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spy photos
Chrysler can't seriously be thinking of bringing an SRT8-badged Dodge Nitro to market, can they? Well, if this latest batch of spy photos from the spy shooters at KGP are right, then they are. But they can't be! Seriously. It's inconceivable. We don't care where they found this manufacturer-plated madness (right outside of the Firehouse in downtown Detroit) or what it has slapped on the back (an SRT8 badge), but it's hard to argue with photographic evidence. We'll assume it's an engineer having a little bit of fun or perhaps another media outlet playing around with the cameras. Because seriously — it's got to be that. The other option? It's just too horrible to imagine. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.
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Dodge Nitro SRT8?!
Chrysler can't seriously be thinking of bringing an SRT8-badged Dodge Nitro to market, can they? Well, if this latest batch of spy photos from the spy shooters at KGP are right, then they are. But they can't be! Seriously. It's inconceivable. We don't care where they found this manufacturer-plated madness (right outside of the Firehouse in downtown Detroit) or what it has slapped on the back (an SRT8 badge), but it's hard to argue with photographic evidence. We'll assume it's an engineer having a little bit of fun or perhaps another media outlet playing around with the cameras. Because seriously — it's got to be that. The other option? It's just too horrible to imagine. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.More »
11:12 AM on Wed Mar 12 2008
By Wes Siler
4,899 views,
69 comments
Latest by n/a: Maybe it will be able to tow at least 4 tons. Perhaps they squeezed a flex fuel 4.7 liter magnum in it with a high compression ratio. more »
gaming
Oregon Trail Remake Ditches Wagons for SUVs, Hybrids And... Umm, Wagons
The cult classic game, Oregon Trail, has finally received a much needed update. Thule Trail is an independent game still utilizing the same style of graphics, but an updated story line that involves a cross-country trip to a music festival in a variety of cars including the Honda Insight, Dodge Nitro or an old Volvo station wagon, rather than a 19th century cross country trip of settlers in a rickety wagon. More »
sema
SEMA 2007: Ford Boss 500 to Burn Nitro
Ford and Force Racing unveiled the first new entry into the nitro burning hemi engine field in modern times. The crew developed the engine using space age analytical tools, beefing up the main bearing journals and surrounding webbing to help keep the crank and pistons from windowing the blue anodized block. Force Mustang Funny Car driver Mike Neff will be the first to huff the good stuff through the blower, with Robert Hight and Ashley Force phasing in the mill in their own Mustangs after nitro scientists John Medlin and Austin Coil fine tune the 8000 horsepower nitro burner.
ad watch
When we first saw the new 2008 Jeep Liberty at a pre-New York Auto Show briefing session we can't help but feel very sad. One of us has been a proud owner of a Jeep Liberty and truly enjoys taking his little baby bug off the beaten path whenever possible. While we're not at all impugning the capabilities of this new small SUV all about lettin' freedom ring, we were a little bit disappointed that it in many ways looks like and feels like (the interior) a re-badged Dodge Nitro. Still, in this new commercial for Jeep, the boys n' girls at BBDO (we think they've still got the account — who knows these days?) are trying to show off the off-road capabilities of "The New Small SUV" from "The New Chrysler" by watching as it can't seem to stay on the road. We know that feeling all too well.
New 2008 Jeep Liberty Is Afraid Of Cameras, Goes "On Road, Off Road"
When we first saw the new 2008 Jeep Liberty at a pre-New York Auto Show briefing session we can't help but feel very sad. One of us has been a proud owner of a Jeep Liberty and truly enjoys taking his little baby bug off the beaten path whenever possible. While we're not at all impugning the capabilities of this new small SUV all about lettin' freedom ring, we were a little bit disappointed that it in many ways looks like and feels like (the interior) a re-badged Dodge Nitro. Still, in this new commercial for Jeep, the boys n' girls at BBDO (we think they've still got the account — who knows these days?) are trying to show off the off-road capabilities of "The New Small SUV" from "The New Chrysler" by watching as it can't seem to stay on the road. We know that feeling all too well.
wear nitro fumes in your hair
Arguing about the problems with Sucka Free transit can be likened to fourteen year-olds debating which of Iron Maiden's 1980s lighting rigs were the coolest. (We're voting for Somewhere on Tour if there's an official record.) Board of Supervisors honcho Aaron Peskin has posited that "Voters will have to ask themselves: Do you want San Francisco to be more like Paris or Los Angeles?" We love Paris and Los Angeles, but the parking situation in SF is untenable, and the fact that property owners are restricted on single-family-home garage building rankles us to no end. On the other hand, the public transit initiative proposed sounds tantalizing, as SF is a very transit-workable environment. The downside? The pro-transit faction has embedded a poison pill into their initiative that if passed, would negate the improved-parking bill. Which means to us, as interesting and important as the transit initiative is, we'd be forced to cast a strong nein toward the fascists. Both parking and transit in The City need improvement. It's not an either/or solution. Also, please castrate the DPT and stop bending over for Auto Return. Thank you. We love you, San Francisco. [SFGate]
San Francisco Transit Wonks Shoot Selves in Foot
Arguing about the problems with Sucka Free transit can be likened to fourteen year-olds debating which of Iron Maiden's 1980s lighting rigs were the coolest. (We're voting for Somewhere on Tour if there's an official record.) Board of Supervisors honcho Aaron Peskin has posited that "Voters will have to ask themselves: Do you want San Francisco to be more like Paris or Los Angeles?" We love Paris and Los Angeles, but the parking situation in SF is untenable, and the fact that property owners are restricted on single-family-home garage building rankles us to no end. On the other hand, the public transit initiative proposed sounds tantalizing, as SF is a very transit-workable environment. The downside? The pro-transit faction has embedded a poison pill into their initiative that if passed, would negate the improved-parking bill. Which means to us, as interesting and important as the transit initiative is, we'd be forced to cast a strong nein toward the fascists. Both parking and transit in The City need improvement. It's not an either/or solution. Also, please castrate the DPT and stop bending over for Auto Return. Thank you. We love you, San Francisco. [SFGate]
Chrysler dealer mailing takes a really tough tone. And by tough, we hope they don't mean they'll have a Dodge Nitro shoot them with force lightning. [Freep]
dog gone it
Dodge Dog-Gate Continues, Fake Puppy Snuff Viral Vid Still Available On Internet
Chrysler Group PR main-man Jason Vines dropped a press release yesterday claiming he's working hard to get the Dutch viral video of a dog being electrocuted by the Dodge Nitro SUV off of YouTube. The only problem is it doesn't look like it's doing a lot of good. Actually, if you do a simple search of the popular pop video site for the words "Dodge Nitro Electrocuting Dog", you'll find there's still a copy up there. Gasp! In fact, the video's seeped out of the corporate-capitulating confines of GooTube, and moved to other places on the interwebs — even finding its way onto a mainstream media site like the Detroit Free Press, attached to Tim Higgins article this morning. Double Gasp! We've no idea where else you might find it — oh, wait, what's this I see after the jump? Double Dog Gasp! More »
the price of freedom
Well, the new 2008 models for Jeep are almost out — and Chrysler Group's released pricing on the newly re-designed and very much Nitro-like Liberty. They've dropped the base price on the 4x2 SUV letting freedom ring in at an MSRP of just $20,990 — $1,270 less than the 2007 model. The 4x4 on the other hand will start in at $22,600 — $1,170 less than the current model. Now up at the high end, the top of the line "Limited" model will go out the door with the 3.7-liter V6 for just $26,785. Not too shabby a price, but I still ain't buying this re-badged Dodge no matter what price incentives they drop atop it. It's just too — umm — something for me. Full press release after the jump.
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Chrysler Group Drops Price On Jeep Liberty To Make It More Of A Square Deal At $20,990
Well, the new 2008 models for Jeep are almost out — and Chrysler Group's released pricing on the newly re-designed and very much Nitro-like Liberty. They've dropped the base price on the 4x2 SUV letting freedom ring in at an MSRP of just $20,990 — $1,270 less than the 2007 model. The 4x4 on the other hand will start in at $22,600 — $1,170 less than the current model. Now up at the high end, the top of the line "Limited" model will go out the door with the 3.7-liter V6 for just $26,785. Not too shabby a price, but I still ain't buying this re-badged Dodge no matter what price incentives they drop atop it. It's just too — umm — something for me. Full press release after the jump.More »
ad watch
We think we know where Dodge is going with this littlecommercial viral video we're assuming was made for the Euro market showing the Dodge Nitro electrocuting a dog that gets too close to those chrome rims. We think they're trying to separate themselves as the Chrysler Group's "boy brand." But our only issue is — should a brand all about the message of "Grab Life," be taking it away? Just askin'...and plus, isn't the dog getting it in the end kinda anticlimactic? We still cried a little, but you know, still?
Dodge Nitro Kills Dog, Makes Us Cry A Little
We think we know where Dodge is going with this little
three headed dogs are better than...
Chrysler Recalls 80,000 Wranglers, Nitros
The woes keep on coming.The automaker said the power interruption could lead to a short engine stall, but said the engine would immediately restart if the vehicle was in motion.Sounds like a fuel-saving feature to us. More »
thar they blow
Chrysler Execs to Sebring, Nitro: Drop Dead
Apparently, the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Nitro are such crap, even Chrysler executives can't muster the requisite team spirit to defend them. Well, maybe not crap, per se. How about "embarrassing misses." And let's face it, these two are indeed the most embarrassing misses since Betty Ford (you'll get that joke later). Those and other descriptors turned up on an Internet Q&A among Chrysler employees who feel the company turned out two losers that are behind competitors on nearly all major categories, from design to drivetrain to fuel economy to noise and vibration. According to the online convo, the company hit a competitive target that underestimated where competitors would be when the cars were released. Yoinks. More »
jalopnik reviews
Jalopnik Review: 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T 2WD, Part 3
Why You Should Buy This Car: Looks matter to you most of all. It's impossible to lose in the mall parking lot. You and three of your adult friends go out to eat a lot, and want to do so in comfort. Armored car side metal makes you feel safe and/or secure. You just love sitting up high. That commercial gets you every time, "Rainbows and seashells and blue skies above — now is the time for love. Look around and what do you see? A beautiful world!" The 20" shiny chrome rims are pretty blingtastic. Oh, we're back to looks, aren't we? More »
3:19 PM on Thu Feb 8 2007
By Mike Spinelli
1,293 views,
18 comments
Latest by Jonny Lieberman: Wow... the Jeep Liberty "Ray Wert" Fifth-Wheel. Davey, you are too smart for your own good. more »
jalopnik reviews
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T 2WD, Part 2
Exterior Appearance ****As ungainly as it is, I like the way the Nitro looks. The high belt line and gun-slit windows scream "Don't look at me while you're looking at me." The busy front is its worst side, but at least the hodgepodge of tough-guy cues is unique. The over-rendered wheel arches and acres of metal adorning the sides are the Nitro's visual strong points, though I must admit to finding the rear of pleasant to look at. A feat, I should mention, that hasn't been pulled off in an SUV since DCX shuttered the Cherokee. If you squint, you can see a Jeep lurking beneath. I even liked the 20" chrome-a-tone wheels, as they caused another friend of mine to ask, "Is that a mini Hummer?" One more thing. Why "Nitro"? With looks like these, I would have called it the "Ram Wagon." More »
12:00 PM on Tue Feb 6 2007
By Mike Spinelli
996 views,
23 comments
Latest by vividblurry: I haven't taken it for a ride but when I saw the Nitro at the DC Auto Show my coworker and I hopped it and were definitely surprised at how spacious it was. My coworker is 6'+ and had no more »
jalopnik reviews
Jalopnik Reviews: 2007 Dodge Nitro R/T 2WD, Part 1
Recently, a friend and I stood staring at the massive, awkward fascia of a Dodge Nitro, trying to make heads and/or tails of it. The otherwise monumental Crossfire motif of the grill was, in fact, dwarfed by the bulging bumper and drooping ground effects. "I think I think it's ugly," I said, unsure as I've ever been about a car. "Yeah, well, I'd rather have [the Nitro] than that," my friend said, pointing to a wholly anonymous Honda CRV parked nearby. He raised a fair and solid point; I hadn't even noticed the Japanese cute-ute sitting not more than 20 inches away. "Or that" he exclaimed, gesturing toward a Lexus RX330, one of the flashier eyesores in the lot. Again, he was right. Based on nothing but aesthetic considerations, the Nitro beat both of those dull-as-eggs class leaders, pants down. More »
12:14 PM on Mon Feb 5 2007
By Mike Spinelli
1,486 views,
48 comments
Latest by n/a: Sorry, but I too was disappointed in the review. I like the looks of the Nitro and am curious about performance feedback etc....of the R/T unit. What was the ride like, cornering... None of that was given. It appears that more »
news
Nothing On This World Left To Tune: Startech Takes On The Dodge Nitro
Must be why the Chrysler-tuning side of BRABUS decided to go underground to seek the next vehicle to Startech-stamp. Because oh look, they came up with the tunneling lack-o-cute, the Dodge Nitro. And really, you just know it's gonna be a killer tune job when the second paragraph of the press release touts the vehicle's new hotness as being "a more homogeneous transition between front and rear wheel houses." Nothing says cool to us like homogeneity. But hey, at the very least they've boosted the diesel version of the next Jeep Liberty from the stock power output of 140 hp to a SD3 performance kit boost-enabled 180 hp. Torque output pops up a similar percent increase — but still only hits 266 lb-ft. Not bad, but we'd rather take the 420 out for a torque-y spin instead. Full gallery below and the release is after the jump. More »
ad watch
Ad Watch: Chrysler, Dodge And Jeep Look To Stem Sales Losses With Crappy Satellite Radio Deal
Yes, we know Sirius sucks compared to XM — but, free satellite radio's free satellite radio, and considering the lease deals the folks at the Chrysler Group are now reported to be offering, I feel like it's almost a pity deal. So pony up your $185 or whatever per month, and you too can save a starving automaker — remember, leasing a Commander, Aspen or Durango can help to feed, clothe and pay for college for the entire family of one engineer in Auburn Hills, MI. Do your part. Two more commercials, one for Chrysler and one for Jeep, can both be found below the jump. [Addendum: Sirius doesn't actually suck compared to XM — the comparison was made to accentuate the Chrysler Group's loan deals. Sirius is a very fine satellite radio system, and hey, they've got Howard Stern — and who doesn't love Howard, right? That is all.] More »
gossip
Chrysler Group's Marketing Man Makes You Wonder: "Hey Joe, Is It Time To Go?"
The recent (and steeply sloping) sales and revenue downturn over at the American side of the German-American hybrid has caused folks to speculate whether the muckety-mucks running the day-to-day show under Chrysler Group CEO Tom "two shakes a day" LaSorda over in the Auburn Hills, MI HQ have been making the wisest of choices. Of LaSorda's executive squad, no washroom key carrying member of the team's being talked about in hushed tones more than Joe Ebehardt, the sired-in-Stuttgart exec veep in charge of Chrysler Group sales, marketing, service and probably some other stuff too. We've heard all manner of stories surrounding the main marketing and sales stud at the Chrysler Group — everything from shouting matches with dealers to botched marketing decisions regarding creative — but recently it's become a crescendo of crap — reaching heights that force even those of us in a permanent half-drunk state to start asking questions like "Hey Joe, what do you know, how come Chrysler's sales can't seem to grow?" Let's take a closer look at what we've heard, plus some of our own analysis, after the jump. More »
3:00 PM on Thu Nov 9 2006
By Ray Wert
403 views,
3 comments
Latest by fanbase: I just found this story. God, was this guy an asshole. Every meeting we were in, he was always negative, looking at his blackberry as you were talking to him. Nothing was good enough for him. more »
