The original Chrysler 300 is perhaps one of the most popular cars in the tuning industry here in the States, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Detroit automaker is using the car’s successor to tap into the custom scene.
The very first customized 2011MY Chrysler 300 is called the Fatchance 2.0 and it made its debut alongside the firm’s “S” concept cars at this past weekend’s Annual Spring Festival of LXs in California (see here). The low-rider 300 was crafted by John Fortuno aka Fatchance, who apparently caught the attention of Chrysler with his first generation 300-based FatChance 1.0.
Chrysler found the perfect opportunity to preview its upcoming range of ‘S’ models at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California this past weekend. The Detroit automaker showed off the “S” trimmed 2011MY 300 sedan, 200 Convertible and Town & Country in concept forms, though all three models are scheduled to enter production later this year starting with the 200 this spring.
According to Chrysler, the “S” treatment is a cosmetic package designed to appeal to younger customers that want something more “edgy” in terms of style. On the 300, this translates to a bespoke gunmetal finish, a new front grille, smoked headlamps and taillights, beefier alloy wheels in a unique design, a boot lid spoiler and if we’re not mistaken (since Chrysler has not released any official details), a lowered suspension. The interior also receives a makeover with red leather seats sporting the “S” logo and bespoke trim.
Chrysler has released a new dedicated lineup of clothes and apparels featuring the brand’s “Imported from Detroit” motto, which first appeared on the 200 Super Bowl commercial with Eminem. And yes, the possibility that the merchandise may not be made on this side of the world did cross our minds too, but Chrysler’s website put those dastardly doubts to rest stating that the clothes and apparels are all made in the USA. Read more »
If this isn't the definition of irony, we don't know what is; the company that not only prides itself for being from Detroit but has also built its entire marketing campaign around its Motown city roots posted a tweet cursing Detroit drivers!
“I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive,” read the tweet on Chrysler’s official Twitter account earlier this morning. Shortly after, it was removed and Chrysler posted an apology.
If you’re thinking that this may have been the work of an outsider, you’re partially right. As it turns out, an employee of the social media company that runs Chrysler’s Twitter account New Media Strategies (NMS) posted the specific tweet. Chrysler quickly found out who the culprit was and not surprisingly, terminated the employee.
We can understand his / her frustration – hell, we’ve all cursed other drivers at some point, but unless the perpetrator mixed his personal account with the one he or she handles for Chrysler, the move doesn’t really make any sense. Chrysler’s official statement follows after the jump.
Chrysler, unlike other automakers that were teasing and showing off their Super Bowl ads well before Sunday's event, held back giving viewers their first taste of the brand's two-minute long commercial in the third quarter of the game. The new TV spot, called “Born of Fire," showcases the all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 and reveals the brand’s new tagline, “Imported from Detroit.”
The commercial, which features singer Eminem driving the 200 through Detroit, is as much about the brand and the revamped mid-size sedan as it is about Detroit and the town "that’s been to hell and back.” Overall, we'd say the ad conveys an honest and somewhat emotional message to consumers about the 200 as well as Chrysler in general.
In its latest commercial, Chrysler takes a trip down memory lane, showcasing some of its vintage models and wonders what ever happened to the glamour and style that these cars represented. And you guessed it; according to Chrysler, good 'ol American style is making a comeback on the firm's new models like the recently launched 300 sedan. Video available after the jump. Read more »
Chrysler and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a new partnership to explore the possibility of adapting the EPA's hydraulic hybrid system for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles. Developed by the EPA, the hydraulic hybrid system is currently used in industrial applications, including large delivery trucks and refuse trucks, but Chrysler, keen on developing a new portfolio of hybrid vehicles, wants to adopt it for use on passenger vehicles.Read more »
To say the new 300 sedan is an important model for the future of the Chrysler Group is an understatement. This was more than evident at the firm's press conference at the Detroit motor show today, segments of which you can watch in the video after the jump.
The overhauled for the 2011 model year full-size sedan boasts new sheetmetal as well as a significantly improved interior and a modern 3.6-liter V6 engine with 292HP that joins the 363HP-strong 5.7-liter V8 Hemi. Last week, Chrysler announced pricing information for the 300, which starts at $27,995 for the entry-level V6 model and tops out at $41,145 for the V8 version with AWD (click here for more details).
As well as revealing pricing information on the 2011 model year 300 earlier today, Chrysler has also unleashed a new video with driving footage of its redesigned saloon. We'll remind you that the 300 will get its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show in just a few days, with sales to follow shortly after. In the U.S., Chrysler's full size sedan will offer buyers a choice of two engines, a 292HP 3.6-liter V6 and a 363HP 5.7-liter Hemi V8, the latter with the option of all-wheel drive. Video follows after the jump. Read more »
The Chrysler Group's PR gurus have come up with a new corporate video highlighting the company's achievements from November 2009 up until now. The just under 9 minutes-long film is titled "Business Plan 2010-2014 in Action" and includes numerous product presentations over the year such as the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Durango, as well plant visits by President Obama and VP Biden and various other events that took place in the time period. Watch the clip right after the jump. Read more »
Over the past few weeks, we've shared all the details and shown you a variety of photos of the Chrysler's Sebring replacement which has been reborn as the not-so-new 200 sedan. However, due to Chrysler's dappled photo tactics, many questions remained on the new 200's exterior as well as interior looks. Well, time has come to provide answers to all those questions with the first video of the car, which gives us a complete and unobstructed view of the 200 inside and out.
After you finish watching watch the video below, voice your opinion on Chrysler's refreshed mid size sedan, which will be officially introduced at this week's LA Auto Show, in our comments section.
As a reminder, the 200 will go on sale in December with prices starting from $19,995. Engine choices are limited to a base 2.4-liter I-4 engine producing 173 horsepower and 166 lb.-ft. of torque, and an available new 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 delivering 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque to the front wheels. The V6 is teamed up to a six-speed automatic transmission, while buyers of the four-cylinder model have the choice of a six- or four-speed automatic transmissions (yes, some things never change...).
It looks like the Viper-powered Chrysler 300 teased on the group's Dodge Youtube channel is nothing more than the dream of one man: David Ekins. The 300 SRT10, it turns out, started as an unsuspecting 2006 Chrysler 300 Touring (which initially came with a V6); now it's got four more cylinders and puts down a claimed 525-550 horsepower.
Mr. Ekins is said to have built the project himself (except for some specialty work), having sourced the 10-cylinder 8.3-liter engine and T-56 Tremec transmission from a wrecked donor car. Other than the power train, a slew of other systems obviously had to be upgraded in order for the car to become a 300 SRT10 and not just a 300 Touring with a massive engine.
This homemade project now rides on Eibach coilovers and gets a new sway bar kit, as well as a little bit of extra cooling up front in the form of a 3-inch thick radiator and "custom" oil filter. Other additions include a new fuel tank mounted in the trunk and the little styling tweaks found throughout.
Dodge has published a video of a current generation Chrysler 300 badged as the SRT10 and fitted with a Viper-sourced 8.4-liter V10 powerhouse on its official Youtube channel. The company did not provide any intel on the car, but it did ask the question, "What happens when you put a Viper engine into a Chrysler 300?". Feel free to post your answers in the comments section below. Read more »
The Chrysler Group today hosted a special event in Detroit for around 400 of its car dealers from targeted markets across the country to tell them what it will take to become a Fiat dealer in the United States. Fiat, which controls 20 percent of Chrysler, plans to unveil the U.S.-spec version of its 500 mini at the Los Angeles auto show in November and begin selling the car by the end of the year. Read more »
A news report from the Advertising Age is criticizing Olivier Francois, CEO of both the Chrysler and Lancia brand who was appointed by the Fiat Group, for his decision to choose an Italian ad agency over Chrysler Group's longtime partner, BBDO Detroit, for a 30-second TV Spot on the Chrysler 300.
The author of the report, Jean Halliday, says that Francois decision "may not sit well with American taxpayers, who bailed out the ailing Chrysler earlier this year with billions of dollars in loans" and that "several hundreds of staffers of Chrysler Group's longtime ad agency, BBDO Detroit, will be out of work at the end of January when the contract expires."
As expected, the somewhat one-sided report, which was also posted on Autonews, goes on to pass judgment on the advertisement saying that it's very similar to a 2008 Lancia commercial calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's pro-democracy leader and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, and that it does not connect to American consumers.
Chrysler's CEO, Olivier Francois said: "We produced the TV film in honor of all those who put their lives at stake in the hopes of making the world a better place. For Chrysler, this is a chance to use our brand image to join with others in the fight for peace and to knock down the walls that divide us. We at Chrysler believe in doing the right thing and making a difference."
Julie Roehm, a former Chrysler Group marketing chief said: "The message is a disconnect to what matters to people here. Americans are focused now on getting back to work and the economy back on track. I don't think the vast majority of Americans know who this woman is or frankly care. They have no idea who their customer is in the U.S. or have a clue how to connect with them."
Playing the devil's advocate, we must note that for one, we don't have all the details on the topic including the cost of the advertisement. Maybe the Fiat Group had a special deal going on with the agency - we don't know.
What we do know from Chrysler is that the spot was initially created as part of the Lancia brands sponsorship of the 10th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Berlin Nov. 10-11, 2009. Furthermore, the spot first aired in Europe (on Nov. 12).
In other words, it's a global ad that doesn't only focus on U.S. consumers and more importantly, Chrysler joined Lancia's efforts, it didn't create a new type of ad.
We won't even touch the subject that nobody cares about who Aung San Suu Kyi is (nobody cared about smaller-sized fuel efficient cars here in the States a few years ago, and look at how the former Big Three are trying to catch up now...).
Unfortunately, some people do not understand that we live in the age of globalization. For any automaker or group of brands to survive today, they need to reach many different markets, both in terms of products and marketing.
If you want to sell cars all over the world, you also have to accept the fact that you will produce vehicles and hire people, agencies, etc, etc, from other countries. That's the way the game works, not only for American automakers but for everyone.
And if you want to criticize the Fiat Group for something, start from asking the Italians what's going to happen to the $73 million grant that Chrysler received from the Obama administration for the manufacturing of 220 plug-in hybrid and electric pickup trucks and minivans in St. Louis and in Michigan, now that the group's CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly pulled the plug from the EV fleet.
The very first customized 2011MY Chrysler 300 is called the Fatchance 2.0 and it made its debut alongside the firm’s “S” concept cars at this past weekend’s Annual Spring Festival of LXs in California (see here). The low-rider 300 was crafted by John Fortuno aka Fatchance, who apparently caught the attention of Chrysler with his first generation 300-based FatChance 1.0.
