just give up already chrysler...

You know a company is screwed when every car in their lineup looks pretty much the same (Caliber, Charger, Avenger, Challenger...even their trucks look like their cars LMAO).

ofcourse it is, but not by Chrysler.

I totally called this one in the "Phoenix is dying thread." Its has indeed risen again.

@lowest iq:

I agree that Chrysler is trying to keep a positve image and not tip its hat that they are in serious financial trouble. A merger makes sense for Cerebus, but I would be wary if I ran Nissan/Renault. That merger actually workes and both companies have profitted from it. But Nissan makes superior small vehicles compared to Chrysler. With the exception of Jeep, Ram, and the 300/Charger/Challenger, Chrysler offered no real compelling products. Plus it is saddled with UAW contracts and enormous debt,

@Noya
"You know a company is screwed when every car in there lineup looks pretty much the same..."

But what about Porsche, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Lotus, BMW, Mine, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Honda, Acura, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Toyota. They seem to be doing fine and all there cars look pretty much the same.

@ 426Hemi,

Forget the "marques" that cost over $50k on your list. People pay for the name, styling, quality and the performance of those cars. Chrysler doesn't build low volume high margin vehicles (except the Viper, and it's dead in a few years from what I've read).

As for Honda/Acura, there's nothing similar except for the new beak their placing on all their cars. I mean the Civic looks nothing like the Accord, and the TSX looks nothing like the RL...except for the grills.

Compare that to the picture above of the FWD Avenger, all every one of it's styling cues are lifted straight from the RWD Charger. And they don't work on a very cheaply made FWD rental car. See, this is the cost cutting that got them here in the first place.

I'll admit Toyota designed their new Corolla to look like the Camry. They have also adopted a corporate grill / nose to place on all their cars, but again, just the noses and not the entire car.

@Noya
"...the Civic looks nothing like the Accord, and the TSX looks nothing like the RL...except for the grills."

And the AWD Caliber looks nothing like the RWD Viper, and the RWD Charger looks nothing like the RWD Challenger...except for the front interior.

On a side note, cheap stock interiors never bother me mainly becoase I have them replaced. (It dosen't really matter what company made the car, nothing can beet the personal thouch.)

"And the AWD Caliber looks nothing like the RWD Viper, and the RWD Charger looks nothing like the RWD Challenger...except for the front interior."

Again, don't compare a $17k Caliber which is FWD based with an $80k purpose built sports car. The Civic and Accord both sell over 100,000+ units a year, the Viper, probably a few hundred.

The Charger and Challenger are practically twins, using the same modified Mercedes generation old E-class chassis and transmissions.

You know I never got why people get so pissy when a company uses the same platform on different vehicles.

Of course I know companies that do that do not actually take the time to properly tune the platform between the cars, so you don't get the best of either world.

Frankly it'd be nice to see a car company go and just say, "We are going to make the body and chassis. We will buy the rest of the parts from other vendors to suit the cars character."

Toyota has nice small engine (and I suppose Honda does too if you like that sort of thing). Nissan has some decent V6's and in general Domestic's make good V8's (unless you are going all out like BMW).

I know it's a pipe dream, but at least it's something.
My pipe dream also extends to engines and transmission being interchangeable among manufactures, so that's never happening.

UAW workers out of work...Mwahahahahahahaha!!!!!

@longdxcommuter

Indeed. But Cerebus must know its options by now:
1. Sell out to american car company. This is the two drunks crossing the street scenario...
2. Sell-out to a major domestic parts maker. I cant see one.
3. Sell-out to a major European company. Well, there arent any foolish buyers left...
4. Sell-out to a car company for which Chryslers low-tech (and absense of any pre-development/know-how departement) is still 'high-tech', eg a Chinese company (window closing in 5 years), Indian Company (window closing in 7 years).

That sales job has to be done now, and Cerebus knows 'now' is not the right time, while a few years from now, the Chrysler fish is rotting all over.
So here is what i predict will happen:
1. Reduce break-even by lay-offs and reduction of diversity, stopping the bleeders, (already started), massive white collar lay-offs (soon to happen),
2. Sell the half-good parts, Viper and Jeep (2009-2012). They'll probably get US1b for the Viper/Jeep franchise...
3. Go to contract development and integrated parts buying, eg platform sharing with GM (already announced) and other global desperadoes, Puch-Steyr, Engines from Mitsu/Hyundai,
4. Renegotiate UAW/Pension contracts (this is actually a good time to do it....). Democratic government.....
5. Then, restructure financially and let the factories etc go broke.
6. When all of the above doesnt work (we only know two generations from now, eg (10 years), sell the brand-name for US20-50m (depending on how bad things have gone....) to a Chinese, Indian company with an unpronouceble name.

@Noya

The Caliber SRT4 is FWD, I was talking about the lower ranking one. Also, units sold has nothing to do with the cars looking or not looking the same.

Any way, I am kinda hoping that they would kill this engine off. That way they would more money to fund it to there EV programs.

@lowest iq:

The scenarios that you present make sense. Cerebus is a private company. I am sure we will never really know what Cerebus' intentions were when they purchased the company. I stand by the fact that they were trying to prep the company for a quick sale. However, the market tanked, Chrysler's product lineup was ill equipped to be attractive to buyers and/or potential corporate suitors. I think Cerebus is in crisi mode and is willing to unload to whomever bites.

I don't see GM as being a good one to bite right now. However, I don't really understand how it is that Chrysler is going bankrupt slowly yet still has $11-12B dollars lying around that GM hopes to get its hands on.

If GM takes on Chrysler and they don't get the cash, I see it being a huge hit for GM and them having to shutter even more plants and perhaps start selling off more brands.... if there is anyone to buy them.
Don't know that I really see that as tI think the only ones they could do that with are Opel and Saab. Don't know that they have any domestic lines that could be split at this point after they have finally done some of the integration they should have started 15 years ago.