APC Dodge Grand Caravan Extreme
The APC Dodge Grand Caravan Extreme is a Viper-inspired minivan that combines the outstanding performance of a 3.8-liter Vortech supercharged engine with the cargo carrying capability of the original minivan.

A stand-out in any crowd, APC Minivan Extreme features Viper Red paint with silver Viper-style racing stripes from front to back, vented and louvered hood with functional ram air intake, Viper-style splitter on the lower front fascia and Viper seats on the custom trimmed interior. A profile view highlights unique 19-inch RO-JA wheels and performance tires, PTP dual side exit stainless exhaust and lowered height due to reduced springs and side skirts with integrated side exit exhaust.

The Viper-style racing stripes continue along the roof, rear liftgate and fascia, which feature custom taillamps. As functional as it is visual, the APC Minivan Extreme AWD features a custom entertainment system as well as a rear hatch that houses a pit crew style cabinet set up for easy access to tools.

Wings West Dodge Neon R/T Compact Performance
Charging the compact performance craze and staying true to its performance roots, the Wings West Dodge Neon R/T debuts with a lowered appearance thanks to its reduced springs. The one-of-a-kind front fascia features integrated skirting that sweeps around the sides to match the low sweeping side skirts and new rear fascia with dual cat back exhaust.

Other features include rear wing, 19-inch seven-spoke wheels in silver- tone and low profile wheels. Complementing the bright yellow exterior are black R/T graphics and a geometric black stripe that begins at the front hood and wraps around under the rear wing. Special features inside include sport pedals, carbon fiber instrument panel, two-tone leather interior and Alpine audio system.

Steve Bucaro Dodge Ram 1500 Handicap Accessible
The custom butterscotch orange paint job will turn heads, but it's the driver access that makes the Steve Bucaro Dodge Ram 1500 sport truck truly innovative. Designed with handicap driver accessibility in mind, this Ram 1500 4x2 features rear hinged rear door to accommodate a wheel chair, custom air suspension to lower and raise the truck and five-channel remote controlled automatic doors with alarm system. The accessibility is continued inside with hand controls, electronic rear window controls, custom aluminum grab handles and door sill plates.

Kenne-Bell Dodge Ram 2500 - HEMI(R) Performance
The Kenne-Bell Dodge Ram 2500 with the all-new 5.7-liter HEMI Magnum V-8 engine transforms the most powerful heavy-duty pickup available on the market into one hot sport truck. The two-tone bright HEMI(R) Orange and black exterior paint says this truck is all about performance with its Kenne Bell Supercharger on an all-new HEMI(R) Magnum engine and Gibson cat back exhaust.

The lowered suspension gives the Kenne-Bell Ram 2500 sport truck a powerful stance which is accentuated with 26-inch Oasis XS alloy wheels, dual exhaust, Gaylord tonneau cover, Xenon fender flares and rear roll pan. The interior features Katzin customer leather seating and brushed aluminum interior accents.

Performance West Dodge Ram 3500 Cannonball Express
Inspired by the Dodge Power Wagon to achieve mind-boggling capability, the Performance West Cannonball Express features upgrades to the Cummins engine developed by Cummins specifically for this project vehicle. Based on the all-new 2003 Ram 3500 Quad Cab dual rear wheel with the High Output Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, the Cannonball Express produces an astounding 370 horsepower and 750 ft.-lbs. torque.

The exterior design features the unmistakable Ram grille with a custom designed front fascia and fender flares, plus 22-inch Oasis alloy wheels, exclusively designed 38-inch tires created by Goodyear, and SpectraFlair Holographic Metalflake "Liquid Steel" custom paint with white ghost flames. Katzin leather seating, stainless steel trim on the instrument panel, Mopar navigation system and entertainment system.

SoCal Speed Shop Dodge Ram 3500 Sport Truck
Designed to stand out on the freeway or speedway, the SoCal Speed Shop Dodge Ram 3500 Sport Truck combines the power of the all-new Cummins standard output diesel engine with six-speed manual, the class-leading capability of the all-new Ram Heavy Duty and a So-Cal Speed Shop custom red and white paint scheme. Exterior features include So-Cal's stainless steel wire mesh grille inserts, sleek outside mirrors and APP forged Retro Six 19-.5-inch alloy wheels and a lowered stance for a menacing appearance. As functional as it is stylish, this sport truck includes a flush tonneau cover cut out to accommodate a fifth-wheel trailer and hood louvers by Sir Michaels.

Gaylord's Dodge Ram 1500 Outdoor Experience
The Gaylord Dodge Ram 1500 rides lower on a custom suspension and custom Boyd Coddington Billet aluminum wheels with performance rated Toyo Time tires. Reflecting a classic hot rod look, the two-tone Gaylord Ram features their custom billet front grille and fascia, air dam, Gaylord's custom tonneau cover, rear roll pan and cat back exhaust. Interior features include custom leather and trim along with an entertainment system.

Racing Sports Akimoto Chrysler Sebring Convertible Luxury Tuner
For the enthusiast driver who likes the wind in his hair, the Racing Sport Akimoto 2003 Chrysler Sebring Convertible is a cross between a luxury convertible and tuner. Performance is boosted on the already powerful 2.7- liter engine with the Borg Warner Supercharger, Racing Sports Akimoto air intake system and vacuum hose kit. Other enhancements include stainless steel brakes, Eibach suspension system, Borla custom dual exhaust. The elegant exterior design is taken to a new level with an Erebuni urethane body kit, 20- inch custom chrome wheels and tires. The class-leading interior features custom Classic Soft Trim Tu-Tone leather, Image Dynamics stereo system, DVD and television.

SoCal Speed Shop Chrysler 300M Special
A blend of So-Cal's dry lakes racing heritage with today's performance, this 300M Special features So-Cal's cold air induction system, performance exhaust, Eibach spring/engine torque kit to eliminate drive-axle vibration and 20-inch American Racing Salt Flat Special wheels and Toyo tires. Exterior highlights include a unique silver paint scheme, custom stainless steel wire mesh grille inserts and sleek outside mirrors.

Bones Concept Cars and Trucks Sebring Convertible
The Bones Sebring Convertible rides low on a custom DJM suspension, Colorado custom wheels and Toyo tires. Reflecting the classic 1950s woody convertible, the exterior features a Bones Woody Flair Kit, custom wood grain bodywork, So-Cal stainless steel wire mesh grille inserts and slick Ice Blue Pearl custom paint job. The interior features a wood grain rear seat cover, custom interior trim and Pioneer audio system.

Boyd Coddington Chrysler Town and Country Minivan
The remote control does more than operate the garage door in Boyd Coddington's 2003 Chrysler Town and Country minivan. Designed as a personal theater on wheels, the minivan features an Audiobahn High-end VHS/DVD Digital Entertainment System, custom gray leather interior and blacked-out windows. The sleek exterior appearance is achieved by lowering the minivan by three inches and by eliminating the door handles, leaving only a remote control to operate all four doors and the liftgate. This minivan stands out with its custom two-tone paint scheme, custom grille with integrated headlamps, 19-inch tires with Boyd Coddington wheels and revised taillamps.

Kenne-Bell Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo
Paying homage to the legendary hot rods of the 60s, the Kenne-Bell PT Cruiser features the all-new 215 horsepower High Output turbocharged engine with manual transaxle. The contrasting Golden Pearl paint with black LeMans stripes accentuate the modified front grille, custom front fascia, hood and rear roll pan. The stance of the PT Cruiser is lower than stock thanks to the KW coil-over suspension. Other custom features include 18-inch Oasis alloy wheels, low profile tires and Force 10 stainless steel race brakes. Interior custom features include Katzkin leather wrapped Racing Seats, revised gauges, tinted windows and complete audio/video entertainment center.

American Expedition Vehicle Jeep(R) Wrangler Scrambler
Cross the extreme rock-crawling capability of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the utility of a pick-up truck and it's clear why the American Expedition Wrangler Scrambler can go-anywhere and do-anything. The wheel base of the Wrangler was stretched 24 inches to create a separate cab and American Expedition designed pickup box. The Wrangler Scrambler is powered by the 190 horsepower 4.0-liter engine, which produces 235 ft.-lbs. of torque. Other functional features are the custom tuned suspension, bull bar with winch, 16- inch wheels and tires and, of course, a snorkel. Additionally, the Wrangle Scrambler maintains the Wrangler Rubicon underpinnings featuring Dana 44 front and rear axles, Rock Trac, electronic locker and four-wheel disc brakes. The exterior design is complemented by a unique custom hard top.

Performance West Jeep Liberty
Traversing even the toughest terrain is a breeze with the Performance West Liberty, which takes class-leading 4x4 capability to a new level thanks to an after market lift kit, custom enhanced suspension, additional ground clearance and unique 17-inch wheels and BF Goodrich All Terrain TA/KO tires. Designed with a more rugged appearance to match its new found capability, the Performance West Jeep Liberty features tubular chrome grille guard, Liberty Renegade fender flares, side rails and functional roof basket with off-road light bar. The unique camouflage exterior paint scheme is continued on the interior with camouflage seats and trim.

Performance West Jeep Wrangler Surf & Turf
Whether it's catching a wave or exploring the wilderness the Performance West Surf 'n Turf has it covered. The legendary 4x4 capability of Wrangler is complemented with KW suspension shock absorbers, stainless steel rear disc brakes, Mopar trailer hitch and skid plates, PIAA model 80 racing lights, White Night light system, BF Goodrich All Terrain TA KO tires and Oasis alloy wheels.

The exterior features Bushwacker fender flares, Mopar tubular chrome accessories and custom House of Kolor Solid Gold Bullion paint job. To make the ride just as much fun as the destination, the Surf 'n Turf interior features Katzkin custom wetsuit interior, Woodview brushed aluminum instrument panel and Mopar slush mats.

Mopar Chrysler PT Cruiser
The segment-defining Chrysler PT Cruiser is a vehicle that makes a statement, yet owners still want customization features. The Mopar Chrysler PT Cruiser features an all-new body kit by Mopar Accessories that will be available in February. Additional Mopar features shown on its PT Cruiser are spoiler, chrome fuel filler door, dual exhaust, as well as a 12-disk changer, illuminated door entry guards, performance struts, rear shocks and production PT Turbo wheels. A carbon fiber trim package has been applied as a design exercise.

Mopar Accessories/Decoma SVE Jeep Liberty Concept
The Jeep Liberty is engineered for exceptional on-road ride and handling and legendary off-road capability. The Mopar Accessories/Decoma SVE Jeep Liberty Concept features extensive custom interior and exterior body work for a more extreme appearance including an Anotech retractable roof rack, body side rocker panels and trim in sating brushed aluminum. Functional features include Mopar RB1 Navigation Radio, Mopar Performance exhaust system, Mopar door entry guards, Rubicon wheels, BF Goodrich tires, Warn winch and accessories, Skyjacker shocks and lift and Hi-Lift Jack. The exterior paint job (Copper Sunburst) is by Rohm & Hass.

Hanley-Wood Dodge Ram 2500
From custom tool storage compartments to roll-and-go air compressor lines, construction workers will be able to hit the ground running when they pull onto their job site with the Hanley-Wood Dodge Ram 2500 4X4. The performance of the all-new 5.7-liter HEMI Magnum V-8 engine is matched with Stanley's latest high-tech tools. Highlights on this ultimate work truck include Stanley-Bostitch pneumatic tools and fasteners driven by state-of-the- art compressors, new power tools from Milwaukee Tools, Omaha Standard's storage.

The Chrysler Group on Tuesday will announce a broad-based partnership with Celine Dion, the 34-year-old French Canadian chanteuse, and Sony Music Entertainment that will include appearances in advertisements, cross promotions of her music with the cars and even a special Chrysler song she will croon. The terms of the three-year deal were not disclosed, though it will pay Ms. Dion in the tens of millions of dollars.

The partnership finds the two parties at junctures where they could be helped by plenty of promotion.

Chrysler, which has struggled since being acquired by Daimler-Benz in 1998, is pinning its hopes on a crop of automobiles scheduled for next year that are more reflective of its new German parentage. And the unit of DaimlerChrysler is eager to shed the Chrysler brand's rust belt heritage for a classier demeanor.

Ms. Dion, best known for "My Heart Will Go On." from the film "Titanic," is ready to serve. On March 25, she begins an ambitious new phase of her career with the first of 600 performances at a 4,000-seat Roman Coliseum-style theater built for her at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. And the publicity boost from the Chrysler partnership can only help sell tickets to the elaborate production, which will be directed by Franco Dragone, a director of Cirque du Soleil shows.

"I did some commercials for Chrysler 14 years ago, I was a spokesperson for Chrysler in Canada in French and in English," said Ms. Dion in an interview. "When they came back to me this time, it felt very natural."

So natural, she added, that she might even give her chauffeurs a break.

"Soon I'll be driving a Town and Country minivan, which is going to be a family thing," she said. "I'm ready to pick my own tomatoes with my son and my husband. That's my goal. Forget the limousines. "

The project is being developed with BBDO Detroit and the Arnell Group, both divisions of the Omnicom Group. Chrysler executives would not specify how much they would spend on the campaign. But in 2001, Chrysler brands were supported by $474.4 million in advertising, according to an Advertising Age analysis of data from CMR, a unit of Taylor Nelson Sofres.

George Murphy, senior vice president of global brand marketing at Chrysler, said "we'll integrate everything about our brand into hers, and she'll integrate her brand into ours."

The offers include 2.9 percent loans for most models, five-year, no-interest loans on two models and cash rebates of as much as $2,500, said Dave Elshoff, a spokesman for the third-largest U.S. automaker. The heavy-duty Ram pickups, which went on sale in September, didn't have incentives last month, he said.

"There is no reason for them to spice things up since you already have a decent year under way," said CNW Marketing President Art Spinella, who tracks incentive levels.

Chrysler wants to keep its inducements several hundred dollars less than General Motors Corp.'s and offer a better warranty than rivals' as it tries to return to profitability after a 2001 loss of $1.9 billion. U.S. October auto sales fell 6 percent from September to an annualized rate of 15.5 million as incentives drew fewer customers.

"I'd love to be able to bring incentives down," James Schroer, Chrysler executive vice president of sales and marketing, said in an interview. "We will keep our dealers competitive no matter what" General Motors does.

General Motors, the largest automaker, on Friday stopped offering the longest no-interest loans and will give buyers more cash back on most 2003 models. Ford Motor Co. started offering six-year loans to cut monthly payments. In October, Ford led with average incentives of $3,816 per model, compared with $3,729 for General Motors and $3,547 for Chrysler, Spinella said.

DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler will cut the time it takes to build cars and trucks as much as 8 percent this year and needs to match that the "next couple" years as it tries to end losses, an executive said.

The third-largest U.S. automaker boosted productivity 7 percent in this year's first three quarters, said Tom LaSorda, executive vice president of manufacturing. Chrysler is eliminating production bottlenecks, reducing overtime and making other changes to build vehicles faster, he said.

"The days are over that we have deterioration in productivity," he said in an interview in Windsor, Ontario, before a Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Chrysler wants to improve from last place among major automakers in the Harbour & Associates report of manufacturing efficiency as it tries to make a profit after losing $1.9 billion last year. The U.S.-based unit during 2001 averaged 30.82 hours to build each car or truck, and top-ranked Nissan Motor Co. needed only 17.92 hours, according to the industry benchmark report.

Chrysler improved the time it takes to build a car or truck by only 8.7 percent in the previous five years combined, LaSorda said. The automaker's improvement may push it past U.S. rivals as early as next year and bring it to the level of Asian rivals by the end of the decade, he said.

The firm said the new model would be built at its Juiz de Fora plant, which currently produces Mercedes A-Class cars for the Brazilian market and C-class saloons for North America. It would be the first Smart plant outside Europe.

Two of Chrysler's minivan models built at its Fenton, Mo., assembly plants have been named the most fuel-efficient minivans for the 2003 model year.

An annual fuel study by the U.S. Department of Energy showed the Chrysler Voyager/Town & Country and the Dodge Caravan tied for most efficient minivans. Both vehicles get 21 miles per gallon in city-driving conditions, and 27 mpg in highway-driving conditions.

The Chevrolet Express and Savana passenger vans, both manufactured at GM's plant in Wentzville, Mo., were rated the least efficient passenger vans in the study, with just 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway.

The Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer models, built at Ford's plant in Hazelwood, weren't ranked among the most or least efficient vehicles, but received an EPA air pollution score of 4 on a scale of 1 to 10.

Although American-made trucks and vans had better gas mileage than the foreign models, foreign-made cars and SUVs had the best gas mileage, the survey showed.

The move will affect about 13,300 workers in Canada and Missouri, Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson said Friday.

The plants are Brampton, Pillette and Windsor in Ontario and St. Louis-South in Missouri. Brampton and Pillette also were idled this week. The four make Dodge and Chrysler passenger cars, minivans and full-size vans and wagons.

Tinson said six Chrysler plants also will be running on overtime next week.

"We build to market demand," she said.

Tinson said the automaker doesn't forecast future production schedules and therefore does not predict future idling plans.

The unit will temporarily close two North Carolina plants, in Cleveland and Mount Holly, in January, laying off 3,280 workers. The company will also fire 675 temporary and permanent workers at Cleveland and a St. Thomas, Ontario, truck plant in the first quarter of 2003, spokesman Chris Brandt said. More temporary shutdowns are expected in February and March, the company said.

Truck orders are falling in the U.S. because transportation companies have already stocked up on vehicles with engines that met the previous pollution rules, citing concerns about the new engines' cost and reliability.

Freightliner said it still expects to report a "slight operating profit" this year after exceeding cost-cut targets of $450 million by $100 million. The company fired 2,700 workers in 2001 as part of a plan to return to profitability this year. It has reduced its workforce by more than half since 1999.

Caterpillar Inc., the world's second-biggest maker of heavy-duty diesel engines, DaimlerChrysler's Detroit Diesel engine unit, along with Paccar Inc. and Navistar International Corp., the world's third and fourth largest truckmakers, also have announced layoffs because of the slowdown.

The move follows pressure from activist shareholders who have drawn attention to the suspected murder and torture of Daimler-Benz labour council members under the military dictatorship in Argentina in 1975-1978.

DaimlerChrysler's board has appointed an investigating commission headed by Berlin legal expert Christian Tomuschat to establish what happened to the 14 workers' representatives, the head of its current workers' council said on Monday.

A suspected drink-driver drove into jail after realising he couldn't escape from a police chase.

The 22-year-old led police on a chase which often moved as slowly as 20mph. It ended when he turned into the Brown County Jail's parking lot in Green Bay, Wisconsin, US.

Police say the man parked his pickup in the jail's lot, smoked a cigarette, got out of the truck and lay face-down on the ground to be arrested.

He allegedly told the officers he knew he was drunk and was going to be sent to jail, so he just drove there. The man also was arrested for cocaine possession and an outstanding warrant for a hit-and-run accident.

The chase began around 1 am when an officer spotted the truck ignoring signs and going the wrong way on a one-way street. The officer chased the pickup. A 21-year-old woman passenger tried to get out of the vehicle several times and eventually bailed out near a junction. She was not injured.

In the United Kingdom, there’s a service that phones you if your car is stolen, tracks it using a global positioning satellite system beacon and turns the engine off when The Old Bill (read: cops) are ready to nick the villains.

In the United States, Delphi Automotive is pushing a technology that uses GPS to follow trucks and turn them off if they stray from their approved path, all in the name of trying to keep transport-trailers from becoming portable bombs. Services in Canada and the U.S. track and deactivate rental cars if they’re stolen.

But with the D.C.-Virginia-Maryland sniper still fresh in the headlines, talk around the water coolers at Convergence, a recent car electronics and telematics show in Detroit, centered on how easy it would be to build a device using electromagnetic waves to interfere with and short-circuit the electrical systems in every vehicle within a certain geographic area and keep them from running while the police investigated area crimes.

A more sophisticated version of the same sort of engine-deadening device could also be targeted and used to shut down cars leading police on chases (although there would no doubt be a sustained outcry from the Los Angeles helicopter news media and various real-life cop shows).

In those kinds of specific criminal situations, and with matters of homeland security still pressing for the nation in general, it’s easy to see how engine- cutting technology might take on a more acceptable political tone.