Will Harris of Bullz-Eye.com got the chance to head to Daytona a couple of weeks ago for NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400. While he was there, he had the opportunity to check out Atomic Tom’s performance at a local Dodge dealership, as well as interview the band members.
Check out the interview:
Bullz-Eye: So, first, if you don’t mind, you could really save me a bit of time if you’d just go ahead and run through the complete history of the band… (Laughs)
Tobias Smith: Well, wait, who are you? (Laughs)
BE: Oh, I’m just this guy, you know?
TS: (Laughs) You’re a live blogger, is that right?
BE: Oh, God, no. I’m not that fast. (Laughs) I’m a writer and editor for a web magazine called Bullz-Eye.com.
TS: Where are you based?
BE: Norfolk, VA. Virginia Beach, that whole area.
Luke White: I’m from Virginia. A little north of you, though. Manassas.
Eric Espiritus: I’m from Fairfax, actually.
BE: Nice. Well, I was born at Norfolk General, and I never really left.
TS: Well, you’re here now! (Laughs) So what’s the site like? Do you talk a lot about music?
BE: It’s pop culture, across the board. It’s a guy’s site, really. It started mostly as an excuse to put up bikini girls and sports scores, but it’s evolved quite a bit. Don’t worry, though: there’s still a lot of bikini girls. No nudity, though.
TS: Well, that’s good, because we’re a family… (Hesitates) We’re not really a family band, are we? But we don’t have any swearing in our music, though.
Dodge is coming out with a special edition Mopar Challenger that will come with a 5.7-liter V8 Hemi engine and be available only in black with a choice of three accent colors: Mopar blue, red or silver. Dodge plans on 500 of the beasts and if you are lucky enough to snag one up you’ll also receive an owners kit that includes a certificate with the vehicle identification number, date of build completion, and build number. The also includes a limited-edition sketch of the vehicle signed by Chrysler Group design chief Mark Trostle, a book that highlights the special vehicle build, and Mopar merchandise.
From the Wall Street Journal:
DETROIT–Chrysler Group LLC will sell 500 special-edition Mopar Dodge Challengers tricked out with everything from customized leather-wrapped steering wheels to 20-inch black wheels in the auto maker’s biggest step yet to promote its part and accessories unit.
The Mopar Challenger, due to arrive in showrooms next month, will retail for $38,000 for an automatic transmission and $39,000 for a manual transmission, the company said Wednesday. This is the first time Chrysler has ever introduced a Mopar version of one of its vehicles. It will be available in the U.S. and Canada.
The vehicle will come with a 5.7-liter V8 Hemi engine and be available only in black with a choice of three accent colors: Mopar blue, red or silver. There will be stitching on the steering wheel and seats. A special Mopar 2010 cover will also come with the vehicle.
The upcoming Fiat 500 will be sold with other upcoming Fiat’s in a separate dealer network. To get things started, Fiat dealerships will be located in roughly 125 U.S. metropolitan areas that Chrysler has found to have high small-car registration and grow from there. It will be interesting to see how many Chrysler/Dodge stores apply to be a Fiat dealer as well.
From the Detroit News:
Detroit — Chrysler Group LLC will set up a separate dealership network to sell cars made by Italy’s Fiat Group SpA when they are reintroduced in the U.S. later this year.
The Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker said existing Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealers will get a chance to apply to sell the Italian Fiats, but they must be able to operate separate facilities with different sales and service teams in order to win a franchise.
Fiat, which last sold cars in the U.S. in the 1980s, will return to the country in December with the debut of the Fiat 500, a highly efficient, very European-looking small car. Other Fiat models are likely for the U.S., but the company has not made announcements beyond the 500, known in Italy as the Cinquecento.
Chrysler sales take off in June with Dodge leading the charge clocking a 67% increase with the Charger, Avenger and Challenger leading the way. The industry average was well below Chrysler’s jump in sales as things might be changing for this company. Looking back a year ago and then to today with a market that has still not rebounded strongly you have to give the folks at Chrysler/Fiat credit for fighting back. There are new products on the way and if the auto market in the U.S. can find it’s way in the months ahead Sergio Marchionne will have a lot of new friends in the Midwest!
From the Detroit Free Press:
Chrysler said today that U.S. sales jumped 35% compared with the same month a year ago, a gain led by its Jeep and Dodge brands.
Jeep sales rose 25%, on an 86% jump Jeep Wrangler sales. Dodge, newly minted as a car brand, saw its sales increase 67% on a spike in sales of the Charger, Avenger and Challenger.
Overall, sales of Chrysler’s passenger cars, an area where industry observers say Chrysler must improve, nearly doubled.
Chrysler’s minivans also performed well. Sales of the Chrysler Town & Country rose 34% and sales of the Dodge Caravan jumped nearly 50%.
During his First Annual Address to Congress in 1770, President George Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” For the past decade, the muscle car segment has been quietly battling to keep a sea of dull daily drivers at bay, and the tension has finally reached its fever pitch. We are standing on the cusp of a revolution, and we are nothing if not prepared. We’ve got the horsepower, the track time and the street cred - all that’s missing is the official throwing down of the gauntlet. As of today, we’ve got that, too.
In Chrysler's newest ad, the General and his thundering Calvary descend upon the bland, boring and bromidic (or “British”). While Washington and his four-wheeled troops rally against the Redcoats, the U.S. soccer team will be battling it out with England at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and you’ll be able to watch them both. The Dodge Challenger “Freedom” spot will air regionally during the match on Saturday, following its on-air debut at 11 p.m. EDT today during ESPN SportsCenter.
Buick has a long way to go before they will bring in the 30 something crowd. Buick is happy that their average buyer has dropped to 61 yrs of age and that is questionable math. They will never get the Pontiac buyers in the door! They rushed to kill Pontiac which was well positioned to capture the 20 and 30 something generation but instead invested heavily in a brand most car buyers won’t even shop in the U.S.??? Another gift to Ford, Nissan, Mazda and Dodge from the General.
From theTruthAboutCars.com:
Now, 48 is still technically in the fat part of the US population pyramid, and far be it from me to question the youthfulness of folks who reach this age… but the two major premises in the LAT’s headline simply aren’t that true. For one thing, JD Power weighs in on the Buick-buyer-age controversy, telling the LAT that the average three years ago was 64, and that it has since fallen to 61. That contrasts with IIHS’ recent average Buick-buyer age of 65, up from a claimed average of 63 a year ago. Moreover, as the graph after the jump proves, Buick’s sales “surge” is barely perceptible in any context wider than the first quarter of this year.
Everything must come to an end and the end is now here for the Dodge Viper as we know it. Chrysler will run 50 of the 2010 Viper SRT10 Final Editions. It was a great run and the Viper will always be remembered as one Bad SOB. (P.S. Bring the Viper back in 2012!)
From the Detroit News:
Chrysler Group LLC is preparing to start production of yet another limited run. This time it is the 2010 Viper SRT10 Final Edition; 50 will be made, each with numbered dash plaques.
The Final Editions will be built in three body types: 20 coupes, 18 roadsters and 12 ACR (American Club Racer) models, all marked by a black center stripe traced in red and unique side sill badges and floor mats. Red accents continue inside, in the stitching, on gauges and the center stack.
Please don’t tell me Dodge’s new tough guy color is Fuchsia? Well, for 400 or so special edition Dodge Challengers they will be rumbling in that perty color with optional 400 hp.
From Money.CNN.com:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Furious Fuchsia, a pair of words not often seen together, is the name of a new special edition Dodge Challenger muscle car.
The bright purple cars from the still struggling Chrysler Group, available on V8-powered R/T and SRT-8 versions, will be officially unveiled later this week at the Chicago Auto Show, but the company provided photographs ahead of time
The new Chrysler is off to a fast start as it decides to reverse a decision to kill off or sell the Dodge Viper nameplate.
Chrysler Group LLC announced today that production will continue for the legendary Dodge Viper SRT10.
Originally slated to cease production in December 2009, the Chrysler Group Conner Avenue Assembly Plant — the exclusive home of Dodge Viper production since 1995 — will continue to build the V-10 powered sports car. Chrysler Group is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper business assets.
“The Dodge Viper has successfully captured the hearts and imagination of performance enthusiasts around the globe,” said Mike Accavitti, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dodge Brand. “We’re extremely proud that the ultimate American-built sports car with its world-class performance will live on as the iconic image leader for the Dodge brand.”
Hopefully this decision bodes well for the new company. The Dodge Viper is an impressive performance vehicle, and the new Chrysler needs signature vehicles for branding purposes.
