Chrysler (Page 11)

While it did not come with the amount of publicity and fanfare that we have come to expect when a new model begins production, the 2013 SRT Viper assembly began building new Mopar supercars earlier this month with the first units expected to reach consumers sometime in February 2013 – only after the initial production units are meticulously inspected to ensure the highest level of quality.

Here are three cars that Ford, GM, and Chrysler could create using existing technology that would shake up the market.

The folks at Motor Trend recently took the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and the 2013 SRT Viper GTS to Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway with the bowtie-clad supercar coming away the winner – but it comes with a bit of controversy due to their driver choice according to the people at Chrysler.

Following the success of the Blacktop package for the rear wheel drive Dodge Charger, the Chrysler Group has announced a new All Wheel Drive Sport package for the 2013 Dodge Charger lineup with the new Charger AWD Sport package is being offered with multiple trimlines – meaning that both the V6 and V8 engine options are available.

The people at Ward’s Auto have announced their 10 Best Engines for 2013 and as the “premier industry honors for car and light truck engines” – this is an important award for the makers behind the 10 engines to claim this year’s award.

The 50 jurors from the North American Car and Truck of the Year panel have announced the finalists for the 2013 award with a pair of trios that are as interesting as ever with the new Ford C-Max hybrid in the running for Truck/Utility of the Year while Car of the Year has three sedans that could stand to benefit greatly from the major award.

The Chrysler Group continued its incredible climb out of the troubles of 2008 with their 32nd consecutive month where the company has shown positive growth compared to the same month one year earlier – with four of the five Chrysler Group brands showing positive growth last month.

The Chrysler Group announced today that the 13 employees from their Detroit Jefferson North Assembly Plant who were fired for getting caught drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana during their lunch breaks have had their jobs reinstated by the company as ordered by a legal arbitrator – helping to illustrate when a brutal failure the legal system often proves to be in the US.

Some early specifications on the 2014 Maserati Quattroporte have surfaced via the folks at Autocar including a pair of Ferrari engineered engines packing twin turbochargers, an 8-speed automatic transmission and an optional all wheel drive system – offering us a glimpse into what to expect when this four door Italian supercar debuts at the Detroit Auto Show early next year.

In a recent discussion with Ward’s Auto, Jeep brand CEO Mike Manley explained that the new diesel powered variant of the popular Jeep Grand Cherokee will make its formal debut in January at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit with those models hitting dealer lots during the first quarter of 2013.

When the electric Fiat 500e debuted last week at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Fiat/Chrysler executive Olivier Francois made an off-the-cuff comment that seemed to be directed at the exterior styling of the Nissan Leaf – a joke that has seemingly hurt the feelings of front office folks from the Japanese automaker.

The Chrysler Group claimed a major industry award today when the 2013 Ram 1500 was officially named the 2013 Motor Trend Truck of the Year – a decision based on the power, efficiency and capabilities of the new 3.6L Pentastar V6 and the 5.7L Hemi V8 combined with the new exterior design and the high tech gadgetry that is unique to the Ram Truck lineup.

Aside from announcing the closure of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, Chrysler has also revealed the fate of the museum's collection and whether fans will be able to view the vehicles again.

The 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show was a big deal for Fiat in 2010 with the formal reintroduction to the brand in North America and the 2012 has been almost as big with the debuts of the electric 500e, the high performance 500 Abarth Convertible and now the roomy Fiat 500L – a five passenger crossover with cargo room to spare.

The biggest news from the reborn Fiat brand at the 2012 LA Auto Show was the formal introduction of the new electric 500e but the Italian automaker countered its super-green model with a new high performance Abarth version of their popular 500c convertible – packing all of the greatness of the traditional hard-top Abarth combined with a refreshing open air driving experience.

The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show opened this morning with the key debut in the Dodge booth being the introduction of the 2013 Dodge Charger Daytona – a ‘sights and sounds’ package that adds a unique look to the Hemi-powered Charger R/T.

The 2013 Chrysler Town & Country S is unveiled before the LA Auto Show as a new trim level in the Chrysler S-series of trim packaged models.

The production launch of the 2013 SRT Viper is getting very close and today, the Chrysler Group offered up more information (and new pictures) of their new supercar including an incredible top speed of 206 miles per hour – making the 2013 Viper the fastest normal production car from an American automaker, ever.

The 2013 Dodge Dart is built in Belvidere Illinois and while the local police currently use Dodge Charger Pursuit models, they were unable to have a police car built by the production facility in their own town – until now – as the Chrysler Group produced one special new Dart clad in police livery for the Belvidere police department.

Here at TorqueNews, we don’t closely follow the ranks of NASCAR but after reporting in mid August that Dodge would be pulling their factory backing from the series after 2012, it would only seem fitting that we also report that the brand went out with a bang thanks to Brad Keselowski claiming the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup title last night in his Dodge Charger.

Earlier today, the Fiat USA YouTube account posted a new video showing the 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth Cabrio (convertible) being put to the test by a pair of Ferrari racers while also confirming that this open air high performance 500 will make its debut later this month at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The folks at the Chrysler Group released the first two official images of the upcoming 2013 Fiat 500e – the all electric subcompact set for an LA Auto Show debut that will allow Chrysler to keep up with the likes of the Chevrolet Spark EV and the Ford Focus Electric.