The 2013 Dodge Dart looks like it could be a hit with car buyers, and job seekers near the automaker's Belvidere, Illinois plant can likely appreciate the new sedan as well. The Detroit Free Press reports that Chrysler is looking to staff up with 400 to 500 jobs to help move as many Dart variants as possible.
Team Pentastar is looking for part-time hourly and full-time temporary workers to fill those roles. We're guessing the United Auto Workers union isn't all that pleased with the choice of temp workers, but we're betting that most job-seekers will be happy to fill out an app anyway. Chrysler was considering moving the Belvidere facility to three shifts, but the automaker reportedly decided to stick with two very busy shifts, at least for now.
Don't cry for the Dodge Avenger just yet. According to USA Today, Chrysler is set to introduce new midsized sedans to replace both the Chrysler 200 and the much-maligned Dodge Avenger. The vehicles will be built on a version of the same platform that underpins the 2013 Dodge Dart. That news runs contrary to word that the Avenger is headed to the great scrap pile in the sky after the current generation runs its course. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to shore up the company's small car efforts and spread the cost of platform development across as many models as possible.
Marchionne also made mention of introducing a new hybrid hatchback under the Chrysler 100 nameplate, though details are scarce at the moment.
USA Today reports the same platform may be used for the next-generation Jeep Liberty and Compass, which are slated to debut sometime in 2013. Marchionne says both vehicles will be trail-rated and capable of standing up to the kind of abuse Jeep buyers demand. Even so, the CEO says the vehicles will have their "origins in the architecture of a sports car."
Speaking of sports cars, Marchionne also made it clear Alfa Romeo is still coming to the States, though the Italian brand's strategy has shifted somewhat. The models headed to the U.S. market will be lightweight and powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine offering 300 horsepower. Certainly sounds good to us.
The demise of the Dodge Viper in 2010 was sad enough on its own. But as if to twist the knife in the wound, the end of the Viper also meant the end of the Devon GTX.
A project of independent entrepreneur Scott Devon, the GTX gave the Viper a decidedly more upscale fit-and-finish worthy of its superlative performance. It got an entirely fresh body - complete with exotic upwards-swiveling doors and two-tone chrome/matte finish - and a more polished cabin. It was also treated to a boost in output, the Viper's 8.4-liter V10 producing 650 horsepower in Devon GTX trim. The result didn't just look sleeker, it also went faster, posting lap records at Willow Springs and Laguna Seca.
Unfortunately the demise of the Viper - not to mention the half-million-dollar asking price - meant that the GTX never really got off the ground. In the end only two examples were made, and now one of them is up for auction by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week.
Still titled as a 2008 Dodge Viper, serial #1 - in black and chrome - is being offered without reserve, and would certainly take a place of pride in any collection of rare supercars.
Hyundai CEO John Krafcik has confirmed that the Korean automaker will supply Chrysler with transmissions for its new Dodge Dart, according to Car and Driver. While the two automakers may seem like odd dance partners, the tie-up makes plenty of sense. Both companies use engines born out of the now-defunct Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance with Mitsubishi. As a result, 2.0- and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines found in the Dart share more than a few strands of DNA with the same displacement engines found under the hood of vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata. Needless to say, it shouldn't take too much effort to get the Hyundai gearbox and Chrysler engines to play nice.
We say "shouldn't" because according to Car and Driver, the American manufacturer is reportedly having issues getting the transmission properly calibrated to obtain the lofty fuel economy numbers necessary to satiate the powers that be in Washington. Chrysler hasn't confirmed the move as of yet, and Hyundai is keeping its lips sealed on which transmissions are headed to the Dart line. Even so, if Chrysler's engineers are struggling over calibration, chances are it's a six-speed automatic.
So... what about those lofty 40 miles per gallon claims claims Chrysler was bandying about at the Detroit Auto Show? C/D hypothesizes that figure may be reliant on a specific engine and transmission combination, be it turbocharged 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder and a dual-clutch gearbox or a 2.0 and a six-speed manual. Curiouser and curiouser.
Mopar, Dodge, Chrysler, and
Plymouth are registered trademarks of
Chrysler Group LLC. MyMopar.com is not affiliated in any way with
Chrysler Group LLC. Please read our Privacy Policy and our Disclaimer.
MyMopar.com is best
viewed with a minimum of 1024x768 monitor resolution
