2007 Dodge Charger Base on 2040-cars

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Dodge Dart Registry helps you crowdsource money for your next ride [w/video]

To be honest, we're surprised something like this didn't pop up sooner. Chrysler is riffing on gift registries for couples getting married or expecting babies and cross-pollinating it with a social media funding website like Kickstarter to help customers buy its 2013 Dodge Dart. The Dodge Dart Registry allows people to build and customize a new Dart exactly how they want it, then let other people purchase some or all of the components as gifts.
The registry lets you add features like dark headlights, dual exhaust, various wheels and even interior options without choosing a specific trim level. This sounds a lot like the system Scion uses to let its customers configure cars, and this could be a great idea for Dodge. Of course, this system has the added benefit of being a social media affair for you to share with your friends... you know, so they can help pay for some of the parts, too.
The best thing about the registry is that you can configure your dream Dart from the comfort of your home computer, which strikes us as much better than walking around Bed, Bath and Beyond for the better part of an afternoon with an electronic scanner. The one thing that Dodge doesn't offer? "Thank You" cards. Those are on you.

New Viper 'is a possibility,' Sergio Marchionne says

It was thought the door to the future for the Dodge Viper had closed last year, but Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reopened it during his press conference at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Marchionne said the current Viper is the only FCA product to use the ZD platform, which "doesn't make sense to me." Yet, "given the architectural development within the brand, there is a possibility that a new version of the Viper may surface." Automobile reports that the company uses a versatile, rear- and all-wheel drive Giorgio platform for Alfa Romeo and Dodge. It will support the Alfa Romeo Giulia (Alfa Romeo's larger BMW 5 Series competitor), the next-generation Dodge Challenger, Charger, and rumored Barracuda, and it could support a new generation of Viper. We're probably talking about a different kind of Viper, though, with Automobile saying, "the current car's truck-based V-10 no doubt would be scrapped along with its platform." A Viper without a V10 doesn't seem like a Viper to us, but we'll wait to see what happens. In the midst of contract negotiations for a new labor agreement between FCA and the United Auto Workers last year, it emerged that the Conner Avenue Assembly plant that builds the Viper hadn't been given any new product after the end of Viper build-out in 2017. That led most to reason that the current Viper would be the end of the 25-year run of America's hairiest sports car. How long we'll be waiting is unknown. Marchionne had no timetable and admitted that a future Viper might not appear on the heels of the current one. With a renewed commitment to being debt-free by 2018, FCA is likely more focused on getting Alfa Romeo running properly and cranking out the volume variants for the Giorgio platform first. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2014 SRT Viper GTS: Review View 36 Photos News Source: Automobile via World Car FansImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Detroit Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance Sergio Marchionne FCA conner avenue assembly plant

Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?

Badge engineering, in which one company slaps its emblems on another company's product and sells it, has a long history in the automotive industry. When Sears wanted to sell cars, a deal was made with Kaiser-Frazer and the Sears Allstate was born. Iranians wanted new cars in the 1960s, and the Rootes Group was happy to offer Hillman Hunters for sale as Iran Khodro Paykans. Sometimes, though, certain badge-engineered vehicles made sense only in the 26th hour of negotiations between companies. The Suzuki Equator, say, which was a puzzling rebadge job of the Nissan Frontier. How did that happen? My personal favorite what-the-heck-were-they-thinking example of badge engineering is the 1971-1973 Plymouth Cricket. Chrysler Europe, through its ownership of the Rootes Group, was able to ship over Hillman Avanger subcompacts for sale in the US market. This would have made sense... if Chrysler hadn't already been selling rebadged Mitsubishi Colt Galants (as Dodge Colts) and Simca 1100s as (Simca 1204s) in its American showrooms. Few bought the Cricket, despite its cheery ad campaign. So, what's the badge-engineered car you find most confounding? Chrysler Dodge Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Suzuki Automotive History question of the day badge engineering question