Ralph Gilles Gives You a Guided Tour of NAIAS |
 
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Posted on January 12, 2010
Whether you can’t make it to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show or simply want to get fired up before it opens to the public on Saturday, you don’t want to miss this walk-through guided by Dodge President & CEO Ralph Gilles. In it Gilles not only gushes about the layout, design, and his personal favorite baby, the Viper ACR, he also shows off a new Caliber and Detonator Nitro, a Plum Crazy Challenger, and reveals the next high-impact color: Furious Fuchsia. “I think it will energize you when you see the effort put behind here,” Gilles says of what Dodge has on display. “We didn’t spend much money to be honest with you, we were just very clever about it. But it’s a symbol of the attention to detail that’s going to be in our products to come.”
Jan 12, 2010 @ 15:45:57
Thank the Dodge team for following on twitter. I would definitely check the Chrysler stand at Detroit Auto Show. As a Chrysler retiree, I am proud of Chrysler Motors rich heritage and its products. I have high hopes for Chrysler future and its devoted dealer network and customers, who stood by the company and bought its products in spite of bad economic recession.
If I could be useful to you by advertising your products on my new website, please contact me.
Regards,
Florian Georgescu
email: admin@autosqueal.com
http://www.autosqueal.com
Jan 12, 2010 @ 16:46:19
Until Dodge beefs up their Nascar effort, they are on the back-burner as far as I am concerned. Dodge should be embarrassed about having only one factory-backed team in Nascar Cup this year, especially since they’ve also pretty much abandoned the Camping World Truck series and the Nationwide series also. Until they show that they can compete in Nascar, I’m tuned out to their products on the showroom floor!
Jan 12, 2010 @ 17:30:25
So it looks like we will NEVER see Sublime on a Challenger. That is very disappointing. How long do I have to drive the same old Dodge vehicle until you offer the color most of us want? Only God can save your company now.
Jan 12, 2010 @ 19:20:32
trqlvr, I agree about Nascar. I’ve been going out of my mind with this and have been giving lots of feedback on RLD about my concerns with it. You guys have to give us something to support in Nascar. Kahne with Penske would be great. You guys can do it. If GM can continue with very little cuts, then you guys can give us a 4 car team at the very least. I wouldn’t think it to be very bashfull or wastefull. You dropped alot of teams in the past year, so your trimming is done. You can afford a 4 car team for all those fans in the stands. Don’t give them a reason to walk away. At the very least, make sure Penske has all the support and engineering help to make a good showing this year. He’s got three great drivers. It would be sweet to have those three Dodges in the chase at seasons end with multiple wins. Can you give us any indication or info on what has been decided for DODGE in Nascar for 2010? I know you guys have been pretty tight lipped about alot of things lately, but could you just give us something to get through the next month or so? Thanks.
Jan 12, 2010 @ 20:30:31
Sweet. . . can’t wait to see all the awesome colors you have planned for the 2011 V6 Challenger…….right?
Jan 13, 2010 @ 00:24:48
I’m not holding my breath, Hemihead, for any good news from Dodge on their Nascar effort. Mike Accavitti was their Nascar supporter and they got rid of him and put Gilles in charge. Gilles seems satisfied with racing a Viper against itself on an oval. I guess that’s one way of winning a race; don’t put any competition on the track with you! I agree that AT LEAST they should support a 4th Penske car with a driver like Kasey Kahne (even if they have to buy him out of the last year of his RPM contract). Kasey is a popular driver; there are no popular drivers with Penske right now.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 01:23:54
Everyone loves Kasey Kahne…he is good public relations for Dodge. He must be the second most popular driver behind Dale, Jr. Better still, he always tells people that Dodge/Plymouth were always his favorite car makes. Why are we losing this guy? Find the dollars somewhere to keep this guy with Dodge.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 01:27:46
I don’t mean to be negative about Dodge, they are still the best carmaker out there. Hopefully, sublime will be available for 2011 when the new 6.4 liter HEMI becomes available. I guess you have to save the best for last. Patience is very difficult sometimes. The Panther Pink or should I say Furious Fuchsia should be a pretty wild, bright color that will turn heads. Just keep the wild stuff coming.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 01:44:33
Hey Dodge, I like what you are doing with the new packages. You are really trying to brighten things up and make all the Dodges look sporty. The Nitro does look good with the stripes and the plum crazy Challenger with the white stripes and white interior is awesome. Is that an optional Katzkin leather interior that you have to install later? At any rate, keep the packages coming, I even like the Islander Jeep package and that black and red Viper is to kill for.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 03:21:24
I have a simple question for RLD. Back in the days before computers and robots. We were able to go to are local Mopar dealer and pick between 18 regular colors and another 5 high impact colors and if that wasn’t enough we could get a special order done. Now in 1969 they built over 100,000 roadrunners alone. So here is the question. Why can’t that happen today when everything is computerized? I really just don’t get it. To many bean counters, to many middle mangers and not enough REAL car people would be my guess.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 06:47:44
Hello all!!!
The space at the auto show looks nice and Mr. Gillis is right,they did not have spend allot of money on the space because,the cars speak from themselves….
What Dodge should do is make the hot colors people want (ie:sublime, panther pink) in a limited edition Super SRT CHALLY. Limit the numbers,put some extras that you cannot get normally (more performance boost, different wheels etc)…. Dodge can call these “put up or shut up specials”. Gives the consumer something special and they can hold on to, and a for the all the people that want the lime green or other bright colors a chance to get it in car that they pass down to their grandchildren and keeping the Legend of MOPAR alive…..
Thank you!!!
Tazallen
Jan 13, 2010 @ 18:11:19
nascar??? camping world??? what is this the i’m a redneck forum???? nascar sucks, period. its a bunch of yahoos driving around in circles for hours and you guys worship them like they are a god. you want racing, get on the 1/4 mile where it counts. nascar was good in the late 60′s early 70′s when it was who built the best car and put the best driver in that car. its commercialized crap now. if you ain’t buying a car until their nascar involvement suits you it your loss buddy. i’m driving my 09′ srt and lovin it. nascar is like a zit, you hope it goes away rather quickly
Jan 13, 2010 @ 18:43:26
Nascar wouldn’t stop me from buying a car, but I’d rather Dodge pull out….again, rather than have a lame effort on the track. I didn’t put Dodge in there, they did it themselves, so they must think its worth something. There’s alot of people out there who actually like motorsports as opposed to football or baseball. If you like 1/4 mile racing, check it out and see who where at the top in manufacturer wins in 2009 in NHRA. DODGE….”Not”.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 19:31:57
Don’t forget one big Item. Every single top fuel and funny car are running HEMI POWER. So Mopar can thank Ford, GM and Toyota for running their motors in their cars. And AJ in prostock and before LM jumped ship and switched to Ford, Dodge showed pretty well in prostock.
Jan 13, 2010 @ 19:46:04
Prowler. Yup, but the average Joe don’t see it that way.
Jan 14, 2010 @ 11:48:02
to give me a break, I could not have said it better myself!!!!, and prowler you are absolutely right!!
Jan 17, 2010 @ 02:09:08
Oh please, give ME a break!!!! I’ve been to NHRA events, IHRA (back in the day) events, local drags, etc. but the crowds at NHRA events are abismal compared to Nascar. The whole crowd at Bristol Dragway last year would fit in one turn of the Bristol Speedway!!! And rednecks? There are rednecks at every event I’ve been to including NHRA events and Indy car events. No one form of racing has a monopoly on rednecks; nor for that matter, no one form of sports. There are plenty of rednecks at football, basketball, etc. events. I’m sure you know that if you’ve actually been to any of them so I can only assume that you’re trying to be demeaning, in some stupid sort of way, but you’re just showing your own ignorance!
Jan 17, 2010 @ 11:20:00
Prowler, you’re right about the engines used in drag racing. Every top fueler and funny car out there runs a copy of Chryslers Hemi engine whether they’re running a Ford, Chevy, Toyota, or Dodge body. Also, if you go to any diesel truck pulls, you’ll see that they’re dominated by Dodge because of Dodges Cummins engine. So what did they (sanctioning bodies) do about it? The rules were changed to allow the use of Dodge/Cummins diesels in other brands! There are still plenty of Dmaxes out there but probably 90% of the Fords will have their Powerstrokes yanked and a Cummins in its place! Also, when I first started going to truck/tractor pulls back in the ’70s (gas engines only then), Dodge trucks dominated the truck classes because of their Hemi, so what happened? The rules were changed of course! Now there are a lot of Chevy and Ford trucks winning in the gas classes but most have copies of Chryslers Hemi!!! My point is, Chrysler doesn’t get enough credit for the great engines it uses in their products!
Jan 17, 2010 @ 11:26:51
Right On! trqlvr.
The Daytona 500 on February 14th! Can’t Wait!!!!!
“Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Let’s Go Racing, Boys!”
Dodge must think something of Nascar, they have a whole webpage dedicated to it.
Come on #2 Kurt Busch!!!!
Nascar has a huge fanbase, and is the fastest growing sport. So there must be alot of rednecks out there! Rednecks who love their racing! YeeeHaaa!
See you at the track!
Jan 17, 2010 @ 11:40:20
Hey RLD, here’s a suggestion. Could you include a blog on your motorsports
website (www.dodgemotorsports.com) so us mopar nascar motorsports enthusiasts can post some comments. Get ‘er done!
Jan 19, 2010 @ 11:42:18
Frankly, I really like watching NASCAR racing, sometimes. However, NASCAR cars have nothing to do w/ real cars, and the last NASCAR racer that even looked anything like the real car it represented, was actually the DODGE INTREPID R/T ! NASCAR cars are made to all be essentially the same, making winners out of the drivers, not the cars.
Anyone buying a car, based on which NASCAR car wins a race, or the most races, is foolish at best (or, pretty dumb, even for a redneck…), and probably far beyond any hope, in the common sense deopartment. There is simply NO relationship between any current NASCAR vehicle, and the manufacturers’ vehicle of the same name
BTW, look at history. NASCAR racing is only the fastest growing sport now, because it didn’t even exist before; when other sports were growing. And, then it took forever to grow, once it was introduced. Anything “newer,” will be “Faster growing,” than that which came before it, and has already grown. However, NASCAR is still no where near the largest, or most popular sport, by any measure. NASCAR has merely supplanted (and, nearly replaced) REAL auto racing (where the cars & the drivers both competed), because it is run as a huge commercial entertainment venture (by big business types) with the competitions themselves sponsored & paid for by NASCAR; as opposed to real racing, which was solely about the competion, and where only the best racers were sponsored by big money, not the races themselves.
I love Dodge’s place in racing history – and, their original race cars themselves – but, I see NASCAR advertising, for them, as preaching to the choir… to minds that are already made up, in most cases, and not going to change.
I think their advertising dollars would be better spent on other venues, and new customers. I hope the Super Bowl Challenger ads pay off for them.
Jan 19, 2010 @ 13:04:13
NASCAR would be better served to go back to its roots. The requirement shoud still be that you can purchase the exact car in the showroom on Monday after you saw it run on Sunday. Maybe sans the roll cage and other safety equipment, but other than that, it should be stock. isn’t that what the “S” stands for in NASCAR? I guess somehow over the years “stock” was replaced with “sports”. I think manufacturers would be more involved if racing actual stock cars were back. It would be fun to see Challengers, Chargers, Vipers, Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs, and the like out there. Wonder what Toyota would run then? Do they even sell a car with a V-8 in it?
Jan 19, 2010 @ 17:43:47
I agree with the Nascar comments. Its a circus for sure, I call it WWNascar. However, when you’re into motorsports, and you have to watch the majority of events on TV, then you got to roll with what you got. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to choose from. If there were a better straight forward racing league out there, and on TV, then I’d drop Nascircus like a net of wasps and run like the wind. As for the money part, its all about the money, man.
I just wish someone else would get a clue and start another competing racing league.
I’d like to see what would happen to Nascar then.
Jan 20, 2010 @ 02:42:20
Darkstar, I’m not sure if your comments were directed toward me or not because they clearly don’t reflect my position. But in case they are, I didn’t say that I based my car-buying on what brand of car won on the Nascar track. If I did that, I guess I’d have a garage full of Chevys! I simply enjoy Nascar more than any other sport and would appreciate being able to watch “representation” of my favorite brand on the track. Of course, I know that the cars used in Nascar are not at all like what we can buy in the showroom. Frankly, they’ve not been much like stock since about 1960. But they are out there representing our favorite brands, just like the NHRA Pro Stock Avengers and the Funny Car Chargers. They’re nothing like the ones you can buy in the showroom but still representing our favorite brand. When and if someone comes up with some better racing, I’ll watch it, but as of today, the best racing, in my opinion, is Nascar. And I would like for Dodge to step up to the plate and give some support to teams that are willing to run a representation of the Dodge brand out there that I can cheer for! Nascar is not the only sport that simply “represents” something that we can cheer for. Do you think all Green Bay Packer players are from Wisconsin? Do you think all Kentucky Wildcat basketball players are from Kentucky? You get my point? We just want someone or something out there participating in our favorite sport that “represents” our state or university or auto manufacturer. And anyone who doesn’t understand that is foolish at best, or pretty dumb, even for a redneck, and probably far beyond hope in the common-sense department! Because there is simply NO relationship between a guy from Louisiana, who played college ball in Tennessee, and now plays in Indianapolis to a true Hoosier! BUT if we’re an Indianapolis Colts fan, we don’t care if he’s a Hoosier or not; we’re just happy to see him out there representing our Colts!
Jan 20, 2010 @ 07:01:42
Amen trqlvr!
Jan 20, 2010 @ 12:41:10
Thanks for leaving great comments, guy. Interesting to hear your perspectives.
Jan 21, 2010 @ 13:45:31
This just in:
Dodge has expanded its partnership with Penske Racing, supporting entries in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series.
Since 2001, Dodge Motorsports has partnered with Penske Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Beginning in 2010, Dodge Motorsports will expand its involvement into the NASCAR Nationwide Series where it will provide support for two Penske Racing entries.
“Dodge’s firm commitment to stock car racing in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series is demonstrated by our performance-driven technology being developed alongside one of the premier racing programs in American motorsports history,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of Dodge Car Brand. “Penske Racing is an elite organization that shares the same passion for performance and racing as Dodge customers and the brand itself. This partnership creates a strong and targeted approach to our motorsports program in our quest to become champions of NASCAR.
“Motorsports is a significant part of Dodge’s legacy. NASCAR’s audience is an enthusiast’s audience and provides Dodge a platform to showcase the power and performance of the Dodge brand to our target customers where they live and play.”
Since 2001, Dodge teams have posted 45 wins in NASCAR’s premier series including the historic Daytona 500.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Three Penske Racing entries will lead Dodge Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010 led by 20-time winner Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger). Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, looks to build on an impressive 2009 campaign which saw the “Blue Deuce” visit victory lane twice while finishing fourth in the season driver’s standings – best in class for 2009. Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger) returns for his third year, joining Brad Keselowski (No. 12 Dodge Charger) who enters his first full season with Penske Racing after running the final four races in the No. 12 Dodge Charger.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Dodge Motorsports will look to 2009 Rookie of the Year winner Justin Allgaier (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger) and four-time Nationwide Series event winner Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger) to lead a two-team Penske Racing entry with both running the full Nationwide Series schedule. This will mark the first time that Dodge will be involved in the Nationwide Series at the corporate level since returning to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2001.
The Dodge Challenger will be used at the four “New Car” races designated by NASCAR for 2010, starting at Daytona in July. At the other 31 events that complete the 35-race season, Penske Racing will field Dodge Chargers as it did during the 2009 season.
Jan 22, 2010 @ 00:02:23
That’s a good start, but as a Nascar fan, I’d like to see more. I hope Penske will go after Kasey Kahne for 2011 and put him in a 4th Penske Cup car. I’d like to see them offer support to someone in the Camping World Truck series. I am pleased with the increased effort in the Nationwide series though. It’ll be good to see the Challenger in the Nationwide series.
Jan 22, 2010 @ 16:10:22
Can’t wait to see the new Challenger on the track. It looks pretty sweet.
I hope Penske/Dodge will pick up Kahne for 2011. That would be a great racing team.
Thanks RLD for the effort.
Jan 26, 2010 @ 11:06:32
trqlvr and HEMIhead, thanks for the comments! We’re excited, too.
Jan 26, 2010 @ 20:05:59
HEMIhead: Thanks for all of your comments. http://www.dodgemotorsports.com is an independent site not affiliated with Chrysler, so your request for a blog there would have to be directed to them…
Jan 27, 2010 @ 07:18:01
Sorry,RLD, my bad. What I meant to say was, could you please include a blog on “Your”
motorsports website: http://www.dodge.com/en/motorsports. So then us Dodge motorsports enthusiasts could have a place to discuss Dodge racing.
Thanks.
Apr 26, 2012 @ 10:10:13
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