New Alfa Romeo-Derived / U.S. Made Dodge Compact Sedan to Debut at 2012 Detroit Show

A new U.S. market compact sedan to be developed by Fiat and built by Chrysler is set to make its debut appearance at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the beginning of next year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The as-of-yet unnamed model will be badged as Dodge and powered by a Fiat-derived 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It’ll also do 40 mpg combined, or at least it will if Fiat wants to net itself a further 5% of Chrysler from Mr. MonopolyUncle Sam.

The Italian automaker wants to expand its 46% share in Chrysler & Friends by an additional 7.5% courtesy of the U.S. Treasury and Canadian government on top of the 5% it’s expected to get by pushing the 40 mpg envelope.

The new model will be built in Chrysler’s Belvidere plant in Illinois, which the brand is currently spending US$600 million retooling for the job. Production is expected to start later this year. Dealers, such as David Kelleher of David Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Glen Mills, PA are naturally very excited:

“We have never had a viable compact car. This will allow us to reach the entry level customer and it's a perfect fit for Dodge which has been faced with challenges.” [Like having to share a lot with the Chrysler Sebring, for one…]

The Caliber, the closest thing Dodge currently has to a Honda Civic / Ford Focus / Chevy Cruze competitor at present, does a paltry 24 mpg in automatic guise.

The new model will share the same basic floorplan as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback, which will also be used to underpin five new models over the next three years.

There’s no word yet on a name, but I’m willing to discount Aires, Neon and Stratus as possible contenders.

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Viper V10-Powered Chrysler PT 10 Cruiser Truck for Sale on eBay

Whether you love it or loathe it, Chrysler’s PT Cruiser was a running success for the Detroit automaker and over its ten-year lifespan, we saw countless projects cars and tunes based on the retro-styled compact model. However, ask any true Mopar fan what the ultimate modification is for any Chrysler Group model, and you’ll most likely get the answer an engine swap with the Dodge Viper’s ferocious V10 powerplant.
Here at Carscoop, we’ve shown you plenty of Viper-powered cars ranging from a Chrysler 300 and a Dodge Challenger to a Saab 9-3 and a Jeep Wrangler. Now it’s time to add the Chrysler PT Cruiser to our list of venomous engine swaps with this eBay find.
The PT/10 Cruiser Pickup Truck is said to have been built in 2000. It is based on a custom chassis with power coming from the Viper’s V10 engine churning out 500 ponies. Other goods sourced from the Dodge sports car include the 6-speed transmission, rear suspension, steering rack and seats.
The seller claims that only two examples were built and that this one “has never been driven on the street and has only been used as a show car, there are some minor things that need completing like putting in a set of analog gauges, and some minor wiring tweaks”, adding that “it does start and run great”.
However, if you’re interested, we’d advise you to go check the car in the flesh for yourself before you make any move as a quick search on the internet revealed that some of the photos shown on the eBay page are quite old dating back to January 2006
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2011 Dodge Charger SE V6

The Dodge Charger, one of the last American rear-wheel-drive sedan nameplates left in existence, has gone under the surgeon’s knife and come out the other side with few changes. Or so it seems. What you see here is a 2011 Dodge Charger SE, the one with the new 292 hp 3.6-litre V6. We’re possibly the first ones in the UAE, and possibly the GCC, to review one on local roads. And we are absolutely blown away by this car. Compared to the old one, this new model is from a different planet altogether.
You want aggressive front-end styling? Check. The Charger is angrier than ever. IT must be pissed off after starring in Fast Five.
You want others to look at you and your ego? Check. That 164-LED “racetrack” tail lamps will attract attention from miles away at night.
You want the feel of a premium Euro-luxury interior? Check. There are acres of soft-touch areas, on the dash, on the doors and even on the centre console. The next dumbass to say that Audi has the best interior would be lying, because the Dodge uses similar padding materials, and has less hard plastics than the Audi A5, at half the price!
You want spacious comfortable seats? Check. This Dodge has among the most adjustable driving positions, with a steering wheel that telescopes very far back. We believe the R/T gets sportier leather seating.
You want practicality? Check. Generous rear legroom, door pockets, a/c vents, padded doors and cup-holders. Only the tallest of people will complain of headroom back there.
You want cargo room? Check. The boot is sizeable, and will fit most needs. If you want more space, buy a 4×4.
You want other things? It’s all there too. Fuel economy, handling, acceleration, build quality and gadgetry are all pretty good for the most part. If you want even more, there are even juicier models higher up the model range, all much more affordable than equivalent European luxury cars. Indeed, this American car is now good enough to compete with the premium badges. The Charger is truly among the best cars in the worldright now. The only reason to not buy this car is if you don’t like small side-mirrors and you desperately want paddle shifters.
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2011 Dodge Durango Crew

The previous Dodge Durango was a dud on such a massive scale that it remained on showroom floors right up till 2010, even while production ended in 2008. That fullsize 4×4 is now dead, but its replacement, a stretched midsizer, might very well be among the best in its class.
Our tester is a V8-powered “Crew” version. Even as the cheapest V8 model, it is rather well-loaded. And it looks rather good.


The rear looks a lot like the Jeep Grand Cherokee from which it is derived, but make no mistake, the Durango is much longer and rides lower.


The interior is covered in soft-touch materials on all the upper areas, feeling much more premium than the plasticky Honda MR-V, GMC Acadia and Nissan Pathfinder, making it more of a competitor for the VW Touareg and the Volvo XC90.

The rear offers immense legroom, with many a/c vents, cup-holders and door pockets. Higher models likely get a DVD entertainment system.

The third row is easy enough to access and is pretty spacious too, with decent legroom for average-sized people and roof a/c vents.

The cargo area under the powered tailgate can hold a decent amount of groceries without putting down the third row.

The 2011 Dodge Durango seems to be the ideal minivan for those who don’t want a minivan, offering aggressive style, premium ambience and even a low-range gear should you get stuck in beach sand. Chrysler really has become the company to watch. 

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2011 Saab 9-3 SRT10

Saab may be on the short stick – again - as far as their future is concerned, but some of their models still find a way to make the news and try to move the spotlight away from their tumultuous future into something a little more optimistic.

In this case, the question has to be posed: who knew that you could take a Saab 9-3, strip it down to its bare essentials, build the whole puzzle back together, and fit in an 8.4-liter V10 engine that comes courtesy of a Dodge Viper SRT10?

You read that whole paragraph right, folks. The word’s ‘Saab’ and ‘SRT’ are coming together for a very revealing customer project. The final model, which is being called the ‘9-3 SRT10 MegaPower’, came from the mind of one Zaccho Pelle, who wanted nothing more than to turn his Saab 9-3 Estate from an otherwise mundane wagon into a Viper SRT10-powered, 600-horsepower piece of automotive madness.

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Swedes Turn a Dodge Viper into the Saab 9-3 SRT10

Proving once again that there is no limit to what one can build when you let your imagination take over, a team of Swedes transformed a Dodge Viper into the menacing Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower you see in these pictures.
It all started when a man bought a wrecked Dodge Viper SRT-10 with the intention of rebuilding it. However, it soon became obvious that task was far more difficult than he originally thought due to the extent of the damages and the lack of parts. It didn’t take long to come up with a fresh idea: strip the Viper’s body clean and use the mechanical hardware and parts of the chassis on a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi.

A team of tuners were involved in the build, which understandably, wasn’t a walk in the park as the Viper’s 8.4-liter V10 engine proved too big for the Saab’s engine bay and had to be pushed towards the cabin to fit. But the result is definitely impressive. For a more comprehensive look at the build with plenty of photos, check out the Zatsy forum.

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Video: 2011 Dodge Charger challenge Robots

There was a time when math was done with with just a pencil and paper and novels were created on a typewriter. Those things seem completely outdated now, when cars like the Autonomous Audi TTS are climbing Pikes Peak without a man behind the wheel. Dodge has touched on this exact climb into technology with their new 2011 Dodge Charger commercial.

The setting is a bit into the future and illustrates how technology is taking over everything we do in our daily lives. From brushing our teeth to opening our doors, technology will soon lead us by the hand and live our lives for us. The excellent play on this idea is that it will never take over the thrill of driving our cars or, in this case, our Dodge Chargers.

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Dodge Viper ACR Looks Like Alfa Romeo’s Zagato TZ3 Stradale

We don’t know if Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s future plans for the upcoming, next generation of the Dodge Viper include the development of a corresponding Alfa Romeo model based on the underpinnings of the muscle car, but famed Italian coach builder Zagato has given the formula a try with its new TZ3 Stradale.

You see, Zagato’s TZ3 Stradale is an Alfa Romeo bodied sports car based on the platform and mechanical hardware of the track-conquering Dodge Viper ACR, which features the same 600HP 8.4-liter V10 engine as the standard Viper SRT-10 along with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a race-spec suspension. All parts of the TZ3 Stradale’s carbon fiber body are new with the cherry topping being the classic Kamm-tail (K-tail) layout.

The TZ3 Stradale is Zagato’s second and final tribute to the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo (1910-2010), which started in 2009 with the presentation of the 8C Competizione-based TZ3 Corsa that won the Villa D'Este Design Concept Award in 2010.

Unlike the TZ3 Corsa, which was a one-off commissioned by Alfa Romeo Zagato collector Martin Kapp, the TZ3 Stradale will be built in a limited number of 9 units with the first example having already being delivered to US Alfa Romeo and Zagato collector (and Saratoga Automobile Museum's board member) Eric King. The TZ3 Stradale No2 and No3 will be delivered in Japan and Europe.

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