New Mopar '12 Chrysler 300 Special to go on Sale in this Summer, Only 500 will be Made

As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, Mopar revealed a new limited edition version of the Chrysler 300 that will go on display at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show from February 10-19 before it arrives in dealerships this summer with a starting price of $49,700, which includes $825 for destination.

The Mopar '12 300 will be built in a limited run of 500 units, all of which are painted in a black exterior finish with bespoke Mopar appointments such as the black chrome grille and accents, tinted lights, blue pin stripes on the profile and hood, plus “Mopar 75” fender badges and a set of color matching 20-inch forged alloy wheels.

The Chrysler division's tuning and performance arm also made changes to the interior that features black leather with blue accent stitching on the seats and steering wheel, a unique Mopar shifter handle, special sill plates and badges, and matte carbon hydrographic accents on the instrument panel and center console sections.

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Yay or Nay? Custom Chrysler 300C HEMI V8 Coupe

When you are a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer like Tony Gwynn, you can pretty much afford to get whatever ride you like. In Gwynn's case, at some point he fancied a first-generation Chrysler 300 in a coupe form. And he got his wish.

But now, Gwynn's custom-made Chrysler 300 has popped up for sale at Beverly Hills Motor Cars in San Diego with the dealer asking for US$27,950 (€21,700).

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New 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Edition with 3.6-liter V6

Chrysler continues to expand its offerings for the new 300 sedan with the introduction of a new V6 option for the Luxury Edition, which will be available in addition to the range-topping 300C Luxury Series featuring a 363 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine.

The 300 Luxury Edition is powered by the regular model's 292HP 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine matched to a standard eight-speed automatic transmission and the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

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GM Touts Recovery of Stolen Chrysler 300 Thanks to its OnStar FMV

Detroit's "Big Three" never miss the chance to take a dig at each other when the opportunity arises. And for General Motors, the opportunity came with the recovery of a stolen 2006 Chrysler 300 that was equipped with the firm's OnStar FMV [For My Vehicle] in-car wireless communication system.

This is the first recorded case of a non-GM vehicle fitted with the aftermarket mirror, which encompasses the OnStar system, that was stolen and recovered by the police since the company introduced it into the market earlier this spring.

"OnStar advisors typically assist in the recovery of more than 500 stolen General Motors’ vehicles each month, but helping to recover a competitor's stolen vehicle is a new undertaking," GM said in a statement.

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Ferrari Designer Called Upon by Fiat to Create a Common Styling for Chrysler and Lancia

Platform sharing is nothing new in the automotive world. Everyone does it as it enables companies to reduce development costs across the board. For example, if it weren’t for the VW Touareg, Porsche probably wouldn’t have the means to develop the model that effectively made it a cash cow: the Cayenne.

And truth to be said, most of the times, your average buyer doesn't know what's hiding under the sheetmetal nor if the vehicle in question is identical in many ways to a model bearing a different badge, because what he or she sees and feels are indeed different.

The trouble starts when carmakers engage in blatant badge engineering, simply placing a different grille and a new logo on the steering wheel and calling it something else.

And that's where the problem lies for Fiat and Chrysler. The automotive alliance recently revealed a trio of Lancia models in Europe: the Thema sedan, Flavia Cabrio and the Voyager MPV, which are nothing more than rebadged versions of the Chrysler 300, 200 Convertible and Town & Country respectively.

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“See it Through” with “Mannish Boy” in an “Imported from Detroit” Chrysler 300

We'll admit that the title may seem like yours truly forgot to take his meds today – but for better or for worse, that’s not the case. You see, all three quotes come from Chrysler's new 60-second ad that will air on Thanksgiving Day during the Lions-Packers football game.

“See it Through” is a 1917 poem by Michigan poet laureate, Edgar A. Guest. The carmaker says that it's appropriate since it exemplifies the comeback of Detroit and Chrysler.

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It's a Detroit Thing: Chrysler 300S 426 HEMI V8 Concept Growls at the LA Auto Show [Video]

Once a staple motto of the American muscle car industry, the "there is no replacement for displacement" school of thought has become somewhat obsolete in today's high-tech world.

Of course this does not mean in any way that we don't appreciate some raw American V8 power, and there's a lot that going on with the conceptual Chrysler 300S 426 that is on display at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The concept is a joint project between Chrysler and its Mopar brand, which basically dropped a 426 cubic-inch [equal to 7.0-liters] Hemi V8 crate engine under the hood of a Chrysler 300S.

The company didn't release any performance figures, but our guess is that it's either the all-aluminum 426 Generation III Hemi V8 that is rated at 540 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque, or the more recent 426 Gen III High Output HEMI V8 with a monstrous 590-horsepower on tap. Either way, that's a whole lot of ponies…

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Chrysler Touts New 300's 8-Speed Automatic in New Imported from Detroit Commercial

The Chrysler Group continues to roll out new advertisements that communicate the “Imported from Detroit” message, albeit without the success of the original commercial starring Eminem that in our opinion should have been about the new 300 instead of the 200, but that is another tale for another time.

The new 60-second commercial is titled, “If You’re Gonna,” and it begin to air on national and cable networks last Friday, September 16.

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Lancia Rolls Out New Thema at 68th Venice International Film Festival [Video + Photos]

The Fiat Group may have forced Lancia to give up on the art of…making cars, but the Italian company is trying to compensate by mastering the art of…promotion.

The Italian firm's new flagship model, the Chrysler 300-sourced Thema, is making a special appearance at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, of which Lancia is the main sponsor for the seventh year running.

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Frankfurt Show Preview: Chrysler 300 Wears Italian Undies and Becomes the New Lancia Thema

After its international public debut at the Geneva Salon last spring, the new Lanica Thema will be making one more appearance at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt next month before it goes on sale across Europe in October.

Lancia's contribution to the transformation of the Chrysler 300 to the Thema is restricted to the Italian brand's badges, plus the higher quality materials and different trim options for the interior.

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Video: Just Another Drifting Day in the Middle East

For those of you that think driving through the congested roads of Manhattan or Paris is bad, maybe you should take a look at the following video, which seems to have been shot somewhere in the Middle East (if you happen to know where, leave us a comment below).

In broad daylight and while normal drivers are using the road, numerous wannabe drifters, mostly in American and Australian rear-wheel drive saloons like the Ford Crown Victoria, Chrysler 300 and the Holden-based Chevrolet Caprice, are showing off their rides slideways.

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WTF Edition: Corvette ZR1 Showoff Hits Chrysler 300 SRT8 [NSFW]

You're enjoying a day on the track when all of a sudden someone bangs your pride and joy: what's your first reaction?

Well, our guess is you may use a different choice of words, but more or less, it'll be in the same tone as the driver of this Chrysler 300 SRT8 that was hit by a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 that lost traction after a bit of a showoff.

Watch the video after the break, but be advised, there's foul language to be heard so turn off your speakers if you happen to be at a workplace.

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Rumors: Maserati to Show Jeep-Based SUV Concept in Frankfurt, Preparing Chrysler-Based Sports Sedans

The Fiat Group is getting ready to take its alliance with Chrysler to the next level with the presentation of three new models including an SUV and two luxury sports sedans, all using key technology and components from the Chrysler Group's lineup, according to a report from Autonews.

First up is the long-rumored Maserati SUV model, which is said to be previewed by a concept study (not to be confused with the independent design rendering by Andrey Trofimchuk that is pictured in this article) at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, before landing in showrooms in 2013.

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Stretch it Real Good: 2011 Chrysler 300 gets into the Limo Business

Even though Chrysler’s new 300 is being marketed as a more elegant and mature proposal than its predecessor, that doesn’t mean it won’t garner the same amount of attention from extreme tuners, rappers, professional athletes and of course, your occasional limo builder, as the previous model did.

Only a few months after it hit U.S. showrooms, and we have if not the first, at least one of the first stretch limousine transformation of the 2011 Chrysler 300.

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Chrysler Announces Prices on New 2012 SRT8 Models Including the 300, Charger, Grand Cherokee and Challenger

The Chrysler Group’s newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand has released pricing on its latest crop of models, which include the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8, the 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 and the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

Prices together with an $825 destination fee start at $47,995 for the Chrysler 300 SRT8, $46,660 for the Dodge Charger SRT8, $44,077 for the Challenger SRT8 and $55,295 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

All four SRT8 models are powered by the Chrysler Group’s new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 with Fuel Saver Technology that cranks out 470 horsepower (351kW) and 470 lb-ft (637Nm) of peak torque (465 lb.-ft. / 630 Nm in the Grand Cherokee SRT8).

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Chrysler Debuts New Imported from Detroit Commercial Starring Dr. Dre

And the beat goes on for Chrysler's much-talked about Imported from Detroit campaign with the release of the latest spot of the series called “Good Things” starring hip-hop artist, producer, record executive, and occasional actor, Dr. Dre.

The famous rapper is seen driving the 2012 Chrysler 300S sedan through the streets of Los Angeles while showing off his signature Beats by Dr. Dre audio system that is optionally available in the car.

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FatChance 2.0: The Very First Customized 2011 Chrysler 300 [with Videos]

The original Chrysler 300 is perhaps one of the most popular cars in the tuning industry here in the States, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the Detroit automaker is using the car’s successor to tap into the custom scene.

The very first customized 2011MY Chrysler 300 is called the Fatchance 2.0 and it made its debut alongside the firm’s “S” concept cars at this past weekend’s Annual Spring Festival of LXs in California (see here). The low-rider 300 was crafted by John Fortuno aka Fatchance, who apparently caught the attention of Chrysler with his first generation 300-based FatChance 1.0.

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Chrysler Teases 2011MY 300, 200 and Town & Country “S” Concepts at LX Spring Festival

Chrysler found the perfect opportunity to preview its upcoming range of ‘S’ models at the 6th Annual Spring Festival of LXs in Irvine, California this past weekend. The Detroit automaker showed off the “S” trimmed 2011MY 300 sedan, 200 Convertible and Town & Country in concept forms, though all three models are scheduled to enter production later this year starting with the 200 this spring.

According to Chrysler, the “S” treatment is a cosmetic package designed to appeal to younger customers that want something more “edgy” in terms of style. On the 300, this translates to a bespoke gunmetal finish, a new front grille, smoked headlamps and taillights, beefier alloy wheels in a unique design, a boot lid spoiler and if we’re not mistaken (since Chrysler has not released any official details), a lowered suspension. The interior also receives a makeover with red leather seats sporting the “S” logo and bespoke trim.

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First Interior Photos of Lancia’s Version of the Chrysler 300, the 2012 Thema

Even though Lancia's press site still has only one exterior photo of the Thema (who needs more when you can take a look at the Chrysler 300?), the Italians went straight to posting the first interior pictures of their American-sourced flagship sedan. If you like drama, don't read on, this isn't for you. Believe it or not –ahem- the 2012 Lancia Thema's interior looks exactly the same as Chrysler's.

Our “spot the differences” approach led to the conclusion that, Lancia logo aside, everything else in the cockpit is identical to what one can see in a Chrysler 300. Except of course the different leather upholstery and trim color scheme chosen for the photo shoot. The two sister cars share the blue-tone instrument panel lighting and the analogue clock as well, however, in this color and trim setup the Thema looks a bit more refined than its American counterpart.

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