Chrysler Seeks Fiat Synergies to Start Cars Production In China

China is the world’s largest car market: last year alone, more than 18 million vehicles were sold there, of which 13.76 million were passenger cars. Furthermore, analysts McKinsey & Company predict that it will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030.

Do you want to know Chrysler’s share in this massive car market? A measly 31,000 in 2010 and a projection for just 40,000 in 2011. Therefore, it is only natural that the American carmaker is looking for ways to increase its share in this rapidly expanding market.

Problem is, you just don’t walk into China and start building cars: “To find a partner, negotiate, get government approval, build a plant – that’s a long time” Mike Manley, head of Chrysler’s international operations told Reuters news.

But, according to Manley, Chrysler already has a way to get rid of all that fuss and make things happen quickly: “Fiat are already through that”.

Fiat Spa, who manages Chrysler and is sharing technologies and models, has since 2009 established a joint venture with GAC, the country’s sixth biggest carmaker, to build cars in China.

"If there's an opportunity for us in the same way as we've done with Fiat in terms of technology or using their distribution, our speed to market is going to be so much quicker," Manley said, adding that if Chrysler, or rather Jeep, wants to succeed in the competitive small SUV market, it would have to build them in China.

Jeep is already planning to launch the Compass and Grand Cherokee models in China, while Chrysler is examining the possibility of importing the 200 and 300 sedans from the United States.

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VIDEO: Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad Wins 5 Awards at French Festival

Chrysler’s TV commercial “Born of Fire”, which aired during the 2011 Super Bowl, won five awards at the 58th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where over 24,000 entries from all over the world were competing.
The commercial for the 2011 200 sedan was created by Chrysler together with advertising company Wideden+Kennedy of Portland, Oregon, and took home four “Gold Lions”, for Best Direction, Best Script, Best Use of Music, Best Automotive Commercial and Best Editing, as well as a “Bronze Lion” awarded to the brand for Best Editing.
The two-minute commercial features the Motor City, emphasizing its values, and Detroit-native Eminem with his song “Lose Yourself”. It was also used to introduce the “Imported from Detroit” campaign that will be at the core of the brand’s promotional material and its message that you don't have to buy imported cars to enjoy luxury.
Chrysler has additionally created an “Imported from Detroit” merchandise line that can be found at the company's website, with a portion of the proceeds going to the following four Detroit-based charities:
• The Marshall Mathers Foundation
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan
• Habitat for Humanity Detroit
• Think Detroit PAL

VIDEO

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Viper V10-Powered Chrysler PT 10 Cruiser Truck for Sale on eBay

Whether you love it or loathe it, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser was a running success for the Detroit automaker and over its ten-year lifespan, we saw countless projects cars and tunes based on the retro-styled compact model. However, ask any true Mopar fan what the ultimate modification is for any Chrysler Group model, and you’ll most likely get the answer an engine swap with the Dodge Viper’s ferocious V10 powerplant.
Here at Carscoop, we’ve shown you plenty of Viper-powered cars ranging from a Chrysler 300 and a Dodge Challenger to a Saab 9-3 and a Jeep Wrangler. Now it’s time to add the Chrysler PT Cruiser to our list of venomous engine swaps with this eBay find.
The PT/10 Cruiser Pickup Truck is said to have been built in 2000. It is based on a custom chassis with power coming from the Viper’s V10 engine churning out 500 ponies. Other goods sourced from the Dodge sports car include the 6-speed transmission, rear suspension, steering rack and seats.
The seller claims that only two examples were built and that this one “has never been driven on the street and has only been used as a show car, there are some minor things that need completing like putting in a set of analog gauges, and some minor wiring tweaks”, adding that “it does start and run great”.
However, if you’re interested, we’d advise you to go check the car in the flesh for yourself before you make any move as a quick search on the internet revealed that some of the photos shown on the eBay page are quite old dating back to January 2006
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PHOTO GALLERY

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2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8

It’s big, it’s brash, it’s powerful and it’s attempting to take on the sport saloon segment. Yes, it’s the all-new 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and it was revealed today at the New York International Auto Show that runs for the public from April 22 to May 1.

The flagship model ofChrysler’s redesigned 300 series packs a more muscular 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pushing out an estimated 465-horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque, up 40 horsepower and 45 lb.-ft. over the 6.1-liter mill it replaces. All that power is channeled to the rear wheels through a carried over five-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Chrysler’s projected performance numbers include 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint time in the high 4-second range; quarter mile in high 12 second range; 0-100-0 mph (0-160km/h-0) in less than 16 seconds, top speed of 175 mph (281 km/h) and stopping power from 60-0 mph in 120 feet.

The Auburn Hills-based company says that despite the elevated performance, the 2012 300 SRT8 returns an estimated 25-percent fuel economy increase on the highway thanks to the use of a new active valve exhaust system, which allows the standard Fuel Saver technology (four-cylinder mode) to engage over a wider rpm range. Chrysler said specific fuel economy numbers will be announced closer to the vehicle launch.

The standard 300’s chassis has been tuned on the SRT8 to improve handling. Among other changes is the introduction of a new Adaptive Damping Suspension (ADS) system that uses a variety of inputs such as vehicle speed, steering angle, steering speed, brake torque, throttle position and lateral and vertical acceleration, to adjust the suspension settings. Additionally, the driver can manually choose between "Auto" and "Sport" settings that change the shock damping and harshness characteristics.

The SRT8 also gets a specially-tuned fully-hydraulic steering system and a new braking system with 14.2 inch (front) and 13.8 inch (rear) vented/slotted rotors and four-piston Brembo calipers. Chrysler’s sportiest sedan model rides on new seven-spoke 20-inch forged alloy wheels shod in beefy tires.

The SRT-tune adds some bespoke exterior styling features such as the front grille, side sills, rear fascia that incorporates 4-inch round dual exhaust tips, and a boot lid spoiler. Interior goodies include a new leather-wrapped, flat-bottom steering wheel, real carbon fiber trim pieces, sport seats and unique instruments.

The new 2012 300 SRT8 will reach Chrysler showrooms in the third quarter of the year.

GALLERY

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New Chrysler Dodge Mopar 2011

The Chrysler Group’s Mopar brand is on to its next project, this time based on the new 2011 Dodge Charger sedan. The factory-customized version of the rear-wheel drive Dodge saloon follows in the footsteps of last year’s Mopar ’10 Challenger and will be a limited edition model.

"After the success of our Mopar '10 Challenger, we moved on to the iconic Dodge Charger and added even more performance," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand. "As a new company, we will continue to leverage the heritage of the Mopar brand at every turn."

For the time being, we only get a single illustration of the Mopar ’11 Charger as the Detroit automaker said it will release details of the vehicle later this month. However, the picture reveals that the special edition Charger will keep the Mopar ’10 Challenger’s black color scheme with contrasting racing stripes and gloss black alloy wheels along with a variety of other Mopar enhancements.

A Chrysler Sebring-Based Bentley Replica

Here’s a scary admission for you: I actually don’t mind the first generation Chrysler Sebring. It was sort of “Mustang-lite” in the styling department and is still a lot better looking than the latest incarnation of America’s middle-age spread, the almost universally despised third generation Sebring. And, as you no doubt know by now, we love us some eBay-found Euro reskins of fifteen plus year old American cars.

Today’s entrant is this, dare I say it, rather convincing replica of a 2009 Bentley Continental GT convertible or GTC based on a ’96 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. Fashioned in ghetto / Saudi Arabian sheik white with the typical, so-not-a-Bentley blinger rims that’d make even Lil’ Jon a lil ill, our wanna-B (you see what I did there?) comes complete with 175,000 miles on the clock and a full fibreglass body.
Before it leaves the seller’s hands, he or she claims to be fitting new carpet, a new windscreen, new door mirrors and a custom dual exhaust with genuine Bentley tips. All the buyer needs to do, we are told, is reupholster the seats, install a Bentley dash and centre console and fit a new convertible top, a new sound system and a sat nav system. And et voilà, your very own Bentley - sort of.
You have to admit, US$21,100 (€16,302) isn’t half bad for something that looks this good. You could get a ’96 Sebring for a lot less, but who wants one of those? You certainly can’t pick up a second-hand Bentley for this sort of money, that’s for sure. So, what’s the verdict? Would you or wouldn’t you? Let us know in the comments.

photos 

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Toyota Prius blossoms into...Chrysler 300

From our 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon "Strange But True" files comes this custom creation of what appears to be a second generation (judging by the interior door panels) Toyota Prius hybrid wearing a...Chrysler 300 front end. The show car also features sliding rear doors, lowered suspension, larger five-spoke alloy wheels, Chrysler 300-style tail lights and a high-end audio-visual system that replaces the rear seats. More pictures after the break.

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2011 Chrysler 300-C is Luxury and Comfort cars

Luxury and Comfort, The '57 Chrysler 300-C, based on the New Yorker with lots of changes, was built using body-on-frame construction. It had new 14-inch wheels as well as new dual headlights which allowed for up to 75 feet more vision when driving at night.

Chrome seems to add a luxurious feel to any car and the Chrysler 300 is no exception. There are chrome accessories for this vehicle for trimming the fender, the bumper, and the rear deck. Even a fuel door cover in chrome or door handle accents is available.

The back of the side mirrors can have chrome backs added to them for a bit more flair. For even more chrome accessories, to make the 300 truly decked out, pillar post trim, rear bumper trim, chrome arrow body side moldings, front bumper caps, and even fender vent port holes can be added.

Chrysler 300-C is Luxury and Comfort cars

2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible

2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible offers consumers an open-air driving experience featuring elegant craftsmanship inside and out, a fun, yet refined driving experience, innovative technology, an abundance of standard safety features and an extraordinary level of standard content.

The 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible is unique in the standard specialty segment as a true mid-sized convertible that comfortably seats four adults and has ample room in the trunk, even when the power top is dropped. Consumers can choose from two automatically latching tops, a body-color painted steel, retractable hard top, or a cloth soft top, both of which can drop with the press of a button on the key fob.

In interior there innovative features including an available media center with voice command that is easy to use and offers SIRIUS Satellite Radio, a 30 gigabyte HDD/CD/DVD/MP3 radio with SIRIUS Travel Link, which provides real-time information, keep drivers and passengers connected and make the drive something to look forward to.

Exterior design get upgraded suspension, an efficient new powertrain, safety features that are all standard on every model, and a beautifully crafted all-new interior, the Chrysler 200 Convertible stands alone in the segment for customers who crave the wind in their hair and sun on their face.

The 2011 Chrysler 200 Convertible is offered with the available new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine which provides an exhilarating driving experience that offers customers the best of both worlds – outstanding V-6 horsepower and exceptional fuel economy. The Chrysler 200 Convertible is also available with the proven 2.4-liter I4 World Gas Engine. Both engines are mated to a six-speed transmission.

For US, it will be available in three different configurations:

• Chrysler 200 Convertible Touring model
• Chrysler 200 Convertible Limited model
• Chrysler 200 Convertible S

All are packed with style, safety, innovative features and a dynamic, open-air driving experience at a surprising value.

2012 Chrysler 200 model enjoys improved ride

Suspension upgrades - Every Chrysler 200 model enjoys improved ride and suspension tuning over the outgoing Chrysler Sebring. A new rear sway bar, stiffened body mounts and new tires provide an improved ride. New deadening materials minimize exterior noise, vibration and ride harshness.

2012 Chrysler 200 model enjoys improved ride

2012 the Chrysler 200 Really Coming

Engine choices - The 2.4-liter inline four returns and is paired with either a four- or six-speed automatic transmission. Opt for the latter if you want better fuel economy; the four-speed is woefully and outdated and shouldn't have been offered with the 200. Optionally, a 3.6-liter V-6 is new, an engine rated at 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque with the Chrysler 200.

At Auto Trends, we like to do our own analysis of the auto industry, but we've decided to share that analysis here with you. Let's examine some of the hard facts surrounding Chrysler and how that information will most likely impact Chrysler.

2012 the Chrysler 200 Really Coming

2012 The Chrysler 200 is more a Cars

The Chrysler 200 is more of a midcycle refresh then a complete change for the sedan, but with a new name, fresh exterior, updated interior and optional V-6 engine, this model may be differentiated enough to bring customers back to the Chrysler brand.

Chrysler's rescue plan included a historic federally orchestrated bankruptcy in summer 2009 and followed a similar and much more expensive plan to rescue General Motors.

Unlike GM, Chrysler's rescue was predicated on the Fiat Group stepping in to manage the company, something that had to be done in order to guarantee federal intervention. Without Fiat's help, Chrysler would have collapsed and been joined with failed brands that had gone before it. GM, on the other hand, was considered to be "too big to fail." Besides, it had new products in the pipeline while Chrysler did not.

2012 The Chrysler 200 is more a Cars