1997 Sebring Conv Runs Great,new Timing Belt Last Summer on 2040-cars

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FCA's Pentastar V6 gets more power, efficiency for 2016

Already a vital member of FCA's powertrain lineup, the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is receiving major efficiency improvements for 2016. Thanks to a massive amount of new tech attached to the mill, fuel economy is up six percent, and torque below 3,000 rpm jumps nearly 15 percent. The updates arrive first in the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but they should proliferate to other models eventually. At least in the Grand Cherokee, the tweaks push power up five horsepower to 295 ponies. FCA's engineers went through the Pentastar from top to bottom to eke out as much efficiency as possible. For example, there's now a two-speed variable-valve lift system that can run in low- or high-lift modes. This upgrade is responsible for 2.7-percent better economy, the company claims. A new intake manifold with longer runners and updated variable-valve times also helps boost the torque output. Further improvements come from pushing the compression ratio to 11.3:1, from 10.2:1 before. Perhaps most impressive is that despite all of the innovations, the latest Pentastar actually weighs four pounds less than the current version. Beyond the Pentastar improvements, all of the FCA US gasoline engines, except for the Viper's 8.4-liter V10, will be E15-compatible for 2016. The company says that it wants to be ready for the higher ethanol content fuel's greater use in the near future.

Court ruling to delay Fiat's Chrysler buyout?

We've already reported on the attempts of Fiat to purchase the remaining 41.5-percent stake in Chrysler, currently owned by the United Auto Workers' VEBA healthcare trust. And while the issues still aren't resolved, Fiat has received both a bit of good news and a bit of bad news from a Delaware judge.
The good news is that the court ruled in favor on two key arguments of Fiat's, relating to what is a fair price for the Chrysler shares. The rulings essentially slash half a billion dollars off the price of the 54,000 shares owned by VEBA, according to a report from Reuters.
The bad news is that this makes the UAW an even more difficult opponent in negotiations. Its VEBA fund is meant to cover ever escalating retiree healthcare costs, so naturally, the UAW wants to get as much money as possible. Losing a big chunk of cash isn't likely to make the union more cooperative.

LH, like new: 1994 Chrysler Concorde on eBay Motors has just 987 miles

Autoblog may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. The fortunes of Chrysler Corporation have been on a roller coaster going back decades. If we look to the recent past, one particularly dramatic renaissance occurred in the early-to-mid 1990s. That's when Chrysler emerged from more than a decade of peddling K-car-based products to field a dramatically styled modern new lineup. The headline vehicle for that turnaround was the company's trio of LH-platform cars, among them the Chrysler Concorde. To get a sense of exactly what that car was like, we can't imagine there's a better example than this 1994 Chrysler Concorde for sale right now on eBay Motors. The Concorde was introduced for 1993 alongside the Dodge Intrepid and the Eagle Vision (remember Eagle division?). The cars introduced a new "cab-forward" architecture that instantly made the big sedans' competitors look old. Impressed by the LH sedans' spacious interiors and competent handling, and enthralled with brash-talking, cigar-chomping Chrysler executive Bob Lutz, the automotive media heaped praise on the trio. The LH cars were Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year for 1993, and the Concorde ended up on Car and Driver's 10 Best lists in '93 and '94. This second-year Concorde, finished in period-appropriate two-tone exterior with contrasting-color lower cladding, is a time warp. Check out the blue cloth interior, the mesh alloy wheels, and the Infinity cassette stereo. Incredibly, this show car shows just 987 miles on the clock, and the condition certainly seems to support that odo reading. At this writing, the car is at $7,600 after just two bids. The reserve, however, has not been met. There are still a few more days to go in the auction, so it remains to be seen how the market values a top-flight Concorde. Will these Lutz-era Chryslers someday get their due? If so, the time to buy might be now. Check out the commercial below, to see how Chrysler pitched the '94 Concorde when it was new: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.