Autoblog

We're already encouraged by the fact that Ralph Gilles has ascended to the top of Chrysler's design department, as the past vehicles penned under his supervision have all been some of Chrysler's best. Say what you want about the reborn 300 now, but when it was first introduced, it's styling set in motion a major tidal wave of accolades and was a fresh direction for Detroit's number 3. The 'Edge' look, as Gilles calls it, though, is getting a bit stale these days and Chrysler needs a new direction -- Sebring anyone? According to the new design chief, ChryCo's new look will be 'Organic', which Gilles says will get "our cars to be sexy again." Remember "cab forward"? That moniker could make a comeback along with the more stylish interiors that Chrysler so desperately needs.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

After years of incremental improvement in customer satisfaction, a study from the University of Michigan shows that overall, Detroit automakers have declined versus their Japanese and German rivals. The study, which polls customers with six-month-old to three-year-old vehicles, shows that U.S. automakers have stalled in their quest to improve satisfaction. The problem? Rising gas prices have made truck and SUV customers very unhappy with their vehicles, which reflects negatively in the overall score.

The Chevrolet brand was hit hardest, with scores dropping 3.7% versus last year's score. The bow tie brand was ahead of only Dodge and Jeep. The news isn't all bad for General Motors, though, as truck and SUV-less Saturn posted the industry's largest gain of 4.9 points to get within one point of Toyota and Honda's score of 86. Buick and Cadillac also performed very well in the survey, with each GM brand scoring an 85. Ford was flat year over year, but the Blue Oval's score of 80 was two points lower than the industry average. Lincoln Mercury also saw a big 3.5% drop in satisfaction, but those Ford brands are still above the industry average score with an 83. Chrysler did very poorly overall, with all three brands scoring under the industry average.

While the Detroit automakers might take note of the unfavorable results, this survey isn't widely published like the ones from J.D. Power and Consumer Reports. Both Ford and GM are faring well in J.D. Power's recent studies, and both are also still showing improvement in Consumer Reports.

[Source: Detroit News]

It's got the preposterously huge wing, and race-burlesque stripe job; could this Viper spotted at the Nurburgring possibly be a Viper ACR? The red and black Viper was nabbed on one of the 'Ring's cameras, and there's also reports of a black Viper with graphite stripes tearing around the German racing venue. While the pictures showed up on the Viperclub forums, nobody's got any lap times, unfortunately. Could the ACR turn laps as fast as the scorching GT-R or ZR1? Who knows, but there's no doubt that it'll be fast. That big, silly wing is acceptable in this instance, as it will actually work to enhance downforce on the drive wheels. It'd be the first thing removed for street duty, were we the owners of a Viper GTS. Alas, we're not Viper ACR owners, though the idea of an astoundingly fast car that can kill you if you don't know what you're doing just seems right in these days of electronic safety nets. Cowboy attitude aside, we hope that this Viper owner managed to not stuff it into any hazards, and that his lap times eventually bubble to the surface. Thanks for the tip, Gustavo.

[Source: forums.viperclub.org]

Trevor Creed has decided that being the capo di designi capo for such programs as the Chrysler 300, PT Cruiser, Dodge Challenger, Viper, and Ram, among others, is a satisfactory way to cap a career in design. Creed has spent the past 23 years at Chrysler, and his departure as Vice President of Design on August 31st opens up the slot for Ralph Gillies to step up. Gillies will start his new role as Design Veep September 1st, and he'll answer to Frank Klegon, Executive VP of Product Development.

Hey Frank, get rid of focus grouping, give Ralph a bit more leash to manage a staff that can design a car that actually looks good. As Design Vice President, Gillies will now oversee the Product Design Office, so one imagines that, given the opportunity, there may be a glimmer of hope for righting the horrid wrongs of the Sebring, as long as some of that 2009 Ram mojo is still around.

Once Gillies and team work sheetmetal magic, Andreas Schnell is the newly appointed Vice President of Electrical/Electronics Engineering Core, the people that come up with the electronics that not only run the vehicle, but entertain and delight, as well. Schnell will also be responsible for "voice of the customer" efforts, and the voice of the customer should be heard loud and clear saying "please build better cars."

[Source: Chrysler]

Click above for high-res gallery of Chrysler's booth on Woodward Ave.

The Chrysler booth at the Woodward Dream Cruise is all about two things: muscle cars and Mopar. The Pentastar filled up the massive mall parking lot at 13 mile and Woodward with dozens of classic rides from the '60s, '70s, and today. Among the best examples of Motown Metal were old-school Chrysler 300s, a brilliant orange Dodge Charger equipped with the Super Bird wing, and quite a few vintage Challengers. For some reason the Nassau concept from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show keeps creeping up at all Chrysler events, and it made it's way to Woodward, too. Chrysler also had plenty of chances for Mopar fans to kick back and have some fun, including a massive slot car track, a rock climbing wall and Rock Band. Click on the gallery below to check out the pics in full resolution glory.

Click above to view a video of the Chrysler UConnect system.

Chrysler's wireless, in-car Internet system will be made available beginning on August 25th, with pricing set at $499 for the Uconnect equipment, a $50 installation at the dealer, a $35 initial activation charge and a service fee of $29 per month. The cost of the system might be bearable for business users, but everyday consumers may be content with their Edge or 3G-enabled smartphones for mobile web browsing and email.

Check out our original post on the UConnect system here and view a video demonstration of the system in action here.

[Source: InformationWeek]

If you want to sport a Dodge Challenger without the fire-breathing V8 or the hefty price tag, the time to act is now. The first two Dodge Challenger SE models have arrived in Ohio this week, and 500 models are en-route to dealerships in the U.S. and Canada as you read this. The SE Challenger packs Chrysler's ho-hum 3.5L V6 with 250 horsepower and a truly retro four speed automatic, but the news is far from all bad. You still get the Challenger's muscular looks, power flowing through the rear wheels, and a hard to beat entry price of only $21,995. You probably won't win many races, but at least you won't be driving an Avenger. Seriously, though, the Challenger SE charmed us at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show where it debuted with a simple proposition: cheap, rear-wheel-drive fun on four wheels.


[Source: Red Letter Dodge]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Chrysler PT Cruiser DCS 5

The festivities leading up to the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit begin to ramp up around this time every year, and you know the world's largest traffic jam of classic, custom and exotic vehicles is nigh when Chrysler debuts another limited edition version of its PT Cruiser. This year it's the limited edition Dream Cruiser Series 5 that will be available for purchase in the fall. The DCS 5 is actually more done up than past editions with Midnight White Pearl Coat paint that's topped by a Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl roof. Up front the standard grilles have been swapped out for aluminum mesh, and the 17-inch wheels have clearly been swiped from the SRT parts bin. Chrome trim and a pair of new "PT" badges on the driver and passenger front doors round out the exterior mods. The interior also gets done up with light-colored plastics, silver (plastic) trim and dash panels painted in the same glossy Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl as the roof. The seats are new and feature an interesting texture that Chrysler calls Embossed Momentum seat fabric. If you were hoping for a hot rod, however, you'll be disappointed as the DCS 5 features the PT Cruiser's standard 150-hp 2.4L four-cylinder mated to a four-speed automatic. The DSC 5 will be available with either a 2.4L four-cylinder producing 150 horsepower or a turbocharged version producing 180 hp. With that, we rate the PT Cruiser DCS 5 as one of Chrysler's better Woodward-inspired PT Cruisers. If you're down with the factory mods, you'll need to scrounge up at least $22,700 (plus $670 for destination) by this fall and get in line as only 1,750 units will be made.


[Source: Chrysler]

In an effort to cut down on travel and energy costs, Chrysler is said to be in negotiations with the United Auto Workers Union to switch from five, eight-hour days down to four days with ten-hour shifts. We first heard this scheme mentioned as a possibility for the Jeep Factory in Toledo, Ohio, though it now appears as if all but the few plants turning in high amounts of overtime would be affected if the UAW agrees to allow Chrysler to make the scheduling change. As is typical with the new Cerberus-owned automaker, the Chrylser LLC isn't giving out any information on specific savings targets, though preliminary figures put the reduction at something close to -- but under -- $10 million a year. The new shifts are already underway at a Chrysler distribution center in Atlanta, Georgia.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]