Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Chrysler PT Cruiser DCS 5

The festivities leading up to the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit begin to ramp up around this time every year, and you know the world's largest traffic jam of classic, custom and exotic vehicles is nigh when Chrysler debuts another limited edition version of its PT Cruiser. This year it's the limited edition Dream Cruiser Series 5 that will be available for purchase in the fall. The DCS 5 is actually more done up than past editions with Midnight White Pearl Coat paint that's topped by a Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl roof. Up front the standard grilles have been swapped out for aluminum mesh, and the 17-inch wheels have clearly been swiped from the SRT parts bin. Chrome trim and a pair of new "PT" badges on the driver and passenger front doors round out the exterior mods. The interior also gets done up with light-colored plastics, silver (plastic) trim and dash panels painted in the same glossy Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl as the roof. The seats are new and feature an interesting texture that Chrysler calls Embossed Momentum seat fabric. If you were hoping for a hot rod, however, you'll be disappointed as the DCS 5 features the PT Cruiser's standard 150-hp 2.4L four-cylinder mated to a four-speed automatic. The DSC 5 will be available with either a 2.4L four-cylinder producing 150 horsepower or a turbocharged version producing 180 hp. With that, we rate the PT Cruiser DCS 5 as one of Chrysler's better Woodward-inspired PT Cruisers. If you're down with the factory mods, you'll need to scrounge up at least $22,700 (plus $670 for destination) by this fall and get in line as only 1,750 units will be made.


[Source: Chrysler]

It seems as if earlier rumors of the PT Cruiser's death may have been slightly exaggerated. According to PTCruizer.com, the retro-style hatch from Chrysler is still alive, though perhaps on some sort of artificial life support. At least for the 2009 model year, the Cruiser is expected to be built alongside the Dodge Journey, though this could change in the blink of an eye. The plant in Toluca, Mexico where the two vehicles are built is capable of switching at a moments notice between the Journey and the Cruiser. So, if the Journey picks up sales or Chrysler does the unthinkable and launches its own version of the Dodge crossover, the PT could wave good bye for good.

If you are in the market to do some Cruisin' of your own, our suggestion would be to act fast. Reports indicate that Chrysler is reducing the options on the vehicle as much as possible to make them as easy, and therefore as cheap, to build as possible. For instance, the Limited is the only way to get the turbo engine, though air conditioning is now standard across the line. And if the PT makes it all the way through 2009, Chrysler will almost for certain cancel it after that.

[Source: PTCruizer.com]

When offering an item for sale, a fuzzy key selling point like "may be legal in some states already" might not be the deal clincher you'd hoped. On today's episode of "Fun With Centers of Gravity" we have the delightful union of the neuter-car PT Cruiser with the greasy unmentionables of a 29 year old Chevy Blazer. It may very well be legal in some states, but it'll still be unholy everywhere it goes. Build quality appears on par with a dollar store habachi – are those pop rivets on the fender liners? The battery sitting on a folded back seat is the crowning feature of the interior and there's also no heat or air conditioning, making this a fun year-round ride. The zip-ties and extra-fun spark plug wire routing in the engine bay dress up the 350, and the seller believes so much in this powertrain that there's a warranty to sweeten the pot. Let's ignore the fact that the nearly $10,000 Buy It Now price would buy a used Jeep Wrangler with a suspension lift, because the seller is being truthful when stating that this is a true one of a kind.


[Source: eBay via Winding Road]

PT Cruiser fans who were relieved to hear only the convertible version would no longer be built may, after all, have reason to mourn. The Wall Street Journal, quoting a Chrysler dealership owner, says the retro-styled wagon-like CUV is again on the company's hit list.

No word on why Chrysler brass changed their minds or when the final PT will be built, but if you want a new one, you should probably take advantage of the soon-to-be-announced rebates soon. So, is it just a coincidence that the final special edition PT Cruiser will be the Sunset Boulevard Edition?

[Source: WSJ via All Cars All the Time]

According to The Detroit News, Chrysler's product-cutting plan is all but official. The first three models on the chopping block, according to the newspaper's unnamed sources, are the Magnum, Pacifica and the PT Cruiser. The next round could include the Jeep Commander if it doesn't get its act together.

Sales on the first three models were down as much as 32% through September, and the company's new boss, Bob Nardelli, isn't in a playing-around mood. Company insiders have told the Det News that Nardelli is taking very close looks at the current lineup and isn't exactly thrilled. Supposedly, Dodge's Dakota and Avenger and Chrysler's Sebring are also feeling the Nardelli heat. The newspaper quotes Nardelli as saying, "I'm not a designer, but I'm a consumer," he said. "Rather than deny some of the (negative) reports that are out there you kind of embrace them and say, what do we want to do to take our vehicle from where it is to where consumers want it to be?"

So how many of you reading that actually said out loud, "It's about damned time!" Nardelli sounds like a guy who doesn't mess around, who seems to know his company's products aren't up to snuff, and who's willing to do just about anything to fix them. Sebring and Avenger aren't exactly blockbuster designs, and if Chrysler must amputate them to stay alive, we say go for it.

We hate to see wagons disappear from the domestics' lineup again, but overall, this is a good sign and we can't wait to see what Nardelli does with future offerings.

By the way, Mr. Nardelli. Can we nominate the Aspen and Compass for some critical evaluation, too? Thanks.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Thanks, Mike, for the tip!

Scott Kissinger knows a thing or two about Chrysler's PT Cruiser. In fact, he knows enough about it to have started ptenthusiasts.org in 1999, before the the PT was even for sale.

So as one who loves the PT Cruiser and who also has an investment of time and money in the nameplate, we imagine Kissinger pretty much freaked out when he heard Chrysler might not continue producing a retro wagon. So he started a petition to encourage Chrysler's new owners to bring the Cruiser back for a second generation. And he's got several good points.

You can read the entire petition on Kissinger's site, savethept.com, or after the jump, but here are a few of the most insightful points it makes. First, the PT continues to be Chrysler's second-best selling vehicle. Second, the car's distinct styling has inspired legions of dedicated fans and enthusiast groups who would be about ready to replace their first Cruiser with a newly re-designed one. Third, not only should Cerberus continue Cruiser production, the company should retain the 1930s hot-rod look, but also introduce more variants including a two-door coupe much like the original Pronto Cruizer concept, as well as a two-seat roadster akin to the Prowler, but with a usable trunk.

I have to admit some bias here. I've owned a PT Cruiser since 2001, when I drove more than three hours to buy an Inferno Red 5-speed PT. Since then it's been the best car I've ever owned and I, too, find it hard to believe Chrysler is considering abandoning seven years of success, and 2006 sales of almost 140,000 cars. I've signed the petition and I encourage those who appreciate highly usable utility, packaged in distinct sheet metal to do the same.

click image above for high-res version

While we harbored hope that Chrysler would break with tradition and formally launch the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4 at Duggan's Pub on Woodward this morning, already the new Pentastar instead did what it's been doing for years: unveiled another special edition PT Cruiser. The Sunset Boulevard Edition is the latest in the Street Cruiser series and is powered by the 150-horsepower 2.4L four-cylinder mated to a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. The vehicle is highlighted by its "Sunset Crystal" paint, bevy of shiny metal trim and 16-inch, nine-spoke chrome wheels. Uplevel features include a power moonroof and dark tinting for the rear windows, while the interior includes more chrome trim in the places you'd most expect it (sorry, no interior shots were released). Being limited to only 500 units for the 2008 model year, this PT Cruiser is also adorned with a number of "Sunset Boulevard" badges to let passersby know it's no normal PT. It's also the 11th special edition PT Cruiser that Chrysler has pumped out, and this one will set you back $16,650 for the manual model and $17,475 for an automatic. That's not a bad price for a car that wants to be a collectible, despite the fact over 1.2 million PT Cruisers have been sold in the past seven years. It's still no Caliber SRT-4, though.

[Source: Chrysler]

Allpar is again on top of the JC49 game with spy shots of the crossover in even less dress than the last time we saw it. Looks like the news is pretty much the same, with Dodge getting a version of the Sebring-based crossover to be called Crew, and later on, Chrysler replacing the aging PT Cruiser with a distinctly non-retro variant.

Allpar predicts Chrysler will retain the PT Cruiser name, but cease production of the curvaceous hatchback in 2009 and replace it with a version of this car. Insiders say the current Cruiser's throwback design cues will be totally left to history.

The Dodge version is expected in showrooms in January for around $20,000, while the new Cruiser is expected sometime nearer 2010.

The dual exhaust seen on some test cars seems to indicate an optional V6 alongside a standard four-cylinder.

Allpar also says that Dodge plans to produce European versions of the car at its plant in China's Fujian province.

[Source: Allpar]

Click on the image above to view the high-resolution gallery

As big as the muscle car market has become, not everybody wants to spend their weekends working on a vehicle that gets 8 mpg while still reaching 60mph slower than a V6 Accord. For some, their everyday transportation has become their passion. Other vehicles, like the 80's Monte Carlo or Buick Grand National, are collectible because they act as newer versions of the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s, but with smaller price tags.

While Gratiot avenue still reserved most of its space for vehicles that are older than I am, plenty of newer classics had their day in the (hot) sun as well. Our favorite was the Ferrari 328 GTS Fiero dressed up in its best Italian suit, and was on sale for "only" $13,000. There were three or four Prowlers, a few souped-up PT Cruisers, plenty of Corvettes, and a couple of Vipers as well. There was even a Dodge Nitro that someone dropped at least $15,000 on. Take a look at the high-res image gallery of our 80's-and-up shots from the Gratiot Cruise.

All photos Copyright ©2007 Chris Shunk / Weblogs, Inc.

More exciting than a rally cap, more powerful than the crack of Brandon Inge's bat, it's...

The Tigers Cruiser!!!

Quite possibly the best fanmobile ever, this modified PT Cruiser was created by DaimlerChrysler and Detroit NBC affiliate WDIV-TV Channel 4 in celebration of the Tigers' success in winning the American League championship series and their advancement to the World Series. Complete with its own stuffed animal tiger, the vehicle sports the Olde English "D" logo on the hood and doors and has been painted with red "stitching" to make the vehicle look similar to one of America's most famous icons -- the baseball. It might be cold in Detroit these days, but you'd better believe that they're cruising in this thing around town with the top down and music blaring.

[Source: You Tube]