Okay, now I understand what you are saying. The Solara is not just a direct coupe version of the Camry like say the Accord Coupe was. There are quite a few styling differences between the two that could easily convince the eye of the observer that they are infact completely different cars. I think the Sebring coupe should return, I'm not necessarily convinced though that there would be a market segment for a coupe version of the 300C. Although there are a few European luxury coupes, I'm not sure if this would be the route Chrysler would want to take. To compete against the M6 and CL-class, Chrysler would probably need different styling.

Yankee, the problem that the Prowler had was a combination of it being extremely over priced and lacking the powertrain that people were interested in getting for that type of car. Unfortunately Chrysler, might not have had a powertrain that would have fulfilled those desires at that time without considerable investment as that was pre-Hemi and the 360 had not been used as a true performance engine for many years. The legacy that I see of the Prowler is the PT Cruiser since it resembles the front end. That should have been sold under Plymouth (or Eagle if they hadn't needlessly killed that division either) as it fit their target market better than Chrysler. The PT Crusier could have revived interest in Plymouth.

Although I believe Dodge models should have been superior in performance as that was Dodge's position, Plymouth shouldn't have had a powertrain that limited to a point where they couldn't compete against Ford and Chevrolet. That was part of the problem as well. I will have to disagree with you on the Crossfire. I think that car never should have happened in the first place under any division. A rebadged MB, no thanks. If anything it made a least some sense under the Chrysler badge as it was a sort of luxury coupe. It's interesting that you see the similarity of the potential mistake Chrysler is making by not bringing back the Cuda and the definite mistake GM is going to make about not bringing back the Firebird. At least we are the lucky ones who have a model that at least looks good. I feel sorry for the GM fans with the appearance of the Camaro.

I don't see the Catera either in that photo chop either. The Catera was a tasteless hunk of Opel garbage without any styling. I don't see how 2 doors would make a dramatic change in appearance like you seem to see in it.

 

Yeah...an over simplification and wrong assumption on my part about the Solar....Accord much better example.....

As far the coupe-of-fied 300, oddly.....I think it smacks of the recently disavowed parent company....which, while it looks nice....I think is sort of a turn off....I absolutely agree with you on the Crossfire.....I always found that reminiscent of the Gulwing MB......

Again, my thought on Chrysler offering a 2dr was simply that if they're selling lots o' 4dr versions, if it were an affordable experiment, see if you cant find more success in another market....

 

Chrysler set to ax models
Up to 5 that compete with other company vehicles are likely to go
October 17, 2007

BY TIM HIGGINS

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Chrysler LLC could cut as many as five nameplates within the month as part of its quick and dramatic makeover as a newly private company.

It's "highly likely" Chrysler's top brass will approve plans to kill vehicles this month, a person familiar with the situation told the Free Press. About five vehicles are being considered for elimination, but the source would not reveal which ones.


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The boardroom drama could help explain why the UAW was unable to win the same sort of future-product guarantees in its tentative labor deal with the Auburn Hills automaker as it did in its deal with General Motors Corp.
The product review comes as the automaker is seeking to get its tentative agreement with the UAW ratified by rank-and-file union members.

GM has already won ratification of what analysts see as a potentially transformational contract that can give Detroit automakers nearly equal labor costs to Toyota Motor Corp.'s nonunionized U.S. factories.

But Chrysler union local leaders have complained that unlike the GM contract, the proposed Chrysler deal fails to reclassify lower-paid temporary workers as permanent hires and lacks the kind of plant-by-plant outline of possible future products listed in the union's description of the GM agreement.

Bob Nardelli, who became Chrysler's chief executive officer in August, shortly after Cerberus Capital Management took majority control, indicated in a September speech that the company could reduce its model offerings.

Once Chrysler's product evaluation committee makes its decision about eliminating nameplates, it's believed the decision will be sent to Cerberus management for approval.

Chrysler officials say the company has been meeting about the product lineup, assessing the vehicles sold by the company and contemplating what needs to be cut.

"We have models that overlap, where we have two or three vehicles that serve the same market segment and maybe the same customer and actually compete with each other to some extent," Chrysler President and Vice Chairman Jim Press told reporters last week. "We also have markets where we have insufficient coverage. Where we don't have enough product."

Press did not discuss specific model eliminations. A Chrysler spokesman declined to comment.

The likeliest models to go

Auto industry analysts predict the Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Dakota, and Jeep Commander and Compass could face elimination. A company insider included those vehicles among a list of vehicles facing review. The source and another familiar with Chrysler's design pipeline also questioned the future of the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Durango.

The Chrysler Sebring is being considered for a complete makeover, though if that is not feasible, the car will probably be eliminated, the company insider said.

Yet another person familiar with Cerberus' thinking said the private equity firm questions why Chrysler's lineup includes the Dodge Durango SUV, which has seen its U.S. sales slide 30% this year.

A Cerberus spokesman did not respond to an inquiry regarding this story.

The number of eliminations "could go higher in the sense that products as we know them today, but something will take their place, just not a direct next-generation replacement," analyst Catherine Madden of Global Insight said.

The Durango is built at the Newark, Del., assembly plant, which will be closed in 2009.

"I think the Durango is dead in the water. I won't order a Durango anymore. I told my guys don't ever order another Durango," said Carl Galeana of Galeana Automotive Group, which includes Van Dyke Dodge in Warren.

The UAW's summary of the tentative labor agreement with Chrysler says the automaker's n

 

They should axe the present Charger and make one closer to the first concept. Sales would sky rocket.

 

Making it a two door would go along ways. Then it would be more like a Charger of the 70's.

 

Are you saying the 1999 Concept or the 1965 Charger II show car?

 

I believe it's way too late to make the Charger anything than what it already is. I was also one of those that originally decried the Charger being anything other than a coupe, but the fact is, the current Charger has established itself, for better or worse, as a family sedan with sporting pretensions that's here to stay as is. It's my humble belief that the Charger ever being anything else - a coupe, a rendition of the 1999 concept or even the 1965 concept, is a futile wish cause it just ain't gonna happen. That ship has long since sailed.

 

I like the Charger...
But maybe some improvements could be.. Remove those huge cross hairs, and widen the car some; maybe curve out the doors, and widen the tires. It looks a little too long and narrow, especially in the middle. The quality looks really good, but they just need to burly it up a little.