Dodge Challenger Convertible

If you have $16000 for car, you can get a Dodge Challenger convertible. The car now is being shown at the 2008 SEMA Show with a Vortech supercharger that bumps the 6.1-liter Hemi V8 to 560 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. It rides slightly lower on a KW coil-over suspension kit and 22-inch Foose Challenger wheels wrapped in Nitto tires. Video after the break.

[via Techeblog | Edmunds]

Chrysler Says Dodge Viper ACR is “Essentially” Sold Out

The reports of a Chrysler/General Motors merger have slowed a bit without going away, as have indications that the Dodge is searching for a partner willing to buy the rights to build one of America’s true supercars, the Viper. That Viper brand isn’t without value if recent reports can be believed, with Chrysler vice chairman Jim Press saying that the track-focused Viper SRT10 ACR is “essentially sold out.”

The Viper’s success is said to be due in part to a target audience that feels the ACR version of the car will be an excellent investment as the apogee of performance for the marque thus far. Sales of the sports car remain strong in large part because it’s buyer demographic—a high income cross section of the market that have been mostly insulated from the nation’s recent economic woes.

The $105,000 Viper ACR is also somewhat of a performance bargain, holding the unofficial lap record for factory stock, street legal cars at the Nürburgring—despite competing for that title with car’s selling for many multiples of its asking price.

Ten Cars That Looked Better Before Their Makeovers

Caption:

LINCOLN NAVIGATOR

Last Generation: 2003 - 2006
Current Generation: 2007 - Present

It's no secret that the chrome-happy electric razor schnoz of the Navigator has not made friends within the automotive media. The simpler, more polished look of the previous Navigator wasn’t subtle, but it was a great deal classier on a vehicle that was one of the pioneers of the full-size luxury SUV segment.

Caption:

BMW 5-SERIES

Last Generation: 1996 - 2003
Current Generation: 2004 - Present

When Chris Bangle took his designer's pen to the 5-Series for 2004, it stirred a lot of mixed emotions amongst the automotive media, with some outlets even proclaiming it as the ugliest 5-Series ever made. Many of Bangle’s design cues (first seen in the 7-Series) have been showing up in other brands, however, so perhaps he’s having the last laugh. Still, as the 1996-2003 was one of the most balanced sedan designs we’ve yet seen, we’re not buying any of it.

Caption:

INFINITI FX

Last Generation: 2003 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

The former FX was a bold statement for Infiniti: a crossover vehicle skewed toward high performance and high art at the expense of outright functionality. The new FX still carries that theme, but the new front end’s contrived grille and awkward headlamps has lost the clean look that made the first FX so popular.

Caption:

DODGE VIPER

Last Generation: 1996 - 2002
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

We know, we know, we technically skipped a generation, but the styling of that particular model was hardly changed when the 2008 Viper made its debut. Although it's a bit hard to tell in pictures, older models were more aggressive and less bulbous. Although still attractive, the new Viper's styling is a bit too soft and rounded-- it simply doesn't look as raw or cutthroat as its predecessor.

Caption:

SAAB 9-5

Last Generation: 1997 - 2005
Current Generation: 2006 - Present

While the original Saab 9-5 was a simple case of evolutionary design, the current 9-5 looks like a bad bit of rhinoplasty has been grafted onto an older car (which it has). The chrome surrounds on the headlamps and the grille look out of place, and the front overhang looks far more pronounced than its predecessor, giving the 9-5 an oddly nose-heavy look.

Caption:

CHRYSLER SEBRING CONVERTIBLE

Last Generation: 2004 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

While we wouldn't hand out any design awards to the last-generation Chrysler Sebring Convertible, the current model's front and rear ends look like they were designed in two completely different rooms. The 2004-2007 iteration may have been less imaginative, but it looked more balanced. While the sedan bodystyle won’t win any awards, the big raspberry is reserved for the convertible model, whose lengthy rear proportions and awkward trunk lid shut-line make it look like a quasi-pickup from some angles.

Caption:

NISSAN MURANO

Last Generation: 2003 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

Among the NextAutos staff, putting the Murano on this list was a really tough sell for at least a couple of us. Still, the detractors won out, claiming that the first-generation Murano's shape was boldly rounded and wholly original, while the styling of the new Murano seems overwrought, especially in the headlight/grille area.

Caption:

ACURA TL

Last Generation: 2004 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

A lot of controversy has been stirred over the contrasting chevron grille that Acura has put on most of its new models, and while the last-gen TL wasn't necessarily a huge step forward in sporty expression, we prefer its cleaner lines and less-contrived aesthetic.

Caption:

VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

Last Generation: 1999 - 2004
Current Generation: 2005 - Present

While the last-generation Jetta’s simple forms, clean bodysides and rounded wheel arches screamed class-above European refinement, the current Jetta was a step in the wrong direction. The chrome grille, larger proportions, and bloated design even strikes us as a bit derivative-Japanese from certain vantage points.

Caption:

SCION xB

Last Generation: 2004 - 2007
Current Generation: 2008 - Present

The original Scion xB had an iconic cubist design that really helped kickstart the Scion brand in America. But when the new, bubbly, bulgy, blind-spotty xB debuted for 2008, Scion started to lose sales traction in the U.S., while resale value on the original xBox continues to be the stuff of owner dreams. Coincidence?

Most of the time, when an automaker completely overhauls one of their models, it's a good step forward for not only the car, but for the brand it represents. However, there are other times where the design teams make some questionable decisions and the new products end up looking worse than their predecessors.

Thus, we present our list of ten cars that, from a design standpoint, we think looked better in their previous generation. Scroll through our gallery to see all of the contenders, and leave a comment with any cars that you think we may have missed, and/or maligned.

Cat Out of Bag: 2009 Dodge Ram on Mopar Website?

Looks like someone at Mopar Accessories thought that the world’s wait to see the 2009 Dodge Ram had gone on long enough.

Durango and Aspen Hybrids Killed

It appears that Chrysler will discontinue the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen full-sized hybrids just two months after both vehicles began full-scale production. A company press release stated, “In response to the continuing global economic slowdown and auto industry contraction, as well as the market's continuing movement toward smaller vehicles, Chrysler is announcing…the pull-ahead of the closure of the Newark, Del. Assembly Plant.”

The release further details the December 31st 2008 shutdown of the plant, where both the hybrid and non-hybrid versions of these two models are built. Approximately 1,000 jobs will be lost. This news hits just one year after the Durango and Aspen Hybrids made their world debuts at the 2007 Los Angeles International Auto Show.

According to reports, there have been about 3,000 pre-orders for the two hybrids. It is not clear at this time how many of those orders have been filled, and what is to happen with those not yet delivered.

The hybrid system used in the Aspen and Durango featured the two-mode technology co-developed with General Motors and BMW. Both vehicles join an electric motor with Chrysler’s famed Hemi-V8 engine. The two-mode transmission used in the system is separately built in a plant in White Marsh, Md., which last year added a significant boost in square footage, hardware, and personnel, necessary to produce the new technology. Chrysler did not comment on the status of that facility.

The death of the Durango and Aspen hybrids has not changed Chrysler’s plan for more hybrid gas-electric vehicles. “More hybrids are coming in the future,” said Chrysler spokeswoman, Mary Beth Halprin in an interview with the Detroit News. Chrysler has not signaled a disruption in plans to launch a hybrid Dodge Ram full-size pickup in 2010. That vehicle will share the same two-mode technology as the Aspen and Durango hybrids.

Fifth Gear - Dodge Challenger SRT-8

Tomford take a ride on the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 and tell us his first impressions. It seems that the handling isn’t this car’s forte, but it could possibly be the “best looking car” they’ve had on the show. In this Fifth Gear segment, after the break.

[via Techeblog]

Chrysler to debut fuel efficient Dodge Hornet by 2009

It seems that the hike in crude oil prices and the fact that the world is getting more and more eco-conscious has hit the automobile industry hard and if you happen to be a tad bit slow in adapting to the new ‘Green Line’ then it has hit you really hard. That is exactly the case with Chrysler this year around with nothing new and stunningly big hitting the company besides the unwanted losses. Sales are down 22% for the year due to a lineup that’s still heavy on trucks and SUVs, but there may be some help on the way as soon as 2009. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has hinted that a fuel efficient new vehicle(s) could debut next year, and platform sharing with other automakers would be behind the quick turn-around.

Nardelli says the Auburn Hills-based automaker has re-prioritized its capital in an effort to quickly get to market the fuel-efficient vehicles that the market demands. Debuting even a single vehicle that’s more fuel-efficient than anything else in the Chrysler lineup would likely have a big effect. In light of the fact that its brands offer some of the least fuel-efficient lineups in the industry, this would really help them catch up. With the world going the green way with an almost frantic urgency, Chrysler really are under pressure to change their ways before the firm bleeds further.

While Nardelli didn’t give any details as to which vehicle could arrive ahead of schedule, but speculation is that the Dodge Hornet is on the short list. The handsome Hornet will be based on the Nissan Versa small car platform, and was originally slated to arrive in Dodge guise in 2010. Chrysler is also rumored to be working on alliances with Tata, Fiat, and Chery, and each automaker has plenty of small, efficient vehicles at its disposal. This would be beneficial for Chrysler and hopefully we will see the Hornet around very soon.

Via: Autoblog

2008 Dodge Viper ACR

That’s cool! 2008 Dodge Viper ACR, designed for ‘owners who want to drive to the track, punish a few Porsches and then drive home’. Let’s go for stopping first, this Viper pulled a 1.1g on the skid pad and stopped from 60 mph to zero in just 100 feet. In the opposite, zero to 60mph, it is achieving 3.7 seconds, similar to standard model but this ACR did run a slightly faster quarter-mile time of 11.6 seconds at 124.2 mph. Video after the break.

[via Edmunds Techeblog]

2010 Dodge Charger Coupe Concept

Michael Leonhard, an independent car stylist, has created his own version of the future Dodge Charger Coupe.

Leonhard’s design was inspired by the legendary 1968-70 Charger with a touch of the 21st century vehicles to come up with the 2010 Dodge Charger Concept.