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Chrysler worker: ‘Roller coaster isn’t over for us’

April 30, 2009

The deal that is supposed to save jobs has put Chrysler hourly workers out of a job for at least the next month.

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Will Chrysler Be Renamed?

April 30, 2009

So now that Chrysler is on the way to a shotgun wedding with Fiat, what will the new company be called?
FiatChrysler? ChryslerFiat? Fiatler?
It sounds like a secondary decision, but when Chrysler hooked up with Daimler, the issue simmered for a long time before Chrysler agreed to let Daimler go first. Doesn't seem like Chrsyler will have much of a say this time around.

Inside Line News: Will Chrysler Be Renamed?

 

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AOL Autos snags ride in 2010 Taurus SHO with Ford’s only female dynamics engineer

April 30, 2009

Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Ford

2010 Ford Taurus SHO gets air - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Our lucky compatriots at AOL Autos had the chance to get some passenger-seat time in the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO, along with a glimpse into the inner-workings of FoMoCo’s engineering team. The story centers around Ford’s only female Vehicle Dynamics Development Engineer, Christina “Crissy” Rodriguez, who’s “equal parts engineer, race driver and vehicle psychologist.”
During her 12-year stint at Ford, Rodriguez has been instrumental in the development of a number of vehicles and has spent the last eight years tuning the chassis that underpins the new Taurus, along with its platform siblings, the Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex.
The final third of the article gets into the performance and dynamics of the SHO, where Rodriguez takes AOL Auto’s Rex Roy for a spin around Ford’s Dearborn proving grounds. While its not a comprehensive review [...]

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GTA Spano supercar debuts in Valencia

April 30, 2009

Filed under: Supercars

GTA Spano - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Anything you can do, I can do…also. That seems to be the modus operandi of the Spanish auto industry vis-a-vis the Italians. So while Volkswagen is vying to reshape its Seat subsidiary into an Iberian version of Alfa Romeo, Spanish racing team GTA has been hard at work developing its own supercar to rival the best from Ferrari and Lamborghini. After months of speculation on our part and preparation on theirs, the GTA Spano has finally made its debut in Valencia, the same Mediterranean coastal city that hosts the European Grand Prix. While only limited details were revealed at the Spano’s launch, our compadres over at AB Spanish got it covered.
Underneath the rather generic supercar body lies the beating heart of the beast: an 8.3-liter V10, purportedly sourced from the Dodge Viper, and tuned to deliver 780 horsepower. [...]

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 4.30.09

April 30, 2009

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Obama announces Chrysler bankruptcy, deal with Fiat; Nardelli out soon Today, President Obama announced during a televised press conference that Chrysler will indeed head into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings almost immediately.

Breakdown of Chrysler’s Big Day [w/POLL]After having time to digest all the details of the Chrysler bankruptcy filing, we’ve amassed all the salient points into one comprehensive post. Here’s what we know so far…

First Drive: Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody ChallengerAfter seeing the Group 2 Widebody Challenger at [...]

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Autoline After Hours: TTAC’s Robert Farago joins McElroy, De Lorenzo and Vines

April 30, 2009

Filed under: Videos, Autoline on Autoblog
If you haven’t caught an episode of Autoline After Hours, this is the show to watch. Joining AAH’s host and Autoblog contributor John McElroy is Autoextremist’s own Peter De Lorenzo and former Chrysler PR man Jason Vines. For an additional bit of flavor, The Truth About Cars’ founder and editor, Robert Farago, will join the trio to discuss the week’s events, including - but not limited to - Chrysler’s bankruptcy filing and the death of Pontiac. With everything that’s gone on in the past four days, tonight’s show should be an epic meeting of the minds, and the fun begins now. Make the jump to watch the show live, and remember, you can engage in the debate by using the comments embedded into the video player.
Continue reading Autoline After Hours: TTAC’s Robert Farago joins McElroy, De Lorenzo and Vines
Autoline After Hours: TTAC’s Robert Farago joins [...]

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GMAC will finance Chrysler dealers by mid-May

April 30, 2009

Thousands of Chrysler LLC dealers who face the loss of floorplan financing will have an opportunity to sign up with GMAC by mid-May.

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Fiesta Movement Has Begun, Does Anybody Care?

April 30, 2009

One of our editors spotted this Ford Fiesta parked on the streets of West L.A. this morning and it reminded us that this marketing gimmick is now in full swing. The cars have been handed out and the website is live, so now the fun begins right?
Well, maybe.

Ford's idea for a video contest to pick the winners was brilliant, but the entertainment value of the videos, pics and tweets that will emerge over the next several months is questionable. I mean, as nice as the Fiesta may be, it's still just an entry-level economy car. If you're dying to know what it's like to drive one to the Grand Canyon, just go rent a Focus and pretend it's smaller.

Then again, maybe the Fiesta agents will prove us wrong.
[...]

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The world’s fastest BMW coupe? 230 mph G-Power M6 Hurricane CS

April 30, 2009

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Euro, Supercars, BMW

G-Power M6 Hurricane CS - Click above for a high-res image gallery
The G-Power crew is constantly striving to produce the most insane BMWs on the planet, combining forced induction with thoroughly revised suspensions and aerodynamics to attain completely unreasonable speeds. It’s latest creation, the M6 Hurricane CS, takes the standard set by its M5-based Hurricane RS, and straps a duo of superchargers onto the 5.0-liter V10, boosting the coupe’s output to 740 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.
Combined with a remapped ECU and a titanium exhaust, along with carbon fiber seats and a few other tweaks to reduce the curb weight by around 100 pounds, the CS can run to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, to 124 mph in 9.6 seconds, 187 in 26 seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 230 mph - making it the fastest road-going BMW coupe [...]

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Ford Hybrid Goes 1,445 Miles On One Tank

April 30, 2009

A team led by a NASCAR racer and the guy who coined the term “hypermiling” spent 69 hours and $37 driving a bone-stock Ford Fusion Hybrid 1,445.7 miles on a single tank of gas, a feat Ford says sets a new record for fuel efficiency
Hypermiling king Wayne Gerdes and NASCAR driver Carl Edwards were among the drivers who averaged 81.5 mpg during a three-day run that started Saturday and saw them double the 700-mile range Ford claims for the Fusion Hybrid. Ford says that’s a world record for gasoline-powered mid-size sedans, but Guinness wasn’t there to certify it.
The team’s impressive distance fell just short of the hypermiling distance record John and Helen Taylor of Australia set in 2002 when they covered 1,459.16 miles in a Peugeot 406 HDi diesel.
Ford dreamed up the “Ford Fusion 1,000 Mile Challenge” to show people that simple tricks like smooth acceleration, following the speed limit [...]

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