Chrysler (Page 23)

The Chrysler Group’s Mopar performance and aftermarket division always brings out some great concept vehicles to the SEMA Show and 2011 was no different with the biggest splash being made by the Dodge Challenger SRT8 ACR – designed to pay homage to the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR that has recently reclaimed the Nürburgring production car lap time record.

The Chrysler Group announced this morning that they would be offering a new police vehicle that would join the popular Dodge Charger Pursuit with the introduction of the new Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4x4 Special Service package – a specially equipped police truck powered by the popular 5.7L Hemi V8.

There are a great many cars and trucks on the floor of the 2011 SEMA Show that are powered by the mighty Chrysler Hemi V8 but none are quite like the “Maxi Cooper” shown on the right – a Mini Cooper converted to rear wheel drive and powered by a 650 horsepower 6.4L Hemi.

Among the many high performance models at the Mopar display at the 2011 SEMA Show was the Ram 392 Quick Silver - a Ram 1500 equipped with the 6.4L Hemi from the current SRT8 lineup and while this truck is just an “image vehicle“, Mopar points out just how easy it was to make this truck, perhaps suggesting how easy it could be for Ralph Gilles’ SRT Group to offer a new high performance pickup.

Among the news of new crate engines and all of the sexy high performance show cars, the folks at Chrysler’s Mopar division used the 2011 SEMA Show to announce some massive racing news - that Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr would be making a return to a factory backed Mopar racing team after several years behind the wheel of a GM race car.

Last week we brought you the news that WD40 and the SEMA Cares charity group would be offering up a new vehicle that would be auctioned off with the help of the good people at the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction to benefit children’s charities and yesterday, the new 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 WD40 SEMA Cares vehicle met the world.

Chrysler cars and trucks sold mad crazy last month, up 27% over year-ago numbers and good enough to be the best October for the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based automaker since 2007. Impact players: The Jeep Compass, Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200 and 300. Sales of the Compass rose an astounding 566%.

Who knew that details of an automaker’s lease program and transfer policies could have a significant impact on brand retention? And online car lease website LeaseTrader.com has the stats to prove it.

All Michigan Secretary of State branch offices and the Office of the Great Seal will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day. Licenses and plates that expire that day can be renewed the following day without penalty

The Chrysler Group has done a masterful job of keeping the 2013 Dodge Viper under wraps, with just a few spyshots and some teaser releases about upcoming technology but according to the Mopar aficionados at Allpar.com, when the 2013 Dodge Viper hits the streets next year it could pack a new 8.7 liter version of the V10 engine.

Just one day after the United Auto Workers announced that their workers had voted (sort of) to ratify the new 4-year labor contract with the Chrysler Group, Chrysler has announced their financial results for the 2011 Q3 – showing revenue of $13.1 billion and a profit of $212 million while moving almost a half million vehicles around the world.

Earlier today we brought you the news that the two main groups within Chrysler’s assembly of UAW workers – the production workers and skilled trade workers – had split on whether or not to ratify the new 4-year deal between the labor union and the Chrysler Group but after a brief period of discussion among union officials, the UAW has approved the new contract.

The UAW has been careful to not publish any sort of official results of the current voting process under way for the new 4-year Chrysler contract but reports suggest that with nearly all local branches around the US having turned in their results; production workers have voted in favor of the new deal while skilled trade workers have voted against the new contract.

Earlier this year, I had a chance to speak with SRT CEO Ralph Gilles about the possibility of seeing an SRT-powered Ram in the future and while he couldn’t offer any future product plans, the Ram 392 Quick Silver coming to the 2011 SEMA Show could be a preview of “what could be” if Gilles’ SRT engineers were to build a Ram 1500 of their own.