Dodge's angry, honey-I-shrunk-the-truck Scion-killer is apparently a go. And, despite some reservations, Chrysler has commissioned Chery to build it as part of Chrysler's three-year, $3 billion product renewal plan.

It's of course too early to tell what exactly the production model will have in store, but the concept sported a 170 hp supercharged four-cylinder, putting it placing it just below a GTI in size and performance. I don't know about everyone else, but this is a concept that I think would be a perfect addition to the already quite competitive B-segment just the way it is. Wishful thinking, I know, and maybe even irrelevant thinking, since the car will probably be sold exclusively over the pond. Unless you think Chrysler and its three new heads are smart... hmmm....

[Source: AutoBlog]

Micro cars are the hot new(ish) segment across the pond right now, and any mass-market car company that isn't in on the business should be. Recall that Chrysler is having talks with Chinese automaker Chery to collaborate on a new car for said segment, focusing on the Hornet concept as a particular possibility (wouldn't that be nice?). However, especially considering the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus, an alliance is now not looking like a very good idea, says James B. Treece, the Asia Editor of Automotive News.

Treece says that reasons for this include Chery potentially taking all kinds of resources from Chrysler (such as capital invested in new projects and dealer resources, advisers on assembly methods, safety regulations and quality standards, and of course, time), then turning around and screwing Chrysler by becoming a competitor. Neither Chrysler nor the other domestic automakers needs another competitor.

Chery is likely to make higher demands on a partnership anyway as part of their haggling negotiations now that Chrysler has changed hands. It would be best at this point to just cut ties and let the Chinese automaker figure out the U.S. market on their own. Read the Automotive News article (subscription required) by clicking the 'Read' link.

[Source: Automotive News]

I'll admit that this is old news, but it's the first I had heard of it, so I'll share my findings. I try hard not to disturb the insects and various creatures in my own yard, my dogs sometimes snap at them, though. I almost never use a spray killer, unless someone is coming over who is allergic and we plan to be outside. But, I think that if some yellow-jackets tried to take over my car, I'd draw the line. Henry Coker, of Tallahassee, Alabama, didn't; and take over his car they did!

What started as a "spare tire" sized nest had grown to span the car's entire interior in a matter of six weeks. A normal sized hornets nest contains about 3000 workers and a single queen, and are about the size of a basketball. This nest is slightly bigger than that.

Experts, such as Charles Ray of Auburn University, believe that higher than normal temperatures in the winter months are contributing to the large nests, of which sixty were found in Alabama last year. Does this mean that Al Gore will need another slide in the Documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" that shows the increasing hornet population?

[Source: Popular Science]

I'm not too sure of the actual relationship between Iliya Bridan's squeezy Moodif design concept, and the Peugeot motor company, but its an interesting idea either way. Perhaps Iliya chose to brand his creation as a Peugeot because they're more likely than anyone to make a vehicle with these looks?

While still well in the realms of computer generated models, the Moodif is said to be created and inspired with future technologies and benefits in mind. The main design element of this futuristic hornet-esque design is the central flexible, rubber-clad shaft that can be stretched or contracted by 88 centimeters / 34 inches to aid the driver in squeezing into tight parking spaces. This same mechanism also allows the front of the vehicle to swivel up to 18.5 degrees for more manoeuvrability.

Visually, the rear of the car is like one large rubber bumper with a fake exhaust pipe positioned in the centre emitting only water as this concept is apparently a hydrogen hybrid.

[More photos after the jump]

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[Source: Yanko Design via HybridCarNews]

It looks like Chery may be very close to finalizing a deal to build the B-Class Hornet for Chrysler. Daimler-Chrysler has repeatedly told analysts that they will have a deal to build the Hornet in place by the end of 2006. They definitely need a car like like the Hornet quickly, as the smallest car they currently offer is the Caliber, which is selling well but cannot compete with the likes of the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris.

According to Automotive News, Malcolm Bricklin of Yugo (and on a more positive note Subaru) infamy, is actually pleased about the possibility of a deal between Chery and Chrysler. Bricklin announced his plans to import Chery vehicles to the US market under the Visionary Vehicles banner a couple of years ago. Bricklin has had difficulty signing up dealers for Visionary Vehicles because of concerns about quality from Chery (thanks in large part to the Yugo debacle). Bricklin claims that a Chrysler-Chery deal could help demonstrate the credibility of Chery's production quality and make his plans easier. Of course depending on the nature of the deal it could come back to bite both Bricklin and Chery if they're not careful. To date Chery has not been known for either ethical behavior or quality. They did clone the Daewoo Matiz to create the Chery QQ. Hopefully, GM and Ford will be able to just bring their European B-Class cars to this market without having to resort to outsourcing to China.

[Source: Automotive News - subscription required]

Ever since they unveiled the Dodge Hornet at the Geneva Auto Show last spring, Chrysler has been looking for a partner to share the development costs of building it. Chrysler really needs a small B-Class car like the Hornet; particularly in overseas markets but increasingly in the North American market as well. Currently they have no suitable hardware to use a basis for such car. It's being reported all over that Chrysler is now very close to a deal Chinese car-maker Chery to do the manufacturing for them. Chery is the company that is also hooked up with former Yugo importer Malcolm Bricklin to distribute their cars in the US through his Visionary Vehicles company. Chery is one of the smaller Chinese car-makers and made there reputation by cloning the Daewoo Matiz and building and selling it as the Chery QQ. Chrysler is talking about bringing the Hornet to market as early as 2008, which means that they must already be well along in the development and are probably just using Chery as a low cost contract manufacturer.

Related:

• Passenger car sales continue to increase in China

[Source: TheCarConnection.com and The Detroit News]