This Dodge Viper has a scroll wheel under the hood.
(Credit: Road Mice)Still sleep in a race car bed? Then Road Mice is for you. These mice are faithful replicas of cars such as the Chevy Corvette and Ford Mustang. The company behind Road Mice, Four Door Media, just announced three new models, the Dodge Viper, Chrysler PT Cruiser, and Chrysler 300C. Considering the financial threats to Chrysler's existence, those models might not be around long as actual cars, so the mice may prove to be collectors' items.
From a functional point of view, these are wireless, optical mice, with a scroll wheel that might mar the car's design just a bit. Ergonomically, a VW Beetle would probably work best, but that model isn't offered.
For novelty, these cars/mice have LED headlights, individual serial numbers that you can pretend are VINs, and even a personalized registration and title.
Goofy, yes, but you'll get more use out of it than that Transformer sitting on your desk.
"Web Edition" pre-packages an array of tech toys and rolling connectivity.
(Credit: Chrysler LLC/Autonet Mobile)Our eyes eventually glaze over at all of the car industry's "limited editions," "value editions," and "sport editions." But Chrysler has just announced a "Web edition." OK, now we're awake.
It's not so much a car but an option package comprising a bunch of tech toys all tied to the Net by an Autonet Mobile router branded as Chrysler uConnect Web. The gear includes a Dell Mini 9 Netbook, an 8GB iPod Touch, a Sony PSP, and a digital camera with an Eye-Fi Wi-Fi SD card. All in, $1,999 including a year of service.
It gets unveiled tomorrow at the S.F. Auto Show in a specially badged Town & Country and will be available as a dealer-installed rig from Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge dealers (as long as they're around!).
Autonet CEO Sterling Pratz says, "We're emphasizing this as the next entertainment platform in cars" more than a communication and productivity platform, though you can do whatever you want with the system. Bits is bits. Trip-centric Web services like Fandango and OpenTable are naturals for a Web rig in the car.
This seems to play more toward the "wanna-dopters"--people who aren't totally on top of tech, but really want to be. (You've rubbed elbows with them at Best Buy.) The tech savvy don't need to be spoon fed a complete array of gear; for them there's a leaner version called Web Edition Limited that is simply the wireless router, a year of connectivity, and the Dell Mini 9 for $1,100.
Certainly, this is partly a trial balloon, building data on how to get consumers familiar with--and unafraid of--Web in the car. It's one of those things a lot of people don't grok without touching it. Like the Palm Pilot or TiVo, many won't get it until someone plops them down in front of the technology. Now the race is on to see who does the plopping first and best: BMW and Mercedes are also keen on the mobile Internet idea, and Delphi may soon be enabling many others.
(Credit:
Chrysler)
Chrysler Financial (the lending division of Chrysler) is instructing dealers to stop offering auto leases, according to sources at Reuters.
Decreasing resale values of trucks and SUVs have caused Chrysler to take huge losses once the leases of these once-popular vehicles are up. These are losses Chrysler really can't afford to be taking as American auto sales continue to slump to their lowest point in more than a decade.
Chrysler's not the only automaker seeing huge leasing-related losses, as Ford Motor Company also reported a $2.1 billion loss in the second quarter of this year due to the same collapse of truck and SUV resale values. Whether other automakers will follow Chrysler's lead of wholesale discontinuation of leasing remains to be seen.
Chrysler is turning cars and trucks into wireless hot spots.
The company announced Thursday a new feature that will let people purchase a "Uconnect" in-car wireless system as part of a dealer upgrade in 20 various 2009 Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models.
The system offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity within the car to allow people to sync their cell phone address books with the car's 30GB hard drive or control their Apple iPods using the radio and steering wheel controls. And it provides navigation and real-time traffic features that can be controlled by voice recognition or a touch screen.
Using a cell phone network, the Wi-Fi hot spot can also be connected to the Internet, allowing passengers using laptops to surf the Web. My guess is that other Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as the iPhone and iPod Touch will also be able to use the in-car Wi-Fi to connect to the Net.
Chrysler didn't mention which cell phone network will be used to provide the Internet access. And it didn't list prices for the service, which will likely charge a monthly fee, according to an Associated Press article.
But pricing could be comparable to what is charged for the OnStar navigation and emergency roadside service. That costs between $17 and $70 per month. Or it could be priced similarly to satellite radio, which costs just under $13 per month.
Using Wi-Fi as the Internet access technology inside the car is a good idea, since almost every consumer electronic device these days has a Wi-Fi chip embedded. Wi-Fi is also shipped as a standard feature in most, if not, all laptops today. By contrast, the market for pre-installed 3G wireless in laptops has been relatively small.
I saw a similar in-car wireless system work with WiMax as part of an Intel/Motorola sponsored demonstration at CTIA in Las Vegas earlier this year. The purpose of the demo was to show how well WiMax works, but it used Wi-Fi inside the car to connect laptops and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the Net using WiMax.
I have to admit, turning the car into a hot spot was pretty cool. I was able to access Web sites and listen to the Web rebroadcast of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition." It was also easy to access Google Maps on the Web for navigation. And in this particular demo they showed how video could be streamed to watch movies on demand. Of course, Chrysler's system uses the 3G cell network instead of a high-speed WiMax network, so streaming audio and video won't likely work well. But it's still a very cool feature.
That said, I think price will be a major factor in whether the new feature and service are a success. As gas surpasses $4 a gallon in much of the country and the economy hits the skids, car sales are already in a slump. And if current trends continue, consumers will likely be more interested in getting better gas mileage than a potentially pricey in-car Wi-Fi system with Internet service that charges a monthly fee.
Next exit: the information superhighway
(Credit: CNET Networks)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 Cross Path is an active safety system that alerts drivers of traffic coming from the side while backing up out of a parking spot. It's available in the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.
- Blind-spot monitoring system is a system that uses radar sensors to detect the presence of cars out of the driver's vision. It's available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.
- Active Transfer Case and Front-axle Disconnect are two independent systems that work together to disengage the car's front axle from the drivetrain when all-wheel-drive is not needed. It's available on the 2009 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger.
- Rear-seat Swivel Screen is designed to give passengers in Chrysler's fore-and-aft facing Swivel 'n Go seating configuration access to the same digital display. It's available on the 2009 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan.
According to Chrysler, the Rear Cross Path and the Rear Swivel Screen are industry firsts, while the offering of a blind-spot detection system on the Town and Country and the Grand Caravan is a first for the minivan segment. Also new for 2009 Chrysler models is an enhanced version of the automaker's UConnect system, which will automatically download phonebook entries, and which can be used for making calls and programming navigation destinations by voice command.
Chrysler's MyGig system could get Wi-Fi.
(Credit: CNET Networks)At the recent Detroit auto show, Chrysler announced a road map for connecting cars to the Internet. In the near term, the company is looking at using cellular and Wi-Fi for data connections into cars. Chrysler is also looking into WiMax as a future solution. In its press release, Chrysler mentioned it would use an Internet connection into the car for the following services:
- Turn-by-turn navigation combined with satellite imagery to provide more realistic maps
- Automatic wireless map updates, to ensure that drivers will always have the most up-to-date map information. Real-time weather and hazard information will also be available.
- Electronic service reminders, delivered directly to the vehicle
- Internet search
- E-mail access, to include access to e-mail accounts, read-out of messages using text-to-text speech, and sending messages via voice command
- The ability to make online purchases, view streaming movies, and download music
- Remote vehicle computer updating; wirelessly download software updates for any electronic module.
- Wireless audio and video file transfer from home computer to car
The Maybach Landaulet Study has a convertible top for the rear passengers.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Sarah Tew)At the 2008 Detroit auto show, we ran across two limousines, one by Maybach and one by Chrysler. The cars, the Chrysler 300C Hollywood and the Maybach Landaulet Study, featured some similar characteristics, which left us wondering if Chrysler walked off with some Maybach plans when it got sold off by Daimler. After looking at both cars, we started thinking about which one is better. To start off, Maybach is an extreme luxury brand owned by Daimler, while Chrysler isn't, so we give the first point to Maybach. The Chrysler is powered by a 2.7-liter V-6, while the Maybach has a 6-liter V-12. Although we question the need for that much power in a chauffeur-driven car, we give the second point to the Maybach just because it has more than double the engine of the 300C Hollywood. What really got us comparing these two cars was the fact that both have open roofs. Only, the Maybach has a retractable soft top over the back so well-heeled occupants can enjoy the sun, while the 300C Hollywood leaves the chauffeur uncovered. Only the nouveau riche would be so crass as to leave the help out in the rain, so the Maybach earns the third point. However, we also noticed that the back of the 300C Hollywood had three bottles of champagne nestled in the center console, more than the single bottle in back of the Maybach. We would have easily given the point to the 300C Hollywood, except that the single bottle in the Maybach was Veuve Clicquot, one of our favorites, so we call it even concerning champagne. We might give the 300C Hollywood a point for being cheaper than the Maybach, but both are concepts, so not priced. As we expected, our analysis gave the Maybach Landaulet study the win.
The Chrysler 300C Hollywood leaves the help out in the rain.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Sarah Tew)
Click here to see the sketches
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.
Click the image to view the gallery
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.
(Credit:
West Roxbury Motors)
Update: The Man-Ram's car is now up for bidding on eBay.
If you just missed out on buying the grill Boston Red Sox left-fielder Manny Ramirez was hawking on eBay this past spring, maybe you'll have better luck buying his car.
The Boston Herald reports Ramirez will be selling his 2006 Chrysler 300M SRT8 on eBay starting tonight. A quick search of eBay revealed Ramirez hadn't put the car up for bidding at the time of this post.
This isn't your standard-issue Chrysler. Ramirez's custom ride is chromed-out, fitted with 22-inch rims, and has a custom--wait for it--grille. As News.com's Tom Krazit also noted via e-mail, thing's got a hemi.
According to the Herald story, Manny also learned from all the fake bids on his grill earlier this year. According to Jerry Nasif, who is handling the auction for Ramirez, only bidders with 100 percent positive feedback will be considered for the sale.
In the article, Nasif said he is expecting the car to go for around $50,000. The winner will also get a personal meeting with Ramirez, as well as autographed merchandise and four tickets to a Red Sox game.
