Chrysler

Chrysler's connected car plan

At the recent Detroit auto show, Chrysler announced a road map for connecting cars to the Internet. In the near term, the company is looking at using cellular and Wi-Fi for data connections into cars. Chrysler is also looking into WiMax as a future solution. In its press release, Chrysler mentioned it would use an Internet connection into the car for the following services:

Turn-by-turn navigation combined with satellite imagery to provide more realistic maps Automatic wireless map updates, to ensure that drivers will always have the most up-to-date map information. Real-time weather and hazard information will also be available. … Read more

Limousine wars: Chrysler versus Maybach

At the 2008 Detroit auto show, we ran across two limousines, one by Maybach and one by Chrysler. The cars, the Chrysler 300C Hollywood and the Maybach Landaulet Study, featured some similar characteristics, which left us wondering if Chrysler walked off with some Maybach plans when it got sold off by Daimler. After looking at both cars, we started thinking about which one is better. To start off, Maybach is an extreme luxury brand owned by Daimler, while Chrysler isn't, so we give the first point to Maybach. The Chrysler is powered by a 2.7-liter V-6, while the … Read more

Chrysler previews concepts for the Detroit auto show

Ahead of the 2008 Detroit auto show, Chrysler released sketches of three concept cars it will put on display. The cars come from the three main Chrysler brands, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, and offer a glimpse into the future of each make. A commitment to environmentalism and future power-train design is shown in that each concept runs on electricity.

Click here for preview sketches of Chrysler concept cars.

Photos: Chrysler's full-size hybrids

While GM used the LA Auto Show to display its new full-size hybrids, Chrysler was busy doing exactly the same thing. Chrysler may have parted company with Mercedes-Benz, but that hasn't stopped it from making use of the two-mode hybrid technology that it developed with its old partner together with BMW and General Motors. Both the Chrysler Aspen and the Dodge Durango will come with available hybrid drivetrains for the 2008 model year at an as-yet-undisclosed price. Get an eyeful of Chrysler's new full-size hybrids right here.

He's back on eBay: Manny being hemi

Update: The Man-Ram's car is now up for bidding on eBay.

If you just missed out on buying the grill Boston Red Sox left-fielder Manny Ramirez was hawking on eBay this past spring, maybe you'll have better luck buying his car.

The Boston Herald reports Ramirez will be selling his 2006 Chrysler 300M SRT8 on eBay starting tonight. A quick search of eBay revealed Ramirez hadn't put the car up for bidding at the time of this post.

This isn't your standard-issue Chrysler. Ramirez's custom ride is chromed-out, fitted with 22-inch rims, and has a … Read more

Chrysler honcho has high-tech interiors in mind

A more high-tech interior may be in store for future Chrysler models, Bob Nardelli, Chrysler's new chief executive officer and chairman, hinted during an interview at the annual conference of the Magazine Publishers of America on Monday.

"Look, I'm not a designer, but I am a consumer," he said at the Webcasted event.

"The interior and aesthetic of a vehicle today has to be your most favorite room under your roof. It has to be tranquil. It has to have all the latest technology onboard and it has to be self-tutorial in the education of … Read more

Daimler name change finalizes Chrysler breakup

Breaking up is hard to do. Especially when it costs some $34 billion. The German-based parent company of Mercedes-Benz has cut its losses and is moving on with a new name: Daimler AG.

The new nomenclature isn't at all that surprising. It follows suit with its German competitors, BMW AG and Audi AG. Daimler's car division, previously the Mercedes Car Group, will be renamed Mercedes-Benz Cars. It will include the Mercedes, Maybach, and Smart brands.

The origins of the German car company date back to 1885, when Carl Friedrich Benz received a patent for his car, the Benz … Read more

Chrysler snags longtime Toyota exec

Chrysler has named Jim Press as a president and vice chairman, CEO Robert Nardelli said Thursday.

Press, former president of Toyota Motor North America, was the first non-Japanese person to be appointed to Toyota's board of directors in the company's history. He was appointed to the board in June, after working at Toyota for 37 years.

Press' resignation from Toyota is effective September 14. That same day, Shigeru Hayakawa, the current Toyota Motor North America vice president and managing officer, will become president, according to Toyota.

Press leaves Toyota to serve under Chrysler's Nardelli, alongside Tom LaSorda, … Read more

And the winner is...diesel?

Is diesel the answer to more stringent emission standards?

Apparently it is, at least from the perspective of automakers.

Ford India announced Wednesday that it is launching a diesel version of the Ford Fiesta, the latest in a string of similar announcements in the industry.

"(This car) will dramatically change customers' perceptions about the traditional diesel vehicle. The car is designed to deliver responsive acceleration, outstanding fuel economy, and reduced emissions consistent with future norms," Scott McCormack, vice president of Ford India, said in a statement.

While environmentalists, consumers and politicians continued to discuss ethanol, hydrogen and electricity, … Read more