I hope this guy is not a talking head.

Imagine this guy actually putting this into action.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100211/OEM03/100219970/1156#ixzz0fKQgaYqg said: CHICAGO -- Chrysler Group, known as the inventor of the minivan and SUV, aspires to regain its own spirit of innovation by emulating Apple Computer. That was the vision for Chrysler's future outlined by Ralph Gilles, Chrysler's chief design officer and the CEO of the Dodge brand, in a speech today. Gilles said his hero is Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. On short notice, Gilles filled in for Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who was called away to sign a deal creating a joint venture to produce vehicles in Russia. Gilles spoke at the Economic Club of Chicago's annual Chicago Auto Show luncheon. In Marchionne's absence, he paid tribute to his boss, saying Marchionne had given Chrysler the tools and inspiration to return the company to greatness. Gilles provided tantalizing glimpses of future products, including the next-generation Chrysler 300 sedan, due in December. “Hopefully, when you see that car, grown men and women will have tears running from their eyes,” Gilles said. “Hopefully, when you see that, you will say, ‘Go, America.' ” He also showed pictures of the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, due in three months. Gilles talked of winning over a new generation of “millennial” customers, people more interested in social networking than how a car looks. Gilles said his design studios are now filled with designers in their early 20s who “understand the market better than I could ever hope to.” Gilles cited Chrysler's great heritage of inventing segments but said regaining that magic would not be enough. “The problem is that every one of those vehicles were one-hit wonders,” he said, referring to vehicles such as the Chrysler Pacifica. “We can't do that anymore. The philosophy at Chrysler is to do every vehicle that way.” Chrysler wants to get away from designing “me, too” vehicles that look like everything else. “Branded design is everything -- separating into four distinct brands. We've had too much overlap, too many products that were alike. “The fear for me is that the automobile becomes a commodity. That's the first nail in the coffin of every product. Our mission is to erase that process so that we never get into that death spiral of becoming a commodity.”

Ralph Giles designed a lot of Chryslers recent cars didn't he? I think the 300c is his design. He also drives a 600 hp Viper ACR - at least according to Fortune magazine.

Ralph is the best thing Chrysler has going for it. Even he can help them recover after the brutal rape by Daimler.

IMO Apple does not represent innovation in technology- they didn't invent anything new. They represent innovation in marketing combined with a good quality product and nice packaging. I'm pretty sure that isn't the idea Chrysler was trying to convey in that article but it would be a step forward for them anyway.

The idea of an iCaravan makes me giggle.

I have a white Grand Caravan that I call the iCar.

These quotes were from the same event snagged by Autoblog,

From the true: "Brands and companies don't die. They are victims of homicide."

To the sublime: "Viper important to image of "my brand" [Dodge]"

To the ridiculous: "The further away you are from Detroit the less you know the facts about the auto industry."

To the more ridiculous: "I liken management to X-Men... all have special abilities."

To the funny/creepy: Ad agency interviewed him before creating Super Bowl spot. "I had to smoke a cigarette," afterwards, he joked.

To the important: "Fiat 500 on sale in U.S. at end of the year"

I like how he has X-Men in his management.

The only Chrysler product I've ever owned was a Jeep Wrangler. Their new stuff makes me laugh (300C, charger, challenger, magnum avenger) becuase they all seem like parodies of cars.

My in laws have owned a string of Caravans and Grand Caravans (I think they are on their 3rd or 4th one) - they love them, but not the new ones that somehow got a makeover to try to disguise a mini van as an SUV. They will be looking elsewhere for their next vehicle.

I don't think they make a car for me. Hopefully, they gt turned around an can manage to become the Apple of the auto industry - I'll root for them in spirit, just not with my checkbook.

They can make the sexiest lookin' b*tches in the automotive world, but it won't mean stink if they don't make quality job #1(where have I heard that before?). Orange peel paint, cheesy plastic interiors, poor fit and finish,.... .fix the problems first.

A couple weeks ago I had to rent a car, and I went with a company that I hoped would have a Hyundai Accent waiting for me when I got there, and instead I got shoved into a Caliber with the CVT. What a horrible device. Handling was okay, but everything else was poor. Interior was amazingly bad, and who put that hard kink in the center console that seemed there only to hurt the driver's right leg? Noisy, slow, cheap. At least it got poor gas mileage; I was somehow averaging less than 20 mpg with the dumb thing in mixed driving.

I returned it the next day and got an Aveo sedan. While I'm not about to say the Aveo was a great car (because it's not) I was happier with it than the Caliber. If that's the best MoPar can offer in the small car market, how are they going to get younger buyers into the seats? Oh, right, Fiat 500 with a different badge on the front.

Ralph Gillies is a full-on car guy. He's run the Targa Newfoundland a bunch of times.

He got a 5 minute penalty in 2008 for missing a stage start. Why did he miss it? Because he was busy signing autographs for a mob of kids. Good reason! Also, the "Super Sub-Lime" Challenger he drove that year (I think he called it Samantha, we all called it Kermit) had a hula girl on the dashboard.

He's one of us.

Keith wrote: Ralph Gillies is a full-on car guy.....He's one of us.

That is good, hopefully he can continue to make a difference. I like the idea that someone who is on Fortune Magazines list of the 40 rising stars under 40 is a car guy.

Gilles talked of winning over a new generation of “millennial” customers, people more interested in social networking than how a car looks. Gilles said his design studios are now filled with designers in their early 20s who “understand the market better than I could ever hope to.”

I must be old. I do care about aesthetics, and I'd argue that his inspiration, Apple, focuses a good bit on how things look.

I don't want to be able to Twitter from my steering wheel, I want to use my left foot when I drive.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: IMO Apple does not represent innovation in technology- they didn't invent anything new.

Nah, they just made everything easy to use and then there's the iPod and iPhone, but that's just picking nits.

The only 2 car that Chrysler makes that I would want are the Viper and Challenger. Of course I cannot aford either. The Caliber is a complete POS!

If they would stuff a Caliber SRT-4 engine in the Jeep Compass, and pimp it out on the WRC circuit with...Sam Hubinette driving, then I might be interested in a Chrysler product.

maroon92 wrote: If they would stuff a Caliber SRT-4 engine in the Jeep Compass, and pimp it out on the WRC circuit with...Sam Hubinette driving, then I might be interested in a Chrysler product.

The Compass is just a Caliber with Jeep sheetmetal.... err, is that the Patriot? Either way, it's not a real Jeep.

Though that does bring up the #1 problem with Chrysler right now: how they're handling Jeep. Jeep should NOT be an everyman/woman brand. It should be a niche brand for those people that actually have use for a vehicle that can go off-road. Adding non-Trail Rated Jeeps only sullies the brand, and looses a lot of sales up the road to get a couple more sales here and now.

pres589 wrote: I had to rent a car,... Caliber ... horrible device. Handling was okay, but everything else was poor. ... Noisy, slow, cheap.

I once got a brand new Caliber from a rental place during a business trip. I was honestly shocked by how bad it was.

Chrysler products have been shockingly bad in recent years. I test drove a used Sebring at a dealership about five years ago. I couldn't believe that car existed either. It thoroughly convinced me to keep the older Oldsmobile I thought I wanted to replace at the time. To me, that really says something.

ReverendDexter said: The Compass is just a Caliber with Jeep sheetmetal.... err, is that the Patriot? Either way, it's not a real Jeep.

I realize that. Actually they both are...

I suggested the WRC, because it would be an excellent marketing experience for European sales. It is small enough, and off roadable enough for most europeans, and it would be wicked cool to see one tearing through a wooded stage with that big JEEP grille on the front. If they put enough money into it, they might be able to be toward the sharp point of the results standings as well.

WilD wrote: [The Sebring] thoroughly convinced me to keep the older Oldsmobile I thought I wanted to replace at the time. To me, that really says something.

Agreed, I wouldn't wait to get back into my 1999 Olds Intrigue again when the trip was over. That thing has a street value of maybe $2500 but with $500 spent on the right improvements (fix the stupid driver's side window that I keep putting off, new front speakers, some other things) I would much rather spend time in my old Olds than a Caliber. Or a Sebring. That really doesn't say anything good about their of those cars.

The Caliber didn't have power anything, it's been a long time since I had to reach across the car to roll the passenger side window down. No cruise control? I think the throttle is electrically operated, so all they need is a switch and to turn on programming that's already in the ECU for it. Manual locks?? And these dumb things sticker for $17k out the door. Doesn't that get you a Scion Tc or a Suzuki SX4 or a Honda Fit? All manner of cars that aren't a complete embarrassment.

I sent a text to a friend of mine that works for Chrysler and has for nearly 10 years now, "5 minutes in a Caliber and I already hate it". His response; "Normally it doesn't take that long."

I love how the OEMs scream that they can't make money on small cars but they charge SUV markups on crap like the Caliber deal.

pres589 wrote: A couple weeks ago I had to rent a car, and I went with a company that I hoped would have a Hyundai Accent waiting for me when I got there, and instead I got shoved into a Caliber with the CVT. What a horrible device. Handling was okay, but everything else was poor. Interior was amazingly bad, and who put that hard kink in the center console that seemed there only to hurt the driver's right leg? Noisy, slow, cheap. At least it got poor gas mileage; I was somehow averaging less than 20 mpg with the dumb thing in mixed driving. I returned it the next day and got an Aveo sedan. While I'm not about to say the Aveo was a great car (because it's not) I was happier with it than the Caliber. If that's the best MoPar can offer in the small car market, how are they going to get younger buyers into the seats? Oh, right, Fiat 500 with a different badge on the front.

you forgot to mention the fact that the Caliber is every bit as hideous to look at as the Aztek...

Though that does bring up the #1 problem with Chrysler right now: how they're handling Jeep. Jeep should NOT be an everyman/woman brand. It should be a niche brand for those people that actually have use for a vehicle that can go off-road. Adding non-Trail Rated Jeeps only sullies the brand, and looses a lot of sales up the road to get a couple more sales here and now.

THIS.

My old XJ was a piece of crap, but it was hardcore and made for the trail (was it "trail rated"? i don't recall)

Jeep's new vehicles are wimpy-seeming and don't have that hardcore edge - but at the same time they don't have the style or quality to be good "soccer mom" SUVs.

After owning an 08 4Runner, there is zero chance I would buy any SUV offered by Jeep. Especially since the 4Runner is arguably superior off-road to most of the Jeeps these days, lol..

I wish I had something nice to say about Chrysler...there has to be someone out there with something nice to say.

How about this:

It is easy to get out your car in tight spaces with a PT Cruiser convertible.

It's nice to hear something positive from that sector after years of being Daimler's bitch. I've long said that one of the problems that Detroit has is that it's in....Detroit. Where you have entrenched ways of thinking that are inherently anti-progressive. That's why things like California design studios have become so important in recent years. I really like the Apple inspiration, as long as they don't think that means making the same old junk with fancy electronics pasted on the surface.

I like Apple's stuff (I'm writing this from a Macbook Pro) but I don't know if car companies should really model themselves after a computer & software producer save for one area; advertising. I don't want to start an argument about the Mac vs. PC ads with the two guys standing there acting silly. I don't really like those spots. But they're somewhat iconic, you remember them, and they do make you think about the differences in the Apple products in comparison to their competition (even if they aren't totally accurate). And remember the iPod ads with the people dancing to music, you just saw their outline, bodies in white? Pretty cool.

Last good MoPar ads had those Joe Dirt looking guys yelling about Hemi's. Last ads I remember were the Caliber ads when they were new and they over-dubbed V8 soundtracks over the car running through an urban future-scape. Everything else has just been shouty nonsense and minivans slowly driving through the 'burbs. Yawn.

Remake Vanishing Point as a 45 second spot with a new white Challenger. Remake Bullit as a 45 second spot only this time a black Charger gets away from the Mustang. Something along those lines. Make a commercial that makes it worth my time to go find it on Youtube.