Nissan and Tata, along with General Motors and even Toyota.

The document reveals:

Chrysler and GM were in discussions in June and August of 2008, then later in November, with a last-ditch attempt in January which died shortly thereafter.

A plan was proposed to Toyota, in which Chrysler would provide the Japanese automaker with its excess capacity or work with Toyota to develop new products, including (laughably) hybrids.

Talks with Nissan failed in July, started again in September, then again in January and were eventually shot down.

And finally, Honda received a proposal from Chrysler – then promptly rejected it the next day.

According to LaSorda, potential mergers, "have been determined and undertaken in good faith, but have met uniformly without success." And with that, Chrysler determined the best alliance would be with Fiat – not that it had many options remaining.

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/01/documents-reveal-chrysler-tried-to-sell-parts-to-chinese-tie-up/

Honda Cars : Chrysler threatens to pull out of Canada | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Updated: Wed Mar. 11 2009 10:50:07 PM
ctvtoronto.ca

Chrysler LLC says it may no longer be able to operate in Canada unless Ottawa loans the company billions of dollars and workers agree to massive wage cuts.

Chrysler president and vice chairman Tom LaSorda told MPs Wednesday the company is seeking US$2.3 billion from the Canadian government -- roughly a quarter of what it's asking from the White House.

He also said Canada's tax agency must agree to not demand more cash or collateral in a tax fight with the company. The Canada Revenue Agency is withholding $300 million in tax rebated and has put a $500-million lien on Chrysler's Brampton plant.

"The current success and long-term viability of Chrysler's manufacturing operations in Canada is very much dependent on (those) three critical factors," he told a committee hearing.

"Chrysler LLC cannot afford to manufacture products in a jurisdiction that in uncompetitive relative to other automotive jurisdictions."

New Democrat MP Joe Coartin, a member of the parliamentary committee that heard LaSorda's comments, dismissed them as little more than posturing.

"The bottom line is that Chrysler does not function in the United States without Canada," he said.

Chrysler Canada and its parent company, Chrysler LLC, have had their sales hammered by the economic downturn. Its sales were down 27 per cent in February compared to last year and it has asked Ottawa for a $1 billion in emergency loans as it works on its restructuring plan.

LaSorda said his company's labour costs are $70 an hour in wages and benefits for both current workers and retirees. He says it needs to be cut by $20 to be competitive.

Just last week, Chrysler announced it would be cutting 1,200 jobs in Windsor, Ont., by eliminating the third shift at its minivan assembly plant.

The Windsor plant produces the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans and has about 4,450 hourly workers. It is the company's only supplier on minivans as two other minivan plants have been shut down in the U.S.

LaSorda said that the company could move the Windsor plant to either of the other sites they previously shut down.

The Dodge Grand Caravan was Canada's No. 3 best selling vehicle in February.

Analysts say Chrysler is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. On top of the most recent job cut announcements, it has slashed about 32,000 jobs to staunch the financial bleeding, and has cut production levels by 30 per cent.

With a report by CTV's Graham Richardson in Ottawa




Source (with a Video Feed);


http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090311/chrysler_caw_090311/20090311?hub=Toronto