In an unsurprising turn of events, Chrysler has pulled its sponsorship of Sam Hubinette's drifting team as part of the company's restructuring plan. The bankrupt automaker's Formula Drift program was run by Shaun Carlson's NuFormz Racing, which began with Mopar in 2002, competing in the NHRA Sport Compact division. The team eventually made their way into drifting in 2004, where Hubinette captured the championship behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper during Formula D's inaugural season. Hubinette went onto several podium finishes, placing second overall in 2006 and claiming runner-up finishes in both 2005 and 2008.

Although the team's last sideways outing will be at the New Jersey Speedway on June 5 and 6, Chrysler's Director of Brand Marketing and Strategy, Mike Accavitti, said in a release, "At this time, [Chrysler] plan[s] to continue supporting our other racing sponsorships into the foreseeable future." Make the jump for the press release.

[Source: Chrysler via EverythingDrift]

If you think there's nothing wrong with Chrysler's 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine that an extra dollop of horsepower can't fix, we have some great news for you. Our friend and knower-of-all-things with a pickem-up-bed Mike Levine at PickupTrucks.com is reporting that Dodge's next Heavy Duty Ram will be offered with a big 'ol 6.4-liter version of the OHV V8.

Based on the current 6.1-liter version of the HEMI, an engine that appears in any number of SRT-branded cars, the new engine would feature both a larger bore and a longer stroke, with resulting power figures estimated to fall somewhere between 450 and 500 galloping ponies.

An engine with that much power would need a beefy transmission bolted up to its crankshaft, something Dodge already offers with its diesel engines. Levine suggests ChryCo could use the latest six-speed gearbox from German specialist ZF.

Of course, all of this assumes that Chrysler emerges from bankruptcy with these projects intact. Bug assuming that, we're being told that in addition to its spot in the Ram HD lineup, the 6.4-liter HEMI V8 is also likely to make an appearance under the hood of Jeep's next Grand Cherokee SRT8. The next obvious question, then, is how much money will the powerplant add to the cost of the vehicle and what kind of fuel mileage will it be able to muster?



[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Chrysler has just announced that it will 'reject' some 789 of its dealerships by June 9 as it works to downsize through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. That represents a 25% cut in its dealer networks, leaving 2,392 Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge dealers to carry on if the automaker is able to successfully emerge from bankruptcy with its new partner, Fiat.

Auburn Hills reiterated that it will be "business as usual" with its entire dealership body throughout its bankruptcy proceedings, with plans to honor warranty and incentive payments "during the period that rejected dealers remain active."

According to information obtained by Automotive News, individual dealers will learn whether they are rejected or accepted via UPS letters delivered this morning. At that point, dealer owners will have 23 business days for a 'court review' of their individual cases.

The same memo that disclosed the planned UPS letter disbursement also details that after the 789 dealers are rejected, 80% of its remaining dealers will carry all three of the company's brands (that figure presently stands at 62%). According to that communiqué, Chrysler does not expect for many of those dealers to close just because their franchise contracts are being rejected – about 345 of those rejected operations are paired with other competing brands, and according to Chrysler executive vice president of sales, Steven Landry, fully 83 percent of the disenfranchised dealers currently sell more used vehicles than they do new ones.

Thanks to the protections afforded under bankruptcy, Chrysler will not be legally required to buy back any vehicles, parts, or tooling from rejected dealers, but the automaker says it will work to pair the disenfranchised with remaining dealers who may be willing to buy those assets.

Chrysler vows to contact the more than 3.5 million customers who have purchased cars and trucks through the rejected dealers to give them additional information on how to get their vehicles serviced.

If you're wondering if your local Chrysler dealers are earmarked for closure, a complete PDF list is available by clicking here.

Official press release after the jump.

[Sources: Chrysler; Automotive News - subs. req.| Image: Scott Olson/Getty]

2009 Formula Drift Mopar Dodge Challenger - Click above for a hi-res gallery from SEMA 2008

As our man Drew Phillips found out first hand, between Tanner Foust's NASCAR V8-powered Scion tC and Rhys Millen's Hyundai Genesis Coupe, there was plenty of exciting new machinery on power-sliding display at this past weekend's Formula Drift season opener in Long Beach. Unfortunately, the new Dodge Challenger wasn't one of them.

Dodge's aftermarket tuning division Mopar unveiled the 2009 Challenger way back at last year's SEMA show, but its driver, Sam Hubinette, had to start the season in last year's Viper (poor guy.) And according to reports, he'll have to slide that snake at the next round too, as the 800+ hp Challenger, slated to be the most powerful car in the championship, won't be ready until the third round of the season, allowing it to compete in the final five after missing the first two of the seven-race season. Hubinette doesn't seem to mind, though, crediting Chrysler with standing by the team during these tumultuous times altogether, even while Mopar goes playing in the sand. In the meantime, drift fans will have to look longingly at the gallery of live shots of the Mopar Challenger in our gallery below.



[Source: Motor Authority]

Every year, the off-road faithful gather for the annual Jeep Safari. This year's was held in the Moab Desert, held out of the limelight while all eyes – including Chrysler's and our own – were focused on the New York Auto Show. So while Jeep itself was unveiling the new Grand Cherokee, Chrysler's skunkworks division, Mopar Unlimited – the same crew responsible for most of the company's SEMA show cars – brought out a pair of concept trucks for its most hard-core enthusiasts.

The first, called the Grand Canyon II, is based on the outgoing Grand Cherokee Overland, upgraded with some extra luxurious touches. Little information is available on that concept truck, but the real excitement factor was in the Jeep Lower Forty concept (above). Based on the Wrangler, the truck is immediately characterized by its oversized tires, which required a fair bit of hack-sawing of the bodywork by the Mopar crew but no suspension mods, leaving the center of gravity in tact while increasing the ground clearance. Under the hood lies a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with six-speed manual transmission, capped by a custom carbon-fiber hood and a windscreen cut down by 3 inches and raked back 10 degrees. The concept was painted a special shade of red called Red Eye No. 3.

Unfortunately, there's little information available on either concept truck beyond what the team at Inside Line was able to get ahold of, which is a little surprising for a company steered by a guy named Press. So in the meantime we'll just have to suffice with these initial details and the low-res images in the gallery below.



[Source: Inside Line]

Under the bright sunlight of the Javits Center's Crystal Palace atrium, Steve Saleen took the covers off of his latest creation, the SMS 570X. The Dodge Challenger-based muscle car registers a few rungs above the 570 that we first viewed at its Orange County unveiling in January. Where that car was fitted with a 5.7-liter V8, the 570X utilizes a 6.0-liter engine, reportedly good for 700 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque - plenty of gumption to roast those wide and flat 20-inch meats.

The engine includes lots of forged bits (pistons, crankshaft, con-rods, etc.) lurking beneath new CNC-ported aluminum heads. In addition, the 570X receives a SMST six-speed manual transmission and a high-performance cooling package. The heart of the car is a production version of the SMS 296 supercharger, the firm's new blower co-developed with Lysholm. Like Mopar muscle of yore, this system features a Six-Pack too – only in the SMS' case, it refers to a brace of cylindrical intercoolers.

While the supercharger comes as part of the 570X package, it will also work on other Chrysler LX products including the Charger, Magnum, and Chrysler 300C. SMS also promises that "aftermarket fitments" are in the works for both Ford and General Motors products.

Aesthetically, the X is nearly identical to the original 570, which is a good thing, because it looks sensational. From its "Red Butterfly" side-induction hood to its flared, vented fenders and new front fascia, the basic form looks spot-on. With its lowered stance, details like its GTX-style grille, fender vents, carbon-fiber splitter and side skirts, and rear spoiler, the 570X is at once classic Motown muscle and a thoroughly modern tuner car.

As this car was just a prototype, there were some unfinished bits (off-kilter badges, hood fitment, etc.), but officials promise to get the production car right. No word yet on official pricing and availability, but well-heeled Mopar fans would do well to reach out to SMS straight away.

During the Jeep Grand Cherokee press conference this morning, Chrysler vice chairman Jim Press gave the assembled journalists a sneak peak at the interior of the forthcoming Chrysler 300. While little more than a quick glimpse at of the instrument panel flashed up on the screen for a moment, we were able to grab this snapshot for you. We're sorry that the resolution is not as crisp as we'd like it to be, but until Auburn Hills slips us a high-res jpeg, we figure you'd still enjoy an advanced look.

What it shows is an all-new instrument panel of what looks to be a higher-end model (note the abundance of woodgrain trim and leather surfaces), with the centerpiece being a new widescreen navigation system housed in an oval-shaped enclosure flanked by curved air vents. As expected, there is a wood and chrome-ringed steering wheel, switchgear in the standard places (including dual-zone climate control), a gated console shifter, and what looks to be a very large center console.

The interior is markedly more conservative than what Chrysler teased with the 200C Concept from January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but admittedly, that concept was designed to give a future glimpse of the 300's kid brother, the Sebring). The 200C employed such show car details as a chrome single-spoke steering wheel, a screen in place of the main gauge binnacle, and a sophisticated all-in-one climate/stereo/nav unit that flowed out of a center console.

Despite that, the 300 "spy shot" looks to be a major leap forward in terms of unified style and potentially materials.

No definitive word yet on a date when the rest of the car will be revealed, so for now, 300 fans, you'll have to be content with this.

Photo Copyright ©2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

Along with Barack Obama, the Cubs, Al Capone and the Sears Tower, Chicago is home to the world's most famous Mopar dealer, Mr. Norm's legendary Grand Spaulding Dodge. While Mr. Norm sold the dealership in the late 1970's, the Mopar Hall of Famer has recently made a resurgence, officially introducing the 1968 Dodge GSS Hemi Dart last year in Chicago as well as the Super Cuda and Challenger at SEMA just a few months ago. The Challenger is making an appearance here in Chicago as well, with a slick new two-tone paint scheme and 900 supercharged horsepower underneath the hood. Other features include a carbon fiber front and rear spoiler, Katzkin leather interior, SSBC eight-piston front brakes, and a Hurst pistol grip shifter. Like the Hurst and its HEMI Challenger, Mr. Norm is selling a production version of the car with a a variety of styling options and performance levels ranging from 600 to 900 horsepower.


Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

The Dodge Challenger remains by far one of the most exciting offerings in Chrysler's lineup, and in addition to the R/T Classic edition, Dodge had on display an R/T on display complete with the latest products from its Mopar catalog. The car you see here comes with Nostalgia wheels ($561 each), Go-Wing spoiler ($307), carbon fiber engine cover ($313), cold air intake ($359), cat-back exhaust system ($1,155), performance shifter ($680), coilover suspension kit ($1,704), Katzkin leather seats ($1,240), T/A hood, and more. Some of the parts seem a little expensive, but the Moparized Challenger looks absolutely retrotastic in a more subtle way than the aforementioned Classic R/T. Decide for yourself by browsing the high-res gallery below.


Live Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Stuck among the largely forgettable production vehicles at the Chrysler, LLC display is this Mopar-enhanced Ram R/T. Originally shown at SEMA, B5 Blue (we think) covers its bodywork, which is very close to the ground thanks to a new set of springs and shocks. Kumho-shod, 22-inch forged wheels are stuffed into the cutouts. In front, the Challenger-style hood rocks a set of SRT stripes, the headlamp housings are blacked out, and a new front bumper with chin spoiler threatens to scrape against any obstacle taller than a praying mantis. Out back, a body-colored bed cover thwarts prying eyes, and a pair of fat polished exhaust tips pokes under the rear bumper. Inside, you'll find color-keyed inserts and R/T embroidery on the seats. Overall, this thing looks pretty mean, especially when its surrounded with your garden variety Dakotas and Durangos.


Photos copyright ©2009 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.