1958 Chrysler 300 Series on 2040-cars

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Ralph Gilles responds to Dodge rumors, says brand is 'here to stay'

This is why we love Ralph Gilles. While in Italy hanging out with a group of Viper Club members in Europe, the SRT boss took the time to respond to a question directed at him on Instagram in regards to the future of Dodge.
Recent reports have painted a bleak picture for Dodge, but Gilles defended Chrysler's full-line brand by stating that the rumors are, "all rumors, Dodge is here to stay! It may get more focused going forward but not killed!" The idea of a "more focused" Dodge brand could lend some credibility to reports that the Grand Caravan and Durango are on their way out, which would leave Dodge solely as a car, or car-based, automaker.

Ram, Jeep redesigns on hold, Alfa Romeo models may come sooner

Last summer, FCA outlined an ambitious five-year plan that sketched out the company's product intentions for each of its brands through the end of 2018. However, even the best strategies sometimes need tweaking. According to Reuters after speaking with unnamed people at auto suppliers, FCA is now possibly delaying at least a dozen projects in North America for a variety of reasons. From vehicle to vehicle, these postponements allegedly last anywhere from just a few months to over a year. The sources from the suppliers claim that in some cases these tweaks are for engineering and design changes. The next-gen Ram 1500 reportedly has among the shorter delays and is being pushed from mid-2017 to November 2017, according to Reuters. Also, the much-discussed future Jeep Wrangler is allegedly moving a little later to July 2017. Among the vehicles purportedly seeing longer delays, the next-gen Grand Cherokee could get pushed back about a year to 2018. That then forces the launch of the three-row, luxury Grand Wagoneer to be even further away. Jeep's upcoming C-segment CUV and the all-new Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Challenger might also see postponements. The one brand allegedly seeing an accelerated plan is Alfa Romeo. Without going into detail, the sources from these suppliers claim that the Italian automaker is getting even more vehicles for its lineup and could get them even faster than planned. "Those plans need to be flexible and fluid, with the potential to add some vehicles, pull some forward and extend the life cycle of others," FCA said to Reuters about all of these allegations. "We look at these programs on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis." Investment in the auto industry has been a major topic for FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne as of late. He believes consolidation is necessary so that companies aren't burning money on the same projects. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo

When Diamond Star Motors, a Chrysler-Mitsubishi joint venture, came online in the late 1980s, the first products to come out of the Normal, Illinois assembly plant were versions of the first-generation of the Mitsubishi Eclipse. There was the Eclipse itself, the Eagle Talon, and the Plymouth Laser. Here's a somewhat tattered example of the latter type, spotted in a Northern California self-serve yard. This car is unrelated to the Chrysler Laser of a few years earlier, which was based on the K-platform-derived Dodge Daytona. The Plymouth Laser was a pure Mitsubishi design. This one has the DOHC turbocharged 2.0-liter Sirius engine, rated at 190 horsepower. That was plenty of power by 1990 standards, a year in which the wildest possible Chevrolet Camaro (the IROC-Z, of course) packed just 230 hp under the hood. The IROC-Z weighed 3,149 pounds versus the Laser's 2,483, giving the Laser a slightly better power-to-weight ratio, not to mention a price tag more than $500 lower. CD players in cars were still uncommon in 1990; this Laser has the much more mainstream "computer controlled deck" cassette player, complete with nine-band graphic equalizer. Badging in futuristic typefaces was all the rage when this car was new. The all-wheel-drive Eclipse/Talon/Laser didn't hit dealerships until the 1991 model year, so all the '90s are front-wheel-drive only. The torque steer experienced in these cars could be exciting. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In the United States, Tina Turner pitched the Laser. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. North of the border, Celine Dion did the Laser's TV ads. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In Japan, the 1990 Eclipse featured "international breeze," whatever that is. Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo View 23 Photos Auto News Chrysler Mitsubishi mitsubishi eclipse