Intrepidation

This is a classic case of "no $h! Sherlock". Obviously when a larger object hits a smaller object, the larger object will always fair better. Now they're going to want small cars to be as "safe" as large cars, so they'll weigh about as much as a large car, and get the same fuel economy as a result.

Fixed the link, so you can bare witness to the EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!

In news that will doubtlessly result in a chorus of "We told you so" forehead-slaps from critics who noted the arrival of the Pontiac G3 with disdain, word is that General Motors has a bumper crop of the Korean-built subcompacts sitting on its lots. How many? According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly a two-year supply at current sales rates. In the course of doing some research, writer Neal Boudette discovered that GM has 3,479 unsold G3 units clogging up its dealers and vacant lots. Combined with the knowledge that dealers sold just 141 units of the car in March (or one unit for every 19 of GM's 2,700 Pontiac stores), that means that GM has a supply of these Chevrolet Aveo5 twins that will last them 617 days, meaning that if the automaker stopped building new units, they would still have a supply that would last them until December 16, 2010. In all fairness, the G3 just came to market in February, and it often takes some time for a new model to take hold. It could well be that GM is planning a big marketing push for the car, but we've seen no evidence of this thus far, and in these cash-strapped days, it would appear that the General probably has bigger-margin fish to fry. Autoblog

Well you know, the rental has already been bought and paid for. So the "damage" is done. Whether you rent it or not won't make a difference to the automakers.

Ah, thread necromancing. Taking after Satty are we?

I have at least some respect the Equus...I have none for the DTS.

When he can't find a coherent, on topic thing to bash a Honda or other vehicle for...he just starts pulling stuff out of his ass.

I agree.

I liked Phoenix...it sounded cool and was very fitting. However this name is fine too. I hope there's an actual Pentastar on the engine covers.

Nice guys finish last dave.

Remind me never to ride with you guys...your curse is worse than mine.

50's to 60's here...but that's good enough for me! No rain either for once.

I see... The rear bumper is the biggest offender, as there's a gap big enough to stick your finder in. The hood doesn't sit level with the fender, and the front bumper on that same side has a habit of popping out slightly from under the headlight. pushing it back in only lasts for like, a day.

Well I feel that I don't have enough income to be able to do that reliably...when I do then I will consider it.

I agree...looks like nothing more than another vehicle grazing it. Quite impressive. Tough call, but in our family's case the accidents were the fault of the other person.

Your family has issues keeping vehicles in one piece!

I doubt I can do the sanding myself...well I probably could but I don't know if I want to. However I can de-trim it. Yes, Chrysler's emblems are silly expensive. I remember the dealer telling me the hood emblem was $20. As much as I do like the "D O D G E" letters on the sides...they're notorious for peeling. Instead I may just put a Dodge emblem on the fender's like how the 300M's emblems are done. What about re aligning panels? Do they just do that as part of the paint process?

I agree...as much as I like it I think the resale vcalue is just too high to pass up. I like this one by MOMO...seems tasteful.

Yep...this is supposed to be Chrysler's crown jewel...and just maybe their ace in the hole.

What, no one remembered the 2.7?

I just finished and filed them today...so yay me.

While the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee wowed the crowds in New York, what lies beneath could be a key to Chrysler's recovery. The new 3.6-liter V6, called Pentastar after the company's five-pointed-star logo, replaces seven – count 'em, seven – of Chrysler's aging engines, and stands as the outcome of several years of development. The all-aluminum DOHC Pentastar V6, as applied in the new Jeep, offers a 33% increase in power and 11% improvement in the torque department over the engine it replaces, for a husky 280 horsepower and 260 lb-ft -- all while returning 11% better fuel economy and helping Chrysler trim its overall, range-wide CAFE emissions by two miles per gallon by 2015. But the key to the engine's success could be its flexibility: not only is it designed as a flex-fuel engine, burning either gasoline or E85 ethanol with no effect on either output or emissions (no mean feat in and of itself), but the new Pentastar will find its way into a wide variety of vehicles, including Chryslers, Dodges and Jeeps, but also Alfa Romeos. That ought to serve as an extra bargaining chip in the vital negotiations between Chrysler LLC and the Fiat Group. Under the pending reciprocal arrangement between Detroit and Turin, the Pentastar could end up motivating several new Alfas, including the replacements to the 159 and Brera, to name just two, while Chrysler reaps the rewards in the form of Fiat Powertrain Technologies' advanced fours. Follow the jump to read more about the new Pentastar V6 in the press release and click the image on the right for a high-res pic. Autoblog PRESS RELEASE Chrysler LLC Introduces All-new Pentastar V-6 Engine Refined, more fuel-efficient V-6 engine to debut in all-new 2011 Jeep® Grand Cherokee The all-new Pentastar V-6 is the most advanced six-cylinder engine in the history of Chrysler, with an ideal integration of select technologies that deliver refinement, fuel efficiency and performance All-new flexible-fuel 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 to replace seven current V-6 engines, resulting in flexibility, efficient operations and significant cost savings to the company New Chrysler Pentastar V-6 to deliver fuel efficiency improvement of up to 8 percent on average compared with previous Chrysler V-6 engines New Pentastar V-6 will contribute a 2 mpg increase to Chrysler's CAFE by 2015 New York, Apr 8, 2009 - Chrysler LLC introduced today an all-new line of V-6 engines that will improve fuel efficiency across the Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge lineup by 8 percent on average compared with previous Chrysler V-6 engines. This more refined and fuel-efficient V-6 engine will ultimately replace seven current Chrysler V-6 engines. The new 3.6-liter V-6 engine-named Pentastar-is part of the company's overall $3 billion powertrain offensive. It will first be offered in the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, unveiled today at the New York International Auto Show and at the Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. "Chrysler's all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine will offer our customers improved fuel economy, refinement and increased performance across the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicle lineup," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President-Product Development, Chrysler LLC. "At the same time, replacing seven current engines with one engine will result in increased flexibility, more efficient operations and significant cost savings to the company." The Pentastar is an all-new design, featuring double-overhead camshafts (DOHC) and a high-pressure die-cast aluminum cylinder block in a 60-degree configuration. In the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine will deliver 280 horsepower (209 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 260 lb.-ft. (353 N•m) of torque at 4,800 rpm-an increase of 33 percent in horsepower and 11 percent in torque over its predecessor-while providing an 11 percent fuel economy improvement. "The all-new Pentastar is the most advanced six-cylinder engine Chrysler has ever offered," said Bob Lee, Vice President-Powertrain Product Team. "This new family of engines uses an architecture conceived with future technology growth and integration in mind." The new Pentastar V-6 also will contribute a 2 mpg increase to Chrysler's CAFE by 2015, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and a reduction in oil dependence. Customers Benefit: Fuel Efficiency, Refinement, Quality, Low Cost of Ownership During the initial goal setting for the Pentastar program, Chrysler engineers benchmarked the industry's leading engines to set functional targets. The result is an all-new engine that delivers truly world-class customer attributes. Chrysler's all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine design features a double-overhead cam (DOHC), narrow included valve angle, cylinder head and high-flow intake and exhaust ports. This design, combined with dual independent cam phasing, allows optimum volumetric and combustion efficiency over the full speed and load range, resulting in an exceptional, flat torque curve along with high specific power-the engine's torque exceeds 90 percent of its peak value from 1,600 to 6,400 rpm-which will provide customers with outstanding drivability and responsiveness, without the need for premium fuel. "Similar to what we did with the HEMI® engine, our engineers used the best combination of design features and technologies to create an engine that satisfies customer requirements," Lee added. "The elegantly simple design maximizes the functionality of each design element rather than adding technology to claim a feature. The result gives our customers everything they demand from an engine today-class-leading levels of refinement, fuel-efficiency, performance and cost of ownership." The advanced oil filter system eliminates oil spills and contains an incinerable filter element-more efficient disposal than the typical spin-on filters, which are disposed of in landfill sites. The use of long-life spark plugs and a high-energy coil-on-plug ignition system also helps to reduce cost of ownership. The Pentastar V-6 is designed to run on regular gasoline, offering a 10 percent reduction in fuel cost compared with premium fueled engines. The engine also is fully flex fuel capable, offering consumers the choice of gasoline or E85 fuel without any degradation in performance or emissions. The new state-of-the-art Trenton (Mich.) Engine South Plant will be the lead facility for production of the Pentastar V-6 engine. A duplicate, new facility in Saltillo, Mexico, will ramp up for the 2012 model year. All-new Chrysler 3.6-liter, DOHC, 24-valve Pentastar V-6 Technical Specifications Displacement: 3.6 liters Bore x stroke: 96 x 83 mm Valve train system: Double-overhead cam with roller finger followers and hydraulic lash adjusters. Dual independent cam-torque actuated phasers Fuel injection: Multi-point port fuel injection Construction: High-pressure die-cast aluminum cylinder block and semi-permanent mold aluminum cylinder head Maximum engine speed: 7200 rpm Fuel requirement: E85 (Ethanol) or unleaded regular, 87 octane (R+M)/2 Emission capability: PZEV

So, I may have located a potential donor from one of the junkyards. It's a `01 300M with 107,000 miles on it. It was in a front end collision which damaged teh radiator but doesn't appear to have damaged the engine. They started it up for me, and it sounded good...but I need to hear what one in top running order sounds liek to I can compare. I'm going to go back tomorrow and have them do a compression test. If it checks out, they're willing to sell me it, the brain, wiring harness, and accessories and such for about $900 The same car also had chrome window switches, which I took out but forgot my debit card at home so I have to get them tomorrow. They should brighten up the cabin nicely. I discovered something really cool (to me). For one year only (2001) there was a special edition 300M that featured a shift knob with a chrome insert. I think it looks fantastic. However they only made this edition 300M for a few months and it is the only car to have it. Needless to say it's highly sought after. There's only one on eBay. The chrome is scratched up and the leather is worn but it's current bid is $193 with three days left!

I won't buy anything unless I know I have the actual money for it.

Yeah, but you gave up.