Fiat achète encore des parts de Chrysler

Cela fait maintenant un an que Fiat détient une participation importante dans Chrysler. Mais les choses ne s'arrêtent pas là puisque pour la fin de cette année, le groupe italien voudrait atteindre une participation majoritaire de 51 % dans le capital du constructeur américain.

Fidèlement à ses plans, Fiat vient d'ailleurs d'acquérir 16 % supplémentaires (soit 46 % au total). Grâce à ces fonds italiens, le groupe Chrysler vient de terminer de rembourser le prêt accordé par les USA et le Canada pour sa sauvegarde. Pour Fiat, c'est un nouveau et grand pas vers son intégration au marché américain.

Pour l'instant, le succès de la marque est à mettre à l'actif de la 500, très populaire de l'autre côté de l'Atlantique. Fiat a même concocté une version spécifique de la 500 à destination de ce marché, comprenez : un peu plus spacieuse et surtout plus confortable.

La suite du plan prévoit de lancer Alfa Romeo dans le créneau premium-sportif sur le sol américain. Pendant ce temps-là , les gammes Chrysler et Dodge s'évanouissent chez nous, certains modèles étant remplacés par une version Fiat (le Dodge Journey devient Fiat Freemont) ou Lancia (la Chrysler 300C devient Lancia Thema, la 200 deviendra Flavia et le Grand Voyager deviendra... Voyager). Une opportunité de combler des vides dans les gammes du groupe italien mais cela se fait au détriment d'une perte de personalité pour Fiat et surtout pour Lancia qui nous avait habitué ici à un style tout en rondeur bien personnel, rien à voir avec les formes carrées typiques US de la 300 ou du Voyager...

Source & crédit photo: Fiat

New /// Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition 2011

Dodge va offrir, par le biais de la division d'accessoires du groupe Chrysler, MOPAR, une version tunée appelée Mopar Edition à son Caliber.

Peu de chance cependant de la trouvée en Europe car la marque a déserté notre continent. Peu de chance de la trouver aussi aux USA, pourtant nation de la marque. La raison est simple: tout simplement car cette version est exclusivement réservée aux marchés d’Afrique du Sud...

Afin de répondre à une clientèle avide de voiture d’apparence, voire carrément sportive, le Dodge Caliber Mopar Edition reçoit un nouveau capot avec bandes décoratives, un toit de teinte assortie et des boucliers plus massifs. À cela s’ajoutent une garde au sol abaissée et des jantes en alliage de 18".

Sous le capot, le Caliber conserve son moteur quatre cylindres de 2 litres sauf que cette fois-ci, il est associé à un nouveau système d’échappement à double voies qui doit lui accorder quelques chevaux supplémentaires. Actuellement, le moteur de série du Caliber délivre une puissance de 158 chevaux, dans sa version nord-américaines. Une finition SRT-4 était aussi en vente auparavant (également chez nous).

Source & crédit photo: Dodge

Chrysler LLC to Shut Down Most Plants from May 4

In both statements released to the press and the firm's employees, Chrysler LLC's outgoing CEO Bob Nardelli announced that while in bankruptcy, most manufacturing plants of the automaker will be temporarily idled. The lockdown will commence on Monday, May 4 and continue for the whole duration of the bankruptcy procedure which is expected to be complete within the next 30 to 60 days.

According to Chrysler, during the bankruptcy period, the company's hourly employees will receive unemployment benefits, as well as supplemental pay that will amount to most of their base wages while company-sponsored healthcare and other insurance coverage will continue.

However, the question that arises with Chrysler's prolonged shutdown is what will happen to the company's U.S. suppliers, given the fact that General Motors has also announced that it will be idling 13 of its North American assembly plants for multiple weeks from May through to July.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

FEV to Show Dodge Caliber Hybrid with 1.0-Liter Engine at SAE Congress

The proposals for extended-range electric vehicles just keep coming in. The latest company to announce new developments in the field of hybrid cars is FEV, a powertrain and vehicle engineering firm headquarted in Aachen, Germany. The firm announced that it will show a range-extended electric vehicle (ReEV) with plug-in capability based on the Dodge Caliber platform at the 2009 SAE World Congress in Detroit (April 20-23, 2009).

The Caliber ReEV's propulsion system employs a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder, 4 valve engine mated to a UQM PP75 generator that provides 41kW of continuous power in extended-range mode, with a peak power of 75kW.

The energy generated is stored in a 20 kW-h liquid-cooled Lithium Ion battery pack that operates at 346V, with a Delphi DC/DC converter. FEV said that the batteries provide enough power for the car to cover a distance of 40 miles or 64 kilometers which seems to be the magic number for most vehicles of the sort... The Caliber ReEV can accelerate from zero to 60mph (96km/h) in 8.3 seconds and has a top speed of 84mph or 135 km/h.

For the record, the Caliber pictured above is a standard model as FEV has not releases any photos of the ReEV prototype.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Dodge Durango Citadel Black & Tan 2011

This special edition of the Citadel utilizes the clean lines of the 2011 Dodge Durango. Its stunning, shiny black paint color is the perfect backdrop for the evolution of the modern urban SUV. Its 22-inch custom-forged aluminum Super Alloy wheels are highly polished with hyper-silver accents. The Citadel also features an exclusive chrome-textured grille and polished stainless steel tips of the Mopar/Corsa custom exhaust. The Citadel “Black & Tan”, riding on Pirelli tires, was dropped with Mopar lowering springs, complementing its stunning new stance.

Dodge views the new Citadel as the ultimate expression of the 2011 Dodge Durango, the perfect canvas for the distinguished SUV enthusiast. The vehicle was developed as a representation of the current trend in tasteful customization.

The shiny black exterior is matched on the inside with an all-new interior, crafted by the new Chrysler interior studio that is bent on redefining American quality and unparalleled comfort. The timeless design features sculpted soft panels throughout with world-class fit and finish, complete with the liberal use of premium materials and three rows of gorgeous Nappa leather seats. The new “Black & Tan” interior combo was inspired by some of the finest super cars in the world.

Chrysler Launches new Pentastar V6 Engine

Along with the world debut of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler also announced the introduction of an all-new line of V6 engines called 'Pentastar' at the New York Auto Show. The American automaker said that the new engine which will replace a total of seven V6 units found in various current-generation Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models, is the most advanced six-cylinder engine in the brand's history.

"Chrysler's all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine will offer our customers improved fuel economy, refinement and increased performance across the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicle lineup," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President—Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "At the same time, replacing seven current engines with one engine will result in increased flexibility, more efficient operations and significant cost savings to the company."

The Pentastar V6 will first be offered in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee producinge an output of 280HP at 6,400 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353Nm) of torque at 4,800 rpm from a displacement of 3.6-liters. Chrysler supports that the new V6 offers an increase of 33% in horsepower and 11% bump in torque over its predecessor while providing an 11% fuel economy improvement.

The six-cylinder unit has been designed to run on regular gasoline, offering around 10 percent reduction in fuel cost compared with premium fueled engines. Furthermore, Chrysler said that the V6 is also flex fuel capable meaning that it can run on E85 fuel without any degradation in performance or emissions.

Production of the new V6 will take place at the firm's Trenton Engine South Plant in Michigan while a new facility in Saltillo, Mexico, will also manufacture the engine for the 2012 model year.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Chrysler 3.6-liter, DOHC, 24-valve Pentastar V-6 Technical Specs

• Displacement: 3.6 liters
  
• Bore x stroke: 96 x 83 mm
  
• Valve train system: Double-overhead cam with roller finger followers and hydraulic lash adjusters. Dual independent cam-torque actuated phasers
  
• Fuel injection: Multi-point port fuel injection
  
• Construction: High-pressure die-cast aluminum cylinder block and semi-permanent mold aluminum cylinder head
  
• Maximum engine speed: 7200 rpm
  
• Fuel requirement: E85 (Ethanol) or unleaded regular, 87 octane (R+M)/2
  
• Emission capability: PZEV

Dodge Challenger R/T Widebody Convertible by West Coast Customs

When it comes to modifying cars and TV Shows, the sky's the limit for what can be done as money isn't usually much of an issue. This one-of-a-kind wide body '09 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible is the work of the pimp-slapping guys over at West Coast Customs (WCC) and it was built for Joshua 'Chop' Tobin aka, "King of Cars", owner of Las Vegas based car dealership, Towbin Dodge. The Challenger's transformation was featured in the latest episode of WCC's "Street Customs" TV show that aired on TLC on March 26, 2009.

However, the owner of the one-off Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible wasn't that keen to keep the car in his possession as he put it up for sale on eBay the same day that the show aired on TV... The auction lasted three days with the highest bid being $50,200 and as you may have guessed, the reserve price, which is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for the item, was not met.

Jumbo-sized rear fenders and working power convertible top aside, WCC left their mark on the Challenger R/T with black striping, one-off 24-inch front and 26-inch rear (...) flat black and white Asanti alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli rubber, a new exhaust system, a rear spoiler and blacked out tail lamps.

Furthermore, the R/T's interior that retains the five-seat layout of the coupe was upgraded with a two-tone leather trim and a high-end Polk Audio system.

While there's no doubt that the rag-top conversion of the Challenger is eye-catching, we can't say that we find it aesthetically pleasing, but that's just our personal opinion so feel free to disagree.

source: http://carscoop.blogspot.com

Official: 2009 Dodge Challenger SE V6 Rallye with Stripes and 5-Speed Auto

Dodge has issued official details and a high-resolution gallery of the newest member in the Challenger SE family, the Rallye Edition, that will go on sale this April along with the rest of the updated 250HP 3.5-liter V6-powered SEs that receive a five-speed automatic transmission with Auto Stick in place of the previous 4-speed auto box. As we informed you this past weekend, the Rallye package consists of exterior and interior cosmetic upgrades.

Similar to the R/T package found the V8-powered Challenger, the Rallye edition adds hood and deck lid dual stripes with accent color outer stripes, 18-inch wheels with black painted pockets, chromed 'FUEL' filler doo, a body-color deck lid spoiler and Micro Carbon interior accents. The all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger SE Rallye starts at $26,490 (including $725 destination) with dealers already accepting orders.