DSkippy

Speaking of Fart Cars.....of course...Tuners, yielding high hp for low litre 4's....Tuners are fine. Good article below

http://www.denverpost.com/coloradoco...nts/ci_7710010

[quote]
Dodge Brand Helps Tune Up a Tuned-Out Relationship this Holiday Season
PR Newswire
Article Last Updated: 12/13/2007 06:05:06 AM MST

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Zach Madrid of Colorado Springs, Colo., has been named the winner of the Dodge brand's "Are You Tuned Out?" search for the nation's most "tuned-out" car enthusiast and vehicle tuner. Nominated by his fiancee, Tricia Champagne, Madrid represents the 63 percent of men who, according to a survey conducted by Dodge and Ipsos Public Affairs(1), are "tuned in" to their cars and trucks, sometimes at the expense of their personal relationships.

In her nomination essay, Champagne said Madrid is completely "tuned-out." So much so that she has no chance of having a "civilized conversation" with him if there is any sort of car show on television. According to Champagne, Madrid has sketch books full of visions, concepts and customized versions of his favorite Dodge cars, and has memorized the exact horsepower and torque for the entire SRT lineup.

"The Dodge Caliber SRT4 is awesome. I can't believe I'm going to have a brand new one sitting in my driveway," said Madrid. "I never thought when Tricia nominated me that I would end up winning the 'Are You Tuned Out?' contest! I couldn't have asked for a better wedding present or a better fiancee!"

In the last year, vehicle customization and tuning has exploded into a $36.7 billion industry and Americans are spending 18 billion hours tuning and maintaining their vehicles annually(2). To help these tuners and tuners-in- training get cool rides without having to spend all of their free time and money in the garage, the Dodge brand launched a search for the most "tuned- out" car enthusiast. Of the nearly 1,000 enthusiasts who entered the contest, Madrid was named one of four finalists to win an all-new 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4 - a vehicle that comes performance-tuned straight from the factory, which means tuners can spend less time working on their car and more time with their friends and family.

"In the 'Are You Tuned Out?' contest we were looking for people who are so obsessed with automotive performance and personalization, they never leave the garage long enough to really connect with their significant others, family and friends," said Ralph Gilles, Vice President - Jeep(R), Truck, Advance Interior and Component Design, Chrysler LLC. "The Dodge Caliber SRT4 is a high- performance, race-inspired vehicle that comes 'pre-tuned' straight from the factory. We hope it will help tuners like Zach live more balanced lives, because all the tuning work is already done."

While Madrid won an all-new 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT4, Champagne will be awarded a Dodge prize package, which includes Dodge gear and a $100 gift card for nominating the grand prize winner. The three runners-up will each receive a Dodge prize package, which includes Dodge gear and a subscription to Mopar magazine.

"While there's no guarantee Zach won't end up right back in the garage to further personalize his Caliber SRT4, we think the vehicle's 285-horsepower and incredible acceleration will keep him and Tricia happily cruising together for a long, long time to come," said Gilles.

Tuner Roadblocks

With so many people tuned into the tuning trend, Dodge asked consumers what they considered to be the biggest roadblock to having a tuned-out ride. Cost and lack of time were identified by 41 and 34 percent of tuners respectively, while only seven percent said being in a relationship was the biggest roadblock to tuning.
Additional survey results showed: -- Putting the Grrrr in Garage - Seventeen percent of men say the garage is their favorite place to spend time at home. -- Date Night vs. Drag Night - Twenty-two percent of

RLSH700

Interesting. This should help Dodge gain a stronger grasp on the youth market by making a car that they like for a price they can afford. I just hope they carry this powertrain over to the rumored Demon (and hope they offer AWD with it). I think this powertrain would also be welcome in a Neon SRT-4 replacement.

joeyr

The neon srt4 was an awesome car, and it kills me that I only saw one commerical on it online.

DSkippy

It was a tight ride. I prefer its styling to the boxed up Caliber. But.....they had to go in the direction they went.....

The mopars I really like right now for style is Chally, 300C, Charger, Magnum

I think they're lacking in other areas.

I like the performance of the Caliber just not knocked out by the looks.

Jeremiah 29:11

Nobody will probably agree with me but I like the Crossfire.

MGDMike

Driving and handling yes, I love it for that type of vehicle.. as far as styling, there are uglier rides!

DSkippy

Jeremiah, you don't need validation. Who cares if anyone agrees with you? You like what you like.

BTW, I love the Crossfire. I find it very reminiscent of the that 50's MB Gulwing.