First we find out that Chrysler is going to build pickup trucks for Nissan in Mexico and that Nissan is going to build a small car for Chrysler. Then, we learn that Chrysler is in advanced talks with Italian carmaker Fiat , a deal that could result in Chrysler building cars for Alfa-Romeo in North America. The next call Chrysler LLC CEO Bob Nardelli is going to have to make to owner Cerberus Capital is to allocate more money for foreign language training for its engineers and product planners. They never did do a good job of learning German. Maybe theyll do better with Japanese and Italian. Germans. Italians. Japanese. Hmmmm. What does this make me think of? Seriously, these deals that are shaping up for Chrysler look smart, at least on paper. Chrysler has way too much manufacturing capacity for its own sagging market share. It makes a lot of sense for the companies. And as Center for Automotive Research executive director David Cole put it, its good for Chrysler to do a lot of dating with other manufacturers, one of whom may just want to buy Chrysler from Cerberus after it does some more of the heavy lifting on cleaning up what the Germans left behind. One cant help but grin at the prospect of a Chrysler-Fiat tie up. Chrysler making Alfas? My mind goes back to the 1980s when Lee Iacocca (maybe hell come out of retirement to run Fiat-Chrysler? Or at least let him throw out the first pitch, or pizza, in that game) struck an alliance with Maserati. That deal produced a Maserati designed Chrysler TC , which was more full of quality and production problems than the Clinton campaign. I can also remember how Bob Lutz, then of Chrysler and now of GM, used to scoff at the idea of Chrysler linking up with Fiat as a potential black hole of cash and foolishness. That was then. This is now. Today, Fiat is a comeback story if you believe Italian accounting standards. The Italian company is mounting a comeback to the U.S. for its Alfa-Romeo brand . And the Italian carmaker is considerably healthier than Chrysler. But one has to wonder where Chrysler would build Alfa Romeos. Its not as if they are going to be grafted on top of Dodge Avenger platforms. And I wasnt aware that Chrysler had that much flexible capacity. How will potential Alfa buyers react to the Italian cars coming out of a North American Chrysler plant? It sounds a bit like buying Nebbiolo wine made in Pennsylvania. It doesn't sound good on the ear. Part of the allure of the Alfa brand in a crowded premium car maarket is the whole Italian thing. Right? Alfa was thought to be also talking to BMW about getting some of its production space in South Carolina, but BMW is moving as much of its own production there as possible given the weak dollar. That would have been, I am guessing, an easier pignoli to swallow for would-be Alfa buyers. How about Volkswagens Mexican plant? No dice. Fiat and VW are too much the rivals in Europe. Should be interesting to watch. Audi is looking to build capacity in North America?  read more »

WASHINGTON -- The insurance industry named dozens of new cars and trucks, led by Ford Motor Co. and its Volvo subsidiary, to its annual list of the safest vehicles Tuesday, helped by the increased use of anti-rollover technology.

Ford and Volvo had 16 vehicles in the 2009 model year on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's list of the safest new cars, followed by Honda Motor Co. with 13 vehicles.

Seventy-two cars, trucks and SUVs received the top safety pick designation for 2009, more than double the number of vehicles in the 2008 model year and three times the number in 2007.

"The sheer number of this year's winners indicates that automakers have made huge strides to improve crash protection," said Institute president Adrian Lund.  read more »

Looking at the 2008 Chrysler 300 , it's easy to say that this car is one of the best things to come out of the troubled Mercedes-Benz/ Chrysler relationship. Introduced in 2005, the C hrysler 300 re-introduced Americans to a domestically-built, full-size, rear-wheel-drive sedan. The car was an immediate hit. 2008 Chrysler 300 hits the streets with several major improvements for the year. Starting with the exterior, you'll find new front and rear fascias, a new grille and taillamps. These in no way impair the 300's retro-modern style. Inside, the 300 gets a new set of instruments and a revised dash, along with new door trim panels and a reorganized center console. New soft-touch materials, new upholstery, and a relocated cruise control stalk also make the cut for 2008. The standard engine on the rear-drive 300 is a 2.7-liter V-6 engine providing 178 hp. A four-speed automatic transmission is standard, but curiously, anti-lock brakes are not (it should be standard). A 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission comes with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive Touring models and the Limited package. The 300C comes with the 5.7-liter, 340-horsepower HEMI V-8, five-speed automatic and either rear- or all-wheel drive. The romp' em-stomp' em SRT8 version of the 300C continues for '08, offering a 425-horsepower 6.1-liter HEMI V-8, sport suspension, 20-inch rims, and other upgrades. On the road, the 2008 Chrysler 300 delivers a good driving experience from its rear-wheel-drive chassis. For Chrysle r, 2008 models differ considerably in ride comfort. Base, Touring, and Limited 300 editions offer a softer ride. The 300C and the 300 SRT8 target the performance enthusiasts with their high-horsepower HEMI engines and stiffer suspensions. Stepping up to the 300 SRT8 nets drivers muscle car performance of sub-14 second quarter mile times and a top speed of over 150 mph. As you'd expect, traction control and side and curtain airbags are optional. (Fitted with the optional passive safety devices, the 300 performed well in government crash tests.) Less plebeian options include a Bluetooth connection that features iPod connectivity; a six-disc changer; a MyGIG audio entertainment system; a Boston Acoustics speaker package; Sirius BackseatTV; remote start; and adaptive cruise control. If you are going to consider the 2008 Chrysler 300C , the list of competitors changes dramatically. With its HEMI V-8, tighter suspension, and premium interior, the 300C is a legitimate alternative to Cadillac's CTS and STS. The Chrysler's driving dynamics and quality are also comparable to the BMW 5-Series and Audi A6. When one remembers that the 300 was developed when Chrysler was owned by Mercedes-Benz, understanding how the 300C could be so good is less of a surprise and more of a reasonable conclusion.  read more »

A California-based electric car pioneer has drafted in agency support to launch the world's first all-electric sports car in Europe. Automotive PR has been brought on board by Tesla Motors for the launch project this summer. The 125mph Tesla Roadster was launched in the US earlier this year. The car will enter the UK, German and other European markets in the second half of 2008. Automotive PR will work alongside its US counterpart, which is handling the German comms activity. The car will be showcased in the UK at the British International Motor Show in London and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester. Both events will be held next month.  read more »