Chrysler, Mopar Win Baja 1000 With New V-10 Race Engine

Just two-and-a-half weeks after Mopar® introduced the new 800 horsepower V-10 Competition Race Engine for drag racing at the 2011 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, the off-road racing derivative of the crate engine made its debut in the 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Nov. 18–19, powering Kent Kroeker and Alan Roach to the Class 8 win in the famed event.

Kroeker, owner of Kroeker Off-Road Engineering (KORE), shared the driving duties of the Ram 1500 with the Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine under the hood, with Roach, who hails from Escondido, Calif. The pair covered the distance of nearly 700 miles through the rugged desert of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula in just over 20 hours to record the Class 8 victory. Kroeker began the race and drove through the San Felipe loop, with Roach then taking the wheel for the remainder of the distance.

“What an amazing debut for the Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine to win at Baja,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “Our off-road engineers have been working very hard on this engine and it certainly passed its first test with flying colors.”

The 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 drew a total of 278 starters from 34 states and 16 different countries, in more than 30 different classes. The Class 8 division that Kroeker and Roach competed in with the Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine is comprised of full-size, two-wheel drive trucks.

“Winning the Baja 1000 means laser-focused excellence that can’t be demonstrated any other way,” said Kroeker. “The performance of the new Mopar V-10 was superb. We were the only vehicle in the Baja 1000 using Mopar power. Mopar engineers sculpted its characteristics around my description of what is needed to win in long-distance desert racing.”

Kroeker and his team put the Ram 1500 for Baja together in six weeks, as both the truck and the Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine made their competitive debut at what is considered the most grueling event in off-road racing.

Kroeker and KORE were instrumental in the development and creation of the Mopar Ram Runner, which was introduced at the 2010 Moab Jeep® Safari. The Mopar Ram Runner served as the Official Pace Truck of the Traxxas TORC (The Off-Road Championship) Series this season, where Mopar-powered Ram Truck drivers dominated, winning 27 total races and claiming the championship in all three PRO classes. With the debut of the Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine, the evolution of the Mopar off-road racing program continues.

The 800 horsepower Mopar V-10 Competition Off-Road Race Engine is hand assembled to exacting standards by race engine builders and features an aluminum block with aluminum cylinder heads. The Mopar V-10 Competition Engine is designed for the rigors of off-road racing and pulls 695 lb. ft. of torque with an operating range of up to 7,000 rpm. The race-calibrated engine includes a forged steel crankshaft with forged steel connecting rods and forged aluminum pistons with a compression ratio of 12.5:1. All rotating components have been balanced for maximum performance.

 

**  Courtesy of Chrysler Media

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2012 Jeep Wrangler Wins Residual Value Award from ALG

The new 2012 Jeep® Wrangler has received the Residual Value Award in the “Compact Utility” category from ALG, the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data.

The annual ALG Residual Value Awards recognize vehicles that are predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year period.

“The Wrangler is iconic among SUVs, and Jeep has continued to build its status by pairing its famous rock crawling abilities with fresh features, improved powertrain, and a refined interior,” said Raj Sundaram for ALG. “Regularly updated editions stoke demand, helping it jump to the top of the Compact Utility segment.”

ALG Residual Value Award winners are determined through careful study of the competition in each segment, historical vehicle performance and industry trends. Vehicle quality, production levels relative to demand, pricing and marketing strategies remain the key factors that affect ALG’s residual value forecasts.

“We are delighted that ALG has recognized our new Jeep Wrangler with its Residual Value Award,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Consumers continue to aspire to own the unique Jeep Wrangler. By offering Wrangler in two- and four-door models, with a variety of open-air top options and an array of limited-edition models, Wrangler has continued to generate significant demand. With a more fuel efficient and powerful powertrain for 2012, we expect that demand to continue.”

The ALG award is the latest in a wave of prestigious awards for the 2012 Jeep Wrangler, including Petersen’s 4 Wheel & Off-Road’s “4x4 Of The Year,” the Texas Auto Writers Association’s “Mid-Size SUV of Texas,” the 2011 SEMA Show’s “Hottest 4x4 SUV,” Active Lifestyle Vehicle’s “Best Value Off-Road,” and Kelley Blue Book’s “Best Resale Value Awards: ‘Top 10’ and ‘Compact Utility Vehicle.’”

2012 Jeep Wrangler
Jeep Wrangler – the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world – becomes even more capable both on- and off-road for 2012, courtesy of an all-new, more fuel efficient and more powerful 3.6-liter V-6 engine, and a new five-speed automatic transmission – both of which it shares with the award-winning Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Chrysler Group’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine – winner of the prestigious Ward’s 10 Best Engines award – delivers 285 horsepower (209 kW) and 260 (353 N•m) lb.-ft. of torque, while delivering up to 21 miles per gallon highway in the 2012 Jeep Wrangler. The improvement, when compared to the previous 3.8-liter V-6 engine, is 40 percent in horsepower and 10 percent in torque.

Jeep continues to refine the successful Wrangler formula by combining legendary, benchmark capability with an interior that delivers rich styling with significantly upgraded touch surfaces, occupant comfort and versatility, and a premium appearance courtesy of a body color hard top for the popular Sahara and Rubicon models.

 

**  Courtesy of Chrysler Newsroom

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