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A source known to be within Chrysler wrote that American Axle reps have been looking at buying Chrysler's Detroit Axle plant. Sale of this plant will have to wait until the UAW contract runs out, but will likely occur almost immediately at that time - as with many other Chrysler parts plants. UAW's headquarters has not, to our knowledge, protested the systematic dismemberment of Chrysler's parts plants, possibly believing the un-auditable accounting figures from DaimlerChrysler's leaders (keeping in mind that CEO Juergen Schrempp bragged about lying in order to get Chrysler on his terms).
American Axle will start making rear axle shafts for a future Chrysler vehicle, most likely the next Dakota. They are the second largest maker of automobile drive systems, behind Dana, whose recent offerings have been very problematic for Chrysler (according to interviewed mechanics). American Axle is based in Detroit, and most of its business is currently with General Motors, though it is also making front and rear axles and driveshafts for the new heavy duty Dodge Ram. American Axle reportedly will supply major drive components for two future SUVs, presumably the Durango and Grand Cherokee.
The new Chrysler 5.7 Hemi, which features 345 horsepower, hemispherical heads, a simple, low-cost design, and dual spark plugs, was originally planned to have cylinder deactivation under light loads (such as idle and highway cruising) to increase gas mileage. According to Automotive News, this feature will be delayed until 2004, presumably so that the engine's appearance would not be delayed any longer than needed while technical issues are cleared up. (Thanks, Doug Hetrick).
The new Chrysler 5.7 Hemi, which features 345 horsepower, hemispherical heads, a simple, low-cost design, and dual spark plugs, was originally planned to have cylinder deactivation under light loads (such as idle and highway cruising) to increase gas mileage. According to Automotive News, this feature will be delayed until 2004, presumably so that the engine's appearance would not be delayed any longer than needed while technical issues are cleared up. (Thanks, Doug Hetrick).
The new Chrysler 5.7 Hemi, which features 345 horsepower, hemispherical heads, a simple, low-cost design, and dual spark plugs, was originally planned to have cylinder deactivation under light loads (such as idle and highway cruising) to increase gas mileage. According to Automotive News, this feature will be delayed until 2004, presumably so that the engine's appearance would not be delayed any longer than needed while technical issues are cleared up. (Thanks, Doug Hetrick).
Bob Lutz told the Detroit Free Press that he expects to be able to stay on long after his current three-year contract ends, in a move which will disappoint, but not surprise, those who would rather he made a bid to run Chrysler. He is currently vice chairman of the world's largest company, and is often referred to as GM's "product czar." He is quoted as saying that many surprising vehicles will come out of GM in the next three or four years. General Motors' market share has been increasing at the expense of Ford and Chrysler.
Volkswagen is replacing the Golf convertible with the nearly-identical Beetle convertible.
Bill Ford took the spotlight again yesterday, complaining about excessive government regulation. /our inevitable rant/ This comes from the head of the company that decided that it was cheaper to get sued by those whose loved ones burned alive in Pintos than to fix the gas tank problem...according to public records. This from the company whose cars tend to catch fire when they aren't busy slipping into reverse unexpectedly. This from the "another day, another recall" company. Should we be surprised that Ford is upset over regulation, when their primary source of innovation over the past decade has been making SUVs larger and larger? /end rant/
AutoWeek reported that the Hemi will indeed go into the 300N, but, more important, wrote that Chrysler plans to build 440,000 Hemi engines per year, 300,000 of which would not be sold in heavy-duty trucks. Though one could speculate these would end up solely in cars - which would indicate very high sales for the upcoming LX series - the Hemi, with 345 horsepower, could also be used in the Ram 1500, Durango, Dakota, Grand Cherokee, or even a special edition minivan [highly unlikely]. We suspect most will still find their way into trucks, with the 4.7 and 3.7 engines being the workhorse LX powerplants.
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