New Car Modification

NASA is working with two American automotive companies to advance vehicular technology in space.
NASA and Chrysler Group LLC this week announced an agreement to work together to adapt vehicles for use in space.
As part of the Innovative Partnerships Program, the two entities will examine road and automotive technologies originally developed for human spaceflight....More

Sales of the Ram pickup surged 88% over the same month last year, with 3,001 units sold (2009: 1,594 units) The Ram was Canada’s No. 5 selling nameplate in February, making Chrysler Canada the only automaker to have two of the top five selling vehicles in the country.

Canada’s No. 1 selling crossover, the Dodge Journey, had its best February ever, with sales of 1,449 units, up 53 per cent over February 2009....More

Chrysler Group LLC temporarily closed a plant this week due to a parts shortage, but avoiding this kind of supply issue is a priority and the automaker says it is making progress....More

Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler Group LLC chief executive, gave his clearest indication yet yesterday that the Alfa Romeo brand may make a return to the North American market as the Detroit automaker continues to look for ways to integrate its new partner, Fiat SpA.

The bulk of Chrysler's sales in Canada still stem from its trucks and minivans. But the automaker is hoping to add some sex appeal to its car offerings with Fiat products in the years ahead, including the introduction of the Fiat 500 in showrooms later this year....More

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - U.S. Chrysler dealers were asked on Sunday morning to take a leap of faith that Chrysler and Fiat SpA (FIA.MI) CEO Sergio Marchionne will save the No 3 U.S. automaker with a new lineup of products.

Chrysler "seems like a preacher on Sunday. It's easy to preach the Ten Commandments. It's living it (that is hard)," said Chris Saraceno, vice president of auto group Kelly Management, which has 11 dealerships including a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep one in eastern Pennsylvania.

Saraceno and several other dealers said Chrysler executives, led by U.S. sales chief Fred Diaz, asked them to hang on during the first half of 2010 with a lineup laden with dated vehicles because help was on the way by the fourth quarter, when 75 percent of the lineup will be new or greatly refreshed....More

Chrysler is negotiating to buy the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant from its bankruptcy estate and save about 1,200 jobs that were expected to be eliminated at the end of 2010.
Sterling Heights City Council last month voted Jan. 19 to extend $7.4-million property in tax abatements to encourage Chrysler to keep the plant open as well as a nearby center where parts are organized before being taken to the production line---...More

Chrysler Group LLC posted some good international sales news today, a day after releasing disappointing results in the U.S.---...More

Ferrari and Maserati are moving into a new neighborhood at the North American International Auto Show -- the Chrysler Group LLC stand, where they'll be nestled between the Dodge and Jeep brands----More

Bloomberg is reporting information gleaned from anonymous sources that Chrysler will be unveiling an electric version of the Fiat 500 at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

,Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was quoted as saying his company plans to sell over 50,000 electric vehicles per year by 2014.

The 500 is already a popular subcompact car in Europe, and a gas version is expected to go on sale in the US next year.

Chrysler’s 300 still looks good. It is a classic rear-wheel-drive American sedan, with ample interior space, lots of powertrain choices, and few competitors for the price, particularly with the death of the Pontiac G8. A new version is expected for 2011.

Vehicle Details
$28010 300 4dr Sdn 300 Touring RWD
4-Door Rear Wheel Drive Car, 178 bhp, 190 lb-ft, 4-sp Automatic, 18 (2009)/26 (2009) mpg
5 passengers, 3725 lb, 2.7-liter, V-6 engine, 20.9 lb/bhp

Engine
Engine Type Gas V6
Displacement 2.7L/167
Fuel System SMPI
SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM 178 @ 5500
SAE Net Torque @ RPM 190 @ 4000

Transmission
Drivetrain Rear Wheel Drive
Trans Order Code DGV
Trans Type 4
Trans Description Cont. Automatic
First Gear Ratio (:1) 2.84
Second Gear Ratio (:1) 1.57
Third Gear Ratio (:1) 1.00
Fourth Gear Ratio (:1) 0.69
Reverse Ratio (:1) 2.21
Final Drive Axle Ratio (:1) 3.90

Vehicle
EPA Classification Large
EPA Greenhouse Gas Score N/A

Mileage
EPA Fuel Economy Est - Hwy 26 (2009) MPG
Cruising Range - City 324.00 mi
EPA Fuel Economy Est - City 18 (2009) MPG
Fuel Economy Est-Combined 21 (2009) MPG
Cruising Range - Hwy 468.00 mi