Mike Accavitti, Dodge Brand Prez, raised eyebrows yesterday with this quote about Dodge performance. He's posted a good-humored response at Chrysler LLC Blog explaining he was misquoted, assuring us Dodge is about performance and "that won't change." Full response below.
So the fun gang at Jalopnik bestowed the dubious honor of "quote of the day" to a remark a reporter thought I said at the Frankfurt Auto Show-something to the effect that our product plan for Dodge isn't simply about going zero to 60 in 10 seconds—roughly the same speed as a sloth. The always-snarky blog jumped on that and its readers took their shots, mostly in good fun-and now it's my turn.
While chatting with the reporter, I explained that the Dodge brand has always been about performance and excitement and that won't change-it just won't only be about quickly screeching off the line, accelerating from 0-60, in a flash. In fact, I tossed off a joke while standing in front of a fuel-efficient Dodge Caliber that the fuel-efficient hatchback could reach 60 in under 10 seconds. Actually, not bad for a four-banger.
So now you know the full context of what Seinfeld might have titled "The Frankfurt Remark." The reporter also goofed in writing that another comment I made about "wasted space" referred to the use of chrome. Nope. I was talking about bulging fenders and extra weight.
The important thing to know, however, is that we'll never take the thrill out of driving a Dodge. But instead of that thrill coming from the quick takeoff courtesy of brute horsepower, you'll experience the rush of building g forces as you wind through turns, and overall exciting driving performance. You've gotta admit, that's what the fun of driving is all about-not just the start of the trip, but the trip itself, and we promise you, the Dodge of the future will be all about unforgettable trips, that all start with the speedo at zero."
However, we would like to point out that Accavitti does say "instead of that thrill coming from the quick takeoff" rather than "along with that thrill coming from the quick takeoff." Read into that how you will. [Blog.Chryslerllc.com]