WXYZ's coverage of the Detroit Auto Show's Charity preview night was very disappointing.
They might as well have called it the Mustang/Shelby show.
Terrible. So many cars, and they kept coming back to the Mustangs. Exposure of GM's cars was second (and not really a close second). Bob Lutz needs to talk faster when giving interviews (it was agonizing hearing him speak about the Nomad and Solstice). Corvette got a lot of exposure. Convertible PT Cruiser got some exposure.
That rolling piece of billet aluminum ME-12 thing was shown several times. No LX-based cars were mentioned or seen - not even during the wide pan-shots of the show floor.
All in all a very disappointing 2 hours of TV coverage.
BTW, here's an interesting quote I found relating to the rolling abomination that is the LX-300:
"Like Ford's new cars, the Magnum and 300C seek to give drivers the advantages of an SUV in a better-handling car platform."
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First of all, I saw plenty of Ford cars that have nothing at all in common with SUV's. Second, what I've said all along about the LX-body
300: It's further from a sports-luxury car than the current 300 is. If I want a freeking truck-ute-suv-tonka-fisher-price piece of shit there are plenty of alternatives. If I want a sleek, sophisticated, elegant, V-8 powered RWD Chrysler sedan, I guess I'll have to wait for Daimler to drop Chrysler.
0-60 in the low six second range. Top speeds over150MPH. Try to equal that with your 300M.
These cars are going to positively stomp all over the current LH series in every area you can imagine. It's nothing if not a complete and total upgrade.
..and watch as they go out of business, then maybe at some point in a decade or two have the marque revived by some other manufacturer, and then be about as much a true Chrysler product afterward as a Jaguar is true to its own heritage. Or Volvo to its heritage, or Saab, or Mazda...starting to get the idea here? What you're advocating is the death of Chrysler, just to satisfy some sort of scorched earth emotional response you have to the merger. It's foolish. You're in the Detroit area, do you want to see all your neighbors unemployed? I don't.
Chrysler under Daimler is slowly dying. Ultimately it's cars will be nothing more than Mercedes parts stuffed into a shell designed in Auburn hills. It's cars carefully designed to avoid market segments occupied by Merc models.
I want a sports luxury car to replace my '00 300M. I want it to be a Chrysler. In January 2000 I all but knew it was going to be the production version of that beautiful concept. In 2004, Chrysler no longer makes sports luxury sedans. They make industrial looking sedans that look like what Bentley was making 15-20 years ago.
I don't either. More importantly, lots of LH cars (and LX cars) are built in Bramalea. But as more and more of Chrysler's cars have Mercedes parts - what do you think is going to happen to jobs here?
It wouldn't be so bad if Daimler took their pride out of their ass and started to market Chrysler vehicles in Europe (especially Germany).
So I live just down the road from the plant. Many of my neighbors work there(hint none of them drive what they build). All LH cars have been manufactured in one place. Bramalea - which is pretty far from Germany. The plant was previously a Jeep plant under AMC.
What major components of the new cars are Mercedes? My understanding is that pretty much the same suppliers are supplying the new generation. Now the Crossfire is an exception (not built here either)but its not a mass market vehicle.
As an Intrepid owner, I'd welcome some more reliable parts.....
"approximately 20 percent of LX platform components are shared with Mercedes, particularly in drivetrain hardware, suspension modules, electrical systems and seat modules."
I have yet to read if the V-6 versions are FWD or RWD. I *believe* it was reported months ago that the transmission and possibly the suspension was coming from Mercedes. I haven't read anywhere if this is indeed the case, but here at least we have a media story stating a significant portion of the car is made by Merc.
Having some components from Merc (especially any electronics) is not necessarily a good thing. Merc has had a terrible history recently WRT quality or reliability. How long do you think it will take for the mechanics that work at Chrysler dealerships to become aquainted with the Merc components?
How much do you think it will cost to repair/replace a Merc transmission output speed sensor? I'll tell ya, it won't be less than for the Chrysler equivalent.
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Complete text:
2005 Chrysler 300 C and Dodge Magnum ALAN OLDFIELD Production versions of the Chrysler 300C sedan and Dodge Magnum sports tourer (think station wagon) concepts received enthusiastic responses at NAIAS despite some scaling back of the concepts' showy features.
Both production models wear 18-inch tires, rather than the 20-inchers sported by the concepts, and both sport a bit less chrome.
The new models, based on the new LX rear-wheel-drive platform, will hit dealer showrooms next spring. Engines will range from a 200-hp,
2.7-liter V-6 through a refined version of the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 that produces 340 hp at 5200 rpm and 365 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, which should provide zero to 60 times of 6.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 150 mph.
The transmission is a five-speed electronic AutoStick with a gated shifter. Antilock brakes, all-speed traction control and DaimlerChrysler's Electronic Stability Program will be standard. A full-time all-wheel drive system will be an option on the Magnum.
Interiors of both cars feature analog instrumentation; adjustable pedals; four-spoke, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheels; and, in the
300C, elegant faux-tortoiseshell trim on the steering wheel, shifter knob and door pull handles.
In addition, approximately 20 percent of LX platform components are shared with Mercedes, particularly in drivetrain hardware, suspension modules, electrical systems and seat modules.
The base V-6 model is expected to sticker at about $24,000 when it goes on sale in April. The upscale 300C sedan will be equipped with a
340-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 and cost less than $33,000.
The full-sized 2005 Dodge Magnum shares its rear-wheel-drive architecture with the 300C. But while the Chrysler model is a sedan, the Magnum is very much like a wagon.
But this is not the station wagon you grew up in. With the optional
5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine, all-wheel drive and electronic stability control, the car will be positioned as a performance vehicle. The Magnum is scheduled to go on sale in May.
Well, they're starting. It's been announced that Dodge will become available in the UK soon.
In general I have to tell you that US cars haven't enjoyed much of a reputation in Europe in the past, and for understandable reasons -- huge, uneconomic engines, unsuitable ride etc. On top of that they weren't made in a RHD so Britain was out.
Selling Chrysler in Germany must be an herculean task, to reach out beyond a specialist market, but I think efforts are being made. Selling against VW/Audi, BMW and Mercedes (all top sellers!) is a tough job! Opel/GM just scrapes into the top 10. See, e.g. Oct 03
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Some info about the 45 m cars registered in Germany:
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Note that only the Opel Corsa figues as a class leader in a 'mass' class.
Actually Chrysler made more of an effort (also predating Mercedes) as it hasn't had European manufacturing plants for years. Even in Britain Jeep and Voyager are selling quite reasonably. In other European countries more Chrysler brands are available.
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