Chrysler Blows Smoke Up Our You-Know-What Re: Project D

You may remember project D: Chrysler’s plan to build something better than the world’s worst car for the mid-size segment. As it continues its campaign to replace the definition of the word gullible in Webster’s dictionary, Autobloggreen breathlessly reports that the fruit of Project D might be an electric vehicle! Tracing the story back to Automotive News [sub], it’s clear that this entirely theoretical car or cars might also run on unicorn farts. “Chrysler LLC will decide by late winter whether to partner with another automaker on its global mid-sized car platform, known as Project D, says CEO Bob Nardelli. Chrysler must decide whether to engineer the platform in-house and build vehicles at its own factories or work with another carmaker. The company has indicated it would prefer a partner. Chrysler said it has to decide ‘in three, four, five months,’ Nardelli said last week in an interview at Chrysler headquarters in suburban Detroit. ‘We have costed out the in-house version, and we’re still working with two or three platform providers.'” What’s the rush? Chrysler will be tango uniform long before any rubber can meet the rental car parking lot. Oh right, the alt power bit…

“He [Boot ‘Em Bob] said Chrysler is considering alternative powertrains for Project D cars… Powertrain options include an all-electric car and a Chevrolet Volt-style electric with an internal combustion engine that charges an electric motor.” And on this little bit of BS, a blog is born! “With all the talk as of late regarding a possible GM/Chrysler merger (as unlikely as that seems), along with the admission that Chrysler would prefer to have a partner for its next mid-sized sedan,” Autoblogggreen writes. “We wonder if the automaker has had talks with the General regarding platform sharing of the new Volt. Totally speculation, but interesting nonetheless, no?” As the South Africans say, “ja nie.”