Do You Think This Could Happen? Jim Press Says Chrysler May Emerge As A Competitor To BMW

Hahaha...where's the proof?

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This guy appears to be a marketing wiz who may have been enticed to join the firm with the title of co-president because of his positive attitude toward virtually impossible corporate dreams. I take issue with his comparison of the Dodge Ram to a hypothetical Mercedes pickup truck. All but the S-class Mercedes vehicles have overly firm seats which means that if Mercedes built a pickup truck, the driver's butt would get sore in no time or, if they put proper seats in it, it would be a $100K truck. Dream on Chrysler!

Kind of reminds you of that guy on Iraqi TV that kept saying they were winning the war as US tanks were literally invading Bagdad!

It would take decades of great planning and execution since perception is built or destroyed over many years.

Unfortunately in Chrysler's case, it was destroyed.

Then again, anything is possible??(what a cliche)

Personally I would love to see it. For Chrysler to build quality equal or better than bmw would be easy. bmw is just a poc from europe anyway. None of u on this site have any clue of what chrysler has done and r doing. Its evident in your responses You talk about dodge using benz diesels when the cummins is far superior. Go where truck are really used and u will find a majority of Dodge with cummins. The viper is a bitchen car and i cant think of many other cars that can beat it. And all u talk about when driving a chrysler vehicle is rentals and every rental i have ever driven no matter what brand has been beat up. American cars rule!!!!

that looooooooong laff is to COVER UP the space of my deleted post, and the one that prompted it. both referring to quality (specifically lack thereof). autospies HEAVILY CENSORS any references to eurocars having no better quality than detroit.

They should really set the goal higher than just bmw or merc

LOL!!!

"Cocaine is a Hell'of'a drug" (q: Rick James)

Cocaine is more of a stimulant.

Judging by the way this person is speaking…clearly exhibiting a very distorted perception of time, motion, colors, sound and self, I would say it’s closer to LSD. Hallucinogens can disrupt a person’s ability to recognize reality and often result in very bizarre behaviour. This is exhibit A.

hahaha... nice chappelle reference njsidekick... thx for your technical explanation weaponX but you didn't seem to get the allusion to the joke... as for chrysler and BMW being in competition... good luck, there haven't been any capable products as of yet to compete against BMW. seems like a far stretch of imagination.

If there's one company in America that can build high-craftsmanship, innovative vehicles, it's Chrysler."

Really, so the Neon is like the 3-Series. They must be putting his meds into his eggnog this year.

Hmmm the Neon is dead for what like 3 years. I don't necessarily agree with this statement but if you want to call BS then at least use current facts.

Funny thing, but the Neon did just stop production 3 years ago, and already I don't see any on the road anymore ... not one! Amazing quality there.

"We Could be ... of America". It's just marketing statement to sell the company. The clock is ticking, and only 3 months left.

True, but there isn't enough time for that. I think about 6 months is all they have. What you suggests takes 20yrs or more.

Pffft hahahahaha. Chrysler challenging BMW is like a child in a vegetative state against a sports athlete. When was the last time Chrysler made a desirable vehicle? I cant remember.

Dodge Viper,
300C
Minivan
Ram
Challenger

If you have not noticed BMW does not makes vans or trucks for the consumer. The Challenger is slow and will always be slow. 300C appears to be using air bags near its limit. Why would a person want a Dodge viper when a M3 is the better buy.

An M3 is no Viper.

Bmw8ter very true but the fact is the best thing they have is the viper and even then its not good.

vipers don't come with superchargers or even turbos

Why would dodge need that when there is an underpowered 8.4litre V10 engine under the hood? Its quite oxymoron if you really think about it an underpowered engine in a car that is classified as a sports car.

i agree with the fact that the viper is a cheap piece of sh*t... let's come up with something innovative... and i'm tired of hearing "there's no replacement for displacement"... get with the times

First Chrysler would have to switch from using sheet metal screws to bolts! Sound like this boasting is aimed at a know nothing Congress.

finally jock of the year 2008

First Hyundai and now Chrysler? Who's next? Subaru? That Forrester sure looks like an X5 killer if I've ever seen one.

Hyundai actually made a respectable car, not planning to waste tax dollars ( Chrysler ) to try to be something as good as a BMW or just plain boasting. Subaru would have a chance but they do not compete in that market. I would like the Subaru Forester sti in the states but they only sell in Japan.

This is the automotive equivalent of John Stewart's "Moment of Zen".

If Nissan were to acquire Chrysler, I could imagine a high end Infiniti Fifth Avenue flagship saloon.

The VQ-powered Infiniti Fifth Avenue sedan would be a worthy challenger to the dreadful 7-series/A8/LS/S segment.

"A Competitor To BMW" in the "my designs are uglier than yours" contest?

Here BMW would win hands down! No one could possibly make uglier cars.

this is not funny at all.... just not funny... not even for an april fools joke would it be

Why weren't they thinking this way or aiming for this a year ago, five years ago?

If he's serious, doesn't that say a lot about the company that they are only having these "breakthrough" ideas as the company is limping on its last legs?

Coulda woulda shoulda...

This is ridiculous

Once a crook will always be a crook. Do these people have any shame? For how long are they going to be lying and fooling people? I feel bad for those people who fall for their words. So sad America, so sad baby to be ran by crooks.

This is a tragic reminder of how isolated and out of touch Detroit has become, and is a strong reminder why so many oppose getting out the checkbook for them. Can you imagine how much money would be wasted trying to turn a bankrupt, low esteem brand into a premium brand against strong and well defined competitors. Let it die. Now.

'We could be the Huffy Bike of the automotive industry'

I really hope that Chrysler, GM and Ford get back on track and that this financial crisis is over soon, but come on Jim - competition to BMW!

What next? Lexus saying that they can compete with Rolls Royce.

Sure, Chrysler can put premium features in their cars, but they can't suddenly start rivaling top-notch German engineering.

I totally agree with him when he says: "GM and Ford are making basic cars and 'gingerbreading' them up to premium." Not only GM and Ford are doing that, but Hyundai is now doing it and Toyota has been doing it for ages. Just because a car has leather seats it doesn't mean its a luxury car.

Did somebody check Mr. Press for ketamine when he made this statement?

I have fond early-childhood memories of Chrysler products in the late 1950s - I loved those hemi engines, torsion-bar suspensions, push-button automatic transmissions, low bodies, tall greenhouses, and big tailfins, especially on the Chrysler and Imperial models. Chrysler Corporation was the undisputed engineering, styling and performance leader of the Big Three back then. Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

Do us all a favor, Mr. Press. Kick the "Special-K" habit, face the music, file for Chapter 11, and start all over again. Maybe the new Chrysler rising from the ashes of the old company will regain its lost prominence.

not only is this guy smoking some truly good sh*t, but i think he actually believes his own b.s., that is why they are in the trouble they are in...

i've recently owned a chrysler for a brief second and this this was pure trash. there were rattles and creeks coming from everywhere. transmission problem at 38K miles. glue from under the door leaked onto the door sill in warm weather. i can go on for days but why? chrysler should push to compete with the new hyundais before thinking about a real "luxury" brand.

sounds like bs to me

LOL.......That is a good Jim, please pass me whatever you're Smokin bro!

He betray Lexus and now he's talking crazy, Jim you're at Chrysler now NOT Lexus head quarter, LOL....

motor1,

so what exactly make a luxuray car a luxury car? last I remember the founder of Lambo made tractor before he went into making his super luxury/exotic sportcars.

Well actually, the owner of Lamborghini had a Ferrari and one day it had a fault so he decided to go to Maranello to speak with Enzo Ferrari. Lamborghini took offence to what Enzo Ferrari said to him so he decided to create his own supercar brand.

I've been a long time reader, but never felt the need to comment. This is complete BS imho. When i was looking to get rid of my Z, i looked into the 300c. from the outside it looked great, but the interior was so cheap. I decided to hold on the to the Z. As far as Material quality, i remember getting into a malibu and thinking "oh crap, i can't believe this is an american car interior". I said the same about the CTS, I've never said that about a chrysler.

Hmmm, a challenge to BMW using Mercedes parts from a SLK and E-class ago from like two generations ago?

Gimme a break- Press left Toyota because he knew how ridiculous the salaries for The Big 3 were. He could care less about Chrysler's future etc.... As long as he has a HUGE golden parachute he's happy....

ya'll see that!
That thar is what happens when you go givin' crack cocaine to them new-fangled "co-presidents".
Billy, go git that old Unimog out from the barn.
Lets show them city slickers that Mercedes DOES build a pickup truck, and it'll whupp anything built in detroit and flatten it into the ground like a Coors can under a tractor tire!

ha ha ha infinitely............... <echoing down the hall>

I am sorry <ha ha ha> but.....<can't stop laughing> the big threes themselves are rotted to the core. There is no value, belief, vision, philosophy left in these companies. My only expectation for them is to do themselves a favor and try not to drag everyone in U.S. into this money pit they are in right now.

I'd like to know what brand of paint thinner he's sniffing.

Well if your going to dream, why not dream big! Maybe if they did a Lexus and launched a new brand. But Chrysler, like Hyuandai would have to improve their image first. If they created another brand, it would probably just compete with itself.

I think Chrysler should have always been upscale going up against Cadillac and maybe the Lexus ES. Dodge should have taken care of the lower end market.

Why is BMW going bankrupt too?

Well, they could, with products like the Challenger and Viper.

But not if they keep giving up like they did with Imperial.

Maybe if Chrysler Embraces Diesel, Stick Shift and Dual Clutch Gearboxes.

The Chrysler 300 is a Joke, not a Flagship sedan. I know, I drive one 200-300 Miles per day. I nap at rest stops in it, I try to hang my suits off the hook in the rear seat.

Every Chrysler I've owned has had big time electrical problems. They use the cheapest components everywhere.

Why then would I be exicted about buying an Electric powered Chrysler?

If Chrysler is on the Brink, shelling money out for R&D on Battery and Electrical Technology isn't the smart way to go.

Go Diesel now, because it is:

Cheap to fit to existing cars
A proven Technology
Low maintenence
Durable
Less Warranty Cost Issues.
NO R&D Required.

Chrysler was doing well and made nice cars until the 1978 Energy Crisis. That was the start of thier problems.

Iacoca gave the company a stay of Execution with the return of the Convertible and Mini-Van.

Turning thier back on Quality, Overnight the Company built Fuel-efficient econo-boxes built on cheap platforms. The 80s Lebaron, K-Car, Intrepid were efficient cars, but were built like consumer junk.

Chrysler isn't falling becasue of this new energy crisis, they have been falling with decreasing quality since new management in 1980.

The 70s Cordoba was like a movie star car, Chrome door hanles made of real metal, Chrome bumpers, Woodgrain doors and Dashboards.

GM did the same, Look at a 60s or 70s Riviera compared to a 08 Saturn. Everything built today is built of the disposable idea.

High Quality Metal Parts started disappearing due to the CAFE standards. These companies took the low and dirty road to meeting those standards by reducing weight with plastic junk.

Insted, they should have spent the R&D money on more efficient engine technologies and better gearboxes.

MercuryGuy: they were supposed to get a Benz diesel to replace Cummins in the trucks, saving a lot of cost (since it was in-house at the time) but I think that fell through.

But if they dropped a 2.5 or 3.0 liter Benz CDI into the RAM they'd have a solid work truck that may not be the fastest, but would be reliable and insanely economical to operate.

Too bad the rest of the truck wouldn't last 1/2 as long as the engine!

I agree.

I remember the Diamler Joint Venture, and I rember the first thing I said, "now Chrysler will get those High Quality German Diesels. The Best Engines and Machinists in the world will surley turn Chrysler around this time."

I to, was disappointed in Chrysler not using German diesels.

At the time, I really thought Caddy and Lincoln was in big trouble, and that People would be buing big Chrysler Flagships with impressive German Engines with a Chrysler Cash Back Rebate to sweeten the deal further.

I guess Management had other, cost-cutting ideas insted. How the obvios eludes us.

This is precisely the kind of talk that pisses me off about American auto companies. What kind of nonsense is this? There is no way Chrysler can even come close to either Merc or BMW in terms of engineering or quality. Just because Chrysler borrowed parts from the Merc bin during the Zetsche days doesn't make it a Merc. More marketing spin from a vision less company.

It's time for good ol' Jimmy to stop mixing the cocaine and heroin in one shot...a statement like this should have been said back when Daimler picked up on this p.o.s. brand called Chrysler. And even then they struggled, beating up, neglected, and abused. Too the point that Chryslers execs are walking around with the tails between their legs and even up their asses, even till this day! Any car company can make a "very luxurious ride" and of coarse it takes time...but for as long as Chrysler has been in the game...well Jim Press...that statement is a day too late...time for you to go into "INTERNVENTION!!!"...LMAO!!!

Where do you get off calling chrysler o pos. Diamler fired all the exec that had chrysler on the right track and put dieter in charge. Diamler is the reason Chrysler is struggling. To say that chrysler will build a car to be better than bmw or merc is giving bmw and merc to much credit.

And I have to add since knowing he left a jauggernaut company called Toyota for Chrysler to beg for change in the Congress...wow as that sayin goes instead "Rags to Riches"...now from "Riches to Rags"...LMAO!!!

This guy gives Detroit a bad name. All the good PR in the world (like 41 mpg Fusions) won't make most people want to help such an obvious a-hole.

GM and Ford need to buy this guys contract just to keep him away from the media. He makes Lutz look sane.

Maybe Jim Press knows somthing we don't.Maybe Tata Motors will buy them from Cerberus. It looks like they are on the verge of merging with Fiat. Who knows.

But Tata has trouble itself.

That's funny, but there's some truth in that!

1-series vs. neons!!! bring 'em on!

Sounds like Press has been hitting the pipe.......

the PT Cruser has not been discontinued just the convertable. fyi

If Mr Press wants to compete with BMW, the first thing Mr Press should do is recruit the young Messers VanBootydonk and Bangle. If for no other reason than to make sure they don't screw up another BMW design in my lifetime.