On the second day of the 2008 Western Automotive Journalists Media Days, we drove a variety of different cars at Laguna Seca. This famous track employs a number of technical turns, not to mention a quarter-mile straightaway, for testing handling and acceleration.
Click here for photos of production cars tested on the track at Laguna Seca.
Honda announced its participation in the Hot Wheels 40th anniversary design contest by unveiling the Honda Racer, a 1/64th scale model designed at the automaker's R&D facility in Torrance, Calif.. Other entrants include Chevrolet, with the 1957 Corvette-inspired Chevroletor; Ford, with the Gangster Grin; Dodge, with the XP-07; and Mitsubishi, with Double Shotz. The design competition centered on the Hot Wheels motto of power, speed, and performance. The toy company obviously ceded the virtue of economy to Matchbox, which has models of the Mazda2 and Smart Cabrio.
Honda provided the following specs for the Honda Racer: … Read more
Chrysler is hoping that a technology offensive will lure customers back to its brand with the unveiling of a number of connectivity and safety features that it claims are industry firsts. Most notably, the company yesterday unveiled details of an in-vehicle wireless system, which will combine Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity to turn its vehicles into mobile hotspots. According to the company, the new wireless technology will be available in future model-year vehicles and as an aftermarket option through Mopar, Chrysler's service arm, by the end of this year.
Other technologies announced by Chrysler for its 2009 models include:
Rear … Read moreCrossover vehicles are all the rage. There is nary a midsize sedan on the market that isn't in line to be redesigned as a small wagon or SUV loaded with family-friendly options and sold as a minivan substitute. Into this fray comes the 2009 Dodge Journey R/T AWD, riding on a stretched Avenger platform and squeezing a third row of seats into the bargain.
So how does Chrysler, inventor and ongoing proponent of the minivan, fare in its effort to de-minivan the minivan? A lot about the Journey is good, especially the available interior electronics. It's available … Read more
Automakers used this year's Detroit auto show to launch a number of significant new cars and model upgrades, featuring the latest in cabin and powertrain tech. Ford and Dodge went head to head with new pickups, and we saw many exciting new sports cars.
Ahead of the 2008 Detroit auto show, Chrysler released sketches of three concept cars it will put on display. The cars come from the three main Chrysler brands, Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep, and offer a glimpse into the future of each make. A commitment to environmentalism and future power-train design is shown in that each concept runs on electricity.
Get a first look of the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR from the 2007 LA Auto Show.
While GM used the LA Auto Show to display its new full-size hybrids, Chrysler was busy doing exactly the same thing. Chrysler may have parted company with Mercedes-Benz, but that hasn't stopped it from making use of the two-mode hybrid technology that it developed with its old partner together with BMW and General Motors. Both the Chrysler Aspen and the Dodge Durango will come with available hybrid drivetrains for the 2008 model year at an as-yet-undisclosed price. Get an eyeful of Chrysler's new full-size hybrids right here.
We were a little less than enthusiastic when a minivan appeared on our review schedule, but the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan makes us seriously question our bias. Sure, it still looks like a minivan, and our smiles and winks at a cute girl in a convertible next to us were laughed off, but it handles and drives well. And to satisfy our tech tendencies, we can push buttons to make doors open and seats fold down. How cool is that?
Better yet, our Grand Caravan came equipped with the MyGig entertainment system, the first chance we've had to test … Read more
While testing out the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, we decided to use its MyGig media server for a little trip from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Of course we loaded it up with music, using it as an in-dash MP3 player. But we also used its photo capabilities by taking pictures along the route, and loading them onto the MyGig hard drive. Check out the capabilities of MyGig and see photos from our trip.
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