Chrysler's new Hornet

Unknown

Unfortunately this is not an April's fool joke. Chrysler may be planning to use the Hornet name on a cheap Chinese econobox. A sad day.





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Alysha Webb | Automotive News / April 2, 2007 - 1:00 am





SHANGHAI -- The Dodge Hornet is the front-runner to be the first car assembled by Chery Automobile Co. for Chrysler group dealerships in the United States, say supplier sources and sources at Chery.



A production version of the Hornet concept "is fixed, but no final contract has been signed," says an executive at a European company supplying Chery.



Chrysler has not revealed the brand of the Chery-made car or when it will go on sale in the United States.



In addition, Chery will design and assemble for Chrysler a small car for export to markets such as South America, Mexico and possibly Europe, the sources say.



The model, called the S12 at Chery, resembles the QQ model sold by Chery in China. It is about the size of a Mini.



The model will first go on sale this year in China, Chery managers say.



Originally, Chery and Chrysler had planned to begin producing a version of the S12 car for export in 2008. But the potential sale of the Chrysler group has thrown off that timeline, sources say.



Says the executive at the European supplier: "I think Chery is waiting to see what happens with Chrysler."





Bill Kimley

www.SeahorseYachts.com

Zhuhai, China

Cell: 86 1370 231 8640

Fax: 86 756 550 2150

Aaron D. IL

That thing is so ugly looks like a cash register with its' front punched in on wheels. Guess everyone's Email pleas not to use the Hornet name fell on deaf ears.

[Deleted User]

It's just a name, boys and girls, it's just a name!

Unknown

I heard it's fun to drive.

MikeWA

I suppose when gas hits 5 bucks we'll all be driving around in those unfortunate little things. But maybe we can prevail on someone to produce an econobox thats just a tad less repulsive.

Aaron D. IL

Yeahhhhhh but a name used to mean something. Now it's just a brand. Like Chryseler's "HEMI" (TM) which does not actually feature a hemi-sphereical combustion chamber, it's just a marketing designation but people are not buying what they might think they're buying. One more example of our disposable plastic society.

Unknown

Aaron D. IL wrote:

Yeahhhhhh but a name used to mean something. Now it's just a brand. Like Chryseler's "HEMI" (TM) which does not actually feature a hemi-sphereical combustion chamber, it's just a marketing designation but people are not buying what they might think they're buying. One more example of our disposable plastic society.

WRONG.....



I don't know where you got this information from, but the new hemi, in fact, does have a hemispherical combustion chamber. A quick google search will easily prove this.



or... take a look here....



Hemi head or not? you decide....



even my 2.0L motor in my neon (which is now gone) was a HEMI, so to speak, it had a hemispherical combustion chamber, 4 valves per cylinder, made polishing and smoothing of the chamber a bit tough...

hornet53

hudsonkid wrote:

even my 2.0L motor in my neon (which is now gone) was a HEMI, so to speak, it had a hemispherical combustion chamber, 4 valves per cylinder, made polishing and smoothing of the chamber a bit tough...

GM's Quad Four was a hemi design also. Possibly now called the Ecotek.

Unknown

hornet53 wrote:

GM's Quad Four was a hemi design also. Possibly now called the Ecotek.

that's cool Quad 4's didn't get the respect they ever deserved. IMHO. too early perhaps?

hornet53

The ignition system is what scared some of the guys I know. LOTS 'O' VOLTS! Not easy to do repairs to, head gaskets, timing belts and the like.

Unknown

As if Chrysler doesn't have enough problems selling what it makes. :rolleyes:

Unknown

I always wonder where the negative figures come from on Chryslers sales. It seems to me that being that they sell 50% of all minivans, are 3rd in sales of trucks and sell a bunch of the 300 and charger models, at least here in Iowa. Jeep is a real big seller and has been for years, Remember Mercedes originally was going to disband Chrysler and only use their facilities, and now they a apparently trying to do whatever now.

Aaron D. IL

hudsonkid wrote:

WRONG.....

I don't know where you got this information from, but the new hemi, in fact, does have a hemispherical combustion chamber. A quick google search will easily prove this.

or... take a look here....

Hemi head or not? you decide....

even my 2.0L motor in my neon (which is now gone) was a HEMI, so to speak, it had a hemispherical combustion chamber, 4 valves per cylinder, made polishing and smoothing of the chamber a bit tough...

I'm not trying to get confrontational with ya Kid but your article doesn't contradict what I said at all

"Cylinder Head
The advantage of a hemi design of combustion chamber is that the valves (and most importantly the intake valve) are always moving away from the shrouding effect of the cylinder walls (Fig 2) as they lift off the seats. However, the new hemi is not actually a true hemi as per its 426-inch predecessor. The hemi style of combustion chamber was put to good use during WWII when the output of supercharged aero engines could basically decide the fate of nations. For a two-valve combustion chamber, the hemi layout not only allows the largest valves to be accommodated but also to have the highest flow efficiency. The downside of a true Hemi configuration is that it does not respond well to a high compression ratio that inevitably requires a combustion-inhibiting, high-domed piston. For an engine with a typical bore/stroke ratio, this means it works great with a supercharger and CRs less than 8.5:1, but not as a normally-aspirated unit with 10:1 or more. To get around this problem the new Hemi has the sides of the true hemi form filled in. With the two spark plugs it is equipped with, this allows all the advantages of a true hemi, including blower capability, along with the ability, if required, to successful utilize high compression ratios."

People who buy a HEMI are not buying a hemi-spherical combustion chamber.

[Deleted User]

The new "Hemi" head Chrysler engines are actually a polyspherical-chambered head, just like the C/P/D/DeS engines from 1956-1966 (1967 in Canada), the last Poly engine being a A-block 318 last used in the US in cars and trucks in 1966.



My nephew is a design engineer for Chrysler. He knows, trust me! They are definitely NOT a true Hemi engine. They are a Poly engine.

Unknown

tombia wrote:

I always wonder where the negative figures come from on Chryslers sales. It seems to me that being that they sell 50% of all minivans, are 3rd in sales of trucks and sell a bunch of the 300 and charger models, at least here in Iowa. Jeep is a real big seller and has been for years, Remember Mercedes originally was going to disband Chrysler and only use their facilities, and now they a apparently trying to do whatever now.

Take a peek at Forbes, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, Wards, etc. It's not about the volume of vehicles produced, it's about the profits. If Chrysler were making money, the company wouldn't be up for sale. In looking through the weekend addition of a Chicago paper, I found it concerning that only two (2) ads were for American car brands. Everything else was foreign. Not to get political or personal, but it never ceases to amaze me that so many elderly people who claimed to have been persecuted in Europe during WWII drive German built cars. By the same token, seeing old vets cruising to the VFW halls in their Korean and Japanese built cars just doesn't click.

Geoff

Hey, how long before they re-introduce the "Power dome"????

[Deleted User]

Geoff C., N.Z. wrote:

Hey, how long before they re-introduce the "Power dome"????

Hey Geoff isn't that the moniker for that Dieter guy who runs DaimlerChrysler?

Unknown

Dave53-7C wrote:

Take a peek at Forbes, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, Wards, etc. It's not about the volume of vehicles produced, it's about the profits. If Chrysler were making money, the company wouldn't be up for sale. In looking through the weekend addition of a Chicago paper, I found it concerning that only two (2) ads were for American car brands. Everything else was foreign. Not to get political or personal, but it never ceases to amaze me that so many elderly people who claimed to have been persecuted in Europe during WWII drive German built cars. By the same token, seeing old vets cruising to the VFW halls in their Korean and Japanese built cars just doesn't click.

I have to agree with you on that. I guess that at 68 I could be considered elderly?, But I dont act like it and drive a Dodge and a Jeep.

Unknown

tombia wrote:

I have to agree with you on that. I guess that at 68 I could be considered elderly?, But I dont act like it and drive a Dodge and a Jeep.

When you consider the alternative, I wouldn't worry about 68 being elderly. Rather, I'd be busy enjoying tax breaks, senior discounts and retirement.



In todays news, Toyota is shaking in their boots about a backlash from Americans regarding the problems our car manufactures are having. Although it's true that some American vehicles are produced in other countries, the parent companies are American and most of the profits stay here. However, Toyota is not responsible for what has happened. They simply came along a filled a need. As I see it, nobody stays on top forever and Totota, along with other foreign manufacturers, will eventually stumble and fall.



Let's drive what we like and let the respective manufacturers work out their problems. If American manufacturers want the answer, they should look back so they can see forward. Case in point is carrying over body styles for 10 years. What consumer can get excited about buying a new vehicle whose design is years old? Simply changing colors and adding some new electronics isn't cutting it anymore. People want new and exciting designs. In other words, the WOW factor.