Dodge Circuit - The electric sports car

You might recognise the Dodge Circuit electric sports car's shape. Yup, it's based on the Lotus Europa and looks the business. It's powered by batteries and an electric motor - top speed is 120mph and it does 0-60mph in under 5.0sec.

The 2011 Chrysler 300C!

By Mark Kleis

Although Chrysler did not have much to share at the Chicago Auto Show, we did snap a picture of the upcoming 2011 300C’s front fascia off of a presentation by its designer, Ralph Gilles. In addition to designing the 300C, Gilles has now been named the head of the Dodge division as well.

Although Gilles did not reveal any new ground breaking information at the Chicago Auto Show where we obtained several of these images, we did get a fairly revealing shot of what to expect on the front of the next 300C. Chrysler previously previewed the next 300’s interior at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

In addition to the new image we captured off of the projector, our spies have also captured test mules with extensive camo covering their upcoming nose job. The camouflaged mule looks to have the 2011 front end grafted onto a current 300C SRT8 body to conduct airflow testing. A new motor, along with the new “LY” chassis may also be underneath the body.

The LY chassis will be a heavy rework of the current LX chassis. However, some current components will be carried over. Fiat is said be planning future cars on the LY platform as well.

The reigning fuel-efficient champ of the LX-platform stable is the 26 mpg (highway) 2.7-liter Dodge Charger, but the next crop of LX-based vehicles will likely top the 30 mpg mark.

In order to improve fuel economy, Chrysler engineers will focus on aerodynamics, axle ratios and drivetrains. At the heart of the improvements will be Chrysler’s all-new Phoenix family of V6 engines. The new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 will replace both V6s currently offered in the LX cars, improving both fuel economy and performance. Look for the Pentastar family of engines to feature Chrysler’s fuel-saving MDS cylinder deactivation technology, as well as take advantage of Fiat’s Multiair technology. Output will be rated at 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

But the new Pentastar V6 won’t be the only big news for the 2011 Charger and 300. Chrysler is also planning to replace the cars’ four and five-speed automatic transmissions with a new eight-speed unit, rivaling Lexus for the most cogs in the business.

Watch for the new 300 to go on sale in the fall or winter of 2010.

'Electric vehicle in production by 2010'- Chrysler

GM's Volt couldn't get all of the attention, could it? Chrysler recently hosted a conference call to talk to media about their plans for an upcoming electric vehicle system, as well as the products that could be using it in the very near future.

Chrysler officials announced that the automaker's electric car efforts have led to several production-intent prototypes, and that one of them would be coming to market in 2010. The automaker's ENVI group is behind the development of the electric vehicles.

"ENVI is a company within a company' said Tom LaSorda, VP and President of Chrysler LLC. "Its strategic intent is to quickly produce electric vehicles for Chrysler. We've got three prototypes, and one of them will come to market in North America in 2010. Next year, about 100 units will be tested by governments and industry as well".

One of the prototype models is a completely electric two-seat Dodge sports car that employs a 268 horsepower motor with nearly 500 lb.-ft of torque. Electric motors make all of their power at any RPM, and sub five-second 0-60 passes are predicted. The Dodge Electric Vehicle (EV) is plugged into a standard 120 volt household outlet for an 8 hour recharge, though a 4 hour recharge is possible on a 220 volt outlet.

The Dodge EV has no emissions, and Chrysler is working with the Department of Energy- as well as General Electric- on battery technology for the machines. No supplier has been chosen at this time.

"This technology provides customers with a vehicle that has zero tailpipe emissions and a 150 to 200 mile driving range - far exceeding most Americans' daily commutes" explained Frank Klegon, Chrysler's Executive V.P. of Product Development. "Electric Vehicles provide the opportunity to fulfill social responsibility, reduce dependency on foreign oil, and eliminate monthly gasoline bills while delivering performance and utility that our customers desire."

Two 'range extended' versions of Chrysler Group vehicles were created in addition to the Dodge EV concept. In either of the range extended models, the electric system is paired with a gas engine and an integrated generator to recharge the batteries while driving.

A Town and Country minivan is being explored, as is a Jeep Wrangler that boasts full off-road capability. Either of these vehicles can travel over 40 miles before the gas engine needs to engage to recharge the batteries. If the owner drives less than the 40 mile electric-only range, they can simply recharge the vehicle and not use any gasoline.

It's not yet clear which of the 3 prototypes will come to market first, or even how Chrysler will decide which one to choose.

"The reason we're keeping the suspense out there is because we're still in the development stages" LaSorda said. "For now, the technology is being developed in parallel across models on proven platforms- and we'll see what happens a little further down the line".

Chrysler says that their electric vehicle technology will be matched to any vehicles using it, regardless of the driveline or body construction. Nothing is out of the question- from a small front-drive electric car to a range-extended gas-electric pickup.

Though pricing, production and many other details have yet to be announced, LaSorda mentioned that other 'surprises' may be possible- and that his company has no plans to limit the scope of their electric vehicle projects to just 3 cars.

First published by Auto123.com

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee earned a top safety pick from the IIHS following their "midsize SUV" tests.

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee earned a top safety pick from the IIHS following their "midsize SUV" tests. Among others, they wrecked a Crosstour, Venza and Edge. Exciting vehicles? Other than the new Grand Cherokee, no. Exciting crashes? Hell yes!

Out of twelve midsize SUVs tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, five received Top Safety Picks and all performed at least marginally or better in a series of rollover tests. Top picks include the Toyota Highlander, Toyota Venza, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Sorento, and Chevrolet Equinox.

IIHS Crash Tests 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Other "SUVs"The Jeep Liberty performed best in the roof crush test, able to withstand 4.96 times its own weight before the roof crushes more than five inches. In the same test the Honda Accord Crosstour only withstood 2.82 times its own weight, nearly landing it in the "poor" range. The Ford Edge was "acceptable" while the Mazda CX-7, Nissan Murano, Honda Pilot, and Mitsubishi Endeavor all earned "marginal" ratings.

The majority of these vehicles are as much crossovers as they are SUVs, and therefore probably less likely to be in a rollover than your mom's old Explorer, but the IIHS points out a strength rating of 4 reflects an estimated 50% reduction in serious or fatal injury in a rollover compared to the federal standard, which is 1.5 times the vehicles weight.

Hey, IIHS, whatever excuse you need use in order to destroy a couple of Venzas and Crosstours, we'll take it.

[Source: IIHS]