Jalopnik Snap Judgment: A little more math, based on the fact that Chrysler really has nothing besides the Ram truck coming out this year, tells us Chrysler is on track for a $2-billion-plus loss for the year, breaking their previous record of $1.6 billion. As Rebecca Lindland, auto analyst at Global Insight, said, "From a product perspective, you can't point to a light at the end of the tunnel." Ouch. So Chrysler's survival will depend upon how deep owner Halliburton Cerberus Capital Management's pockets are. Or how quick they can sell it off. [Detroit News]

"Chrysler's product pipeline severely lags the industry on a number of key metrics, which is an ominous sign for its market share. We believe that this is an active decision by new owners to rationalize the product portfolio in advance of a breakup/sale."

The argument that Chrysler is entering a product drought in advance of a sale also doesn't sit well with some industry watchers. Although the company doesn't have any major product reveals scheduled for the next year, they have one of the youngest vehicle lineups currently on the market. Others claim that Chrysler is reducing product in a long-term effort to become more competitive with a smaller fleet, and at the same time force weaker dealers out of business by depriving them of products during the current industry downturn. Such a move would allow Chrysler to pare down its dealer body without expensive — and potentially litigious — buyouts and consolidations.

Whatever happens, we do tend to agree with at least one Cerberus statement: "You can't judge an investment like this after just one year." Only question — does Cerberus believe that? [Freep, Photo Credit: blog.vehiclevoice.com]