1948 Chrysler Town And Country Woody on 2040-cars

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Chrysler 300C returns for 2023 with SRT power and more

Chrysler will revive the SRT formula for a special 2023 300C model equipped with the snarling 6.4-liter Hemi V8. While the badge itself won't return, the 2023 300C will offer everything the old 300 SRT had and more, including a limited-slip differential, big brakes, a sport exhaust and active dampers. Chrysler 300 Scat Pack, here we come — but you'd better act fast, as only 2,000 of them will be produced for the U.S. market (plus another 200 for Canada). And after 2023, the whole Chrysler 300 lineup will be gone for good.  "WeÂ’re celebrating the Chrysler 300 and itÂ’s iconic legacy in the automotive world," said Chrysler brand chief Chris Feuell. "The Chrysler 300 changed the automotive world in so many ways, and we will carry that spirit of ingenuity forward as we transform Chrysler with a fully electrified future and breakthrough customer experiences." Chrysler last sold the 300C variant (with its standard 5.7-liter Hemi V8) for the 2020 model year. While the 5.7 was still available in the 300S, the C was long the pinnacle of non-SRT models in the 300 lineup. In much the same way that Lexus IS500 F Sport Performance revived the underlying formula of the old IS F, this limited-edition 300C brings back the magic that made the SRT8 (later just SRT) model so desirable.  Before it was canned for the U.S. market in 2015, the 300 SRT was briefly offered with the 6.4, albeit with the five-speed automatic that dated to the Daimler-Chrysler years. The 2023 revival packs 485 horsepower (up from the old SRT's 470) and 470 pound-feet of torque. Power goes to the rear wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic and limited-slip differential. Chrysler says this combo is good for a 4.3-second sprint to 60 and a quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds.  2023 Chrysler 300C View 28 Photos From there, the list of goodies on this limited-run 300C lines up pretty closely with a standard Dodge Charger Scat Pack. Chassis improvements include four-piston Brembo brakes and active dampers, and the round black tips are attached to an active exhaust to allow for mild cruising or wild hooning. Unique 20-inch wheels, black chrome accents on the grille and bumpers, blacked out head- and taillights and a new tri-color Chrysler badge will help the 2023 300C stand out in a crowd.  Inside, unique elements include Black Laguna leather seats embossed with the 300C logo, unique silver stitching, carbon fiber inserts and gloss black trim.

Fiat Chrysler exec talks up the future of fuel cells

When it comes to a belief in the viability of electric vehicles, you can put automotive folks like Nissan's Carlos Ghosn and Tesla Motors' Elon Musk on one side of the proverbial wall and Fiat Chrysler Chief Technology Officer Harald Wester on the other. Because while the two former executives are staking much of their companies' respective future on plug-in electric drivetrain technology, Wester sees no such future in it at all, according to an interview in Motor Trend. Oh, sure, the Fiat Chrysler technology chief does give the idea of an electrified powertrain some quarter, saying he sees standard hybrids as a solution for the "intermediate" future in addressing both higher gas prices and need to meet progressively more stringent European greenhouse gas-emissions standards. But Wester, who also oversees Fiat Chrysler's Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands, ultimately views hydrogen fuel-cell technology as the way to go for advanced powertrains and minimal emissions. As for battery-electric vehicles? Wester pretty much shoots them, citing everything from a typical EV battery's weight to the challenge of finding electric recharging stations to the fact that much of the electricity needed for those cars is produced via CO2-emitting sources. He forgot to say anything about the CO2 required to bring gasoline or hydrogen to market. Wester's "bah humbug" is actually pretty consistent with the company's party line. Last year, Fiat Chrysler head honcho Sergio Marchionne, in an interview, famously told the general public not to buy the Fiat 500e electric vehicle. That's because he estimated that the company takes a $14,000 loss on each unit sold of Fiat Chrysler's only production EV. News Source: Motor Trend via Green Car Reports Green Chrysler Fiat Electric Hydrogen Cars harald wester

Marchionne to take his sweater and go home after 2018

The end is in sight for Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne, who confirmed in an interview with Bloomberg that once FCA's sweeping five-year plan is completed, he'd be stepping down from his post to "undoubtedly" do something else that didn't involve turning around global corporations. That would mean he should finish up after 2018 if all goes according to plan.
"It's as important to walk away from the table as it is to sit down," Marchionne told Bloomberg.
Marchionne has been at Fiat since June of 2004 and is one of the chief architects behind the Italian company's acquisition of Chrysler. Despite his successes, he does sound quite ready to move beyond the auto industry, rhetorically asking his Bloomberg interviewers if there "are other things I like to do apart from this?"