Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from everybody here! Wishing you a safe weekend!

2012 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS

"A stiff clutch pedal and a manual shifter that doesn't move through the gears with much fluidity make the Camaro SS a chore to drive around town. The tall cowl, small windows, huge A-pillars, and tall, broad hood are also bummers, because you can easily feel claustrophobic in this car. If you're a Camaro person, you might not much care, but I find the Ford Mustang to be easier to drive and to have a more livable cabin than the Camaro. I suppose I would have liked our test Camaro better had it been equipped with the Hurst short-throw shifter, which seems like it would be $380 well-spent.

 A 45th anniversary package is a stretch, in my opinion. 25, 40, 50, those are anniversaries worth noting, but 45? Not so much."  [Continue reading...]

Mark Phelan: New 2013 Dodge Dart to offer improved engines, transmissions

"Chrysler and Fiat are about to banish one of the worst legacies of the DaimlerChrysler era. The drivetrains that have weighed down the company's compacts since 2006 are hitting the end of the line.

That's the big, but underreported news about the new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan that debuts in Detroit Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show.

Chrysler has given the 2.0- and 2.4-liter engines it builds in Dundee a thorough re-engineering. The Dart is also expected to ditch the unpopular continuously variable transmission it buys for the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Patriot."  [Continue reading...]

Chevrolet Aveo 1.3-litre diesel review

"The Chevrolet Aveo is a five-door supermini that's meant to steal sales from the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. We've driven the top-of-the-range diesel Aveo, which comes with a 94bhp 1.3-litre engine and costs £13,615.

What's it like to drive? Turn the key and you could be forgiven for thinking that the engine was firing on three cylinders instead of four; it's noisy at idle and only gets noisier when you set off. Despite the racket, though, the cabin remains relatively free of vibrations."  [Continue reading...]

Chrysler Gains Momentum

"Chrysler Group LLC is on track to generate $3 billion in operating profit in 2012 thanks to rising vehicle sales in a recovering U.S. auto market, the company's chief executive said Tuesday.

The auto maker should see its global sales reach two million cars and trucks this year, and rise 20% to 2.4 million in 2012, Sergio Marchionne said in an interview at the company's headquarters here.

After restructuring in bankruptcy court, Chrysler is able to make money if it sells more than 1.5 million vehicles a year, he said, adding that the break-even point drops to 900,000 cars and trucks in 2012."  [Continue reading...]

The Dart makes a comeback

"The Dodge Dart is coming back.Well, sort of, anyway. Chrysler Group says it will roll out the all-new Dart compact sedan at the Detroit auto show in January, and the car will go on sale later in the year as a 2013 model.

But this one is a lot different from the Darts that Chrysler sold from 1960-76, when they ranged from full-size cars early on to the compacts they became in 1963 and for the rest of their run.

The 2013 Dart actually will be mostly a Fiat underneath, as its design comes from Chrysler’s majority owner, the Italian automaker Fiat. The company says the new Dart is adapted from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Alfa is Fiat’s upscale brand, but the Dart actually is on a chassis that Fiat is using for its new line of compacts that will be sold worldwide."  [Continue reading...]

Chrysler Pentastar V-6 Engine Repeats With "Ten Best Engines" From Ward's Auto

"Chrysler Group'sPentastar 3.6–liter V-6 engine once again has been recognized by the editors of Ward's Automotive as one of the '10 Best Engines'.

'Every year, Ward's Automotive recognizes the industry leaders in engine technology,' said Drew Winter, editor at Ward's Automotive. 'Chrysler has successfully demonstrated the breadth of this engine and how it delivers on all fronts including fuel economy, lower emissions and power.'

Named to the exclusive group of engines last year after its introduction in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Pentastar V-6 engine is now standard or available on Chrysler 200, 300 and Town & Country; Dodge Avenger, Challenger, Charger, Durango, Journey and Caravan. For 2012, the Pentastar 3.6-liter engine also is now standard on the new Jeep Wrangler."  [Continue reading...]

Chrysler to unveil new Dart

"Chrysler Group will unveil its first vehicle conceived from the Fiat-Chrysler partnership at next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the automaker announced Tuesday.

The 2013 Dodge Dart will mark Chrysler's return to the compact sedan segment in seven years, said Kathy Graham, spokeswoman for Chrysler Group. It is also reviving the Dart nameplate, which began as a full-sized Dodge in the 1960s.

The four-door sedan will be built off the architecture of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta platform, but it has been lengthened and widened, said Graham. 'The bones of the vehicle come from the Giulietta. It's been modified for North American consumer expectations. It will have cup holders.'"  [Continue reading...]

Chrysler's 2013 Dodge Viper to be seen at New York Auto Show

"The American automobile multinational company, Chrysler Group LLC, recently revealed plans to showcase its 2013 Dodge Viper at the New York International Auto Show. The company has decided to dodge its previous plan of revealing its next generation sports car at the Detroit Motor Show and is gearing up for the New York Auto Show in April next year.    

Ralph Gilles, Chief Executive Officer of Street & Racing Technology, Chrysler Group, confirmed the reports in an interview with Viper magazine. Street & Racing Technology, commonly known as the SRT, is the high-performance automobile division of Chrysler Group."  [Continue reading...]

Chrysler sales up 45% in November

"Number of the day: 45%

 That's how much Chrysler's U.S. sales grew in November - the biggest increase among the major automakers. Though Chrysler's rivals had less dramatic gains, it was a solid month for the industry. 'That will probably carry into December because we will see a sales push at the end of the year,' said analyst Alan Baum. 'The auto recovery is doing better than the economic recovery.' One laggard: Honda, which reported a 6.4 percent drop. The company cited reduced production because of flooding in Thailand."  [Continue reading...]