Dodge boss talks next Charger, Viper and Durango… or whatever they’ll call it

Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand

Ralph Gilles, the head of the Dodge Car for Chrysler Group LLC is excited about the brand’s future, which is now moving forward with out the Ram pickup trucks. While Gilles has been with Chrysler since 1992, he’s only been the head of Dodge for eight months.

“It’s exciting,” he said of the work he’s been busy withe Fiat took over as the head of Chrysler. “This place has never been buzzing like this before.”

Gilles sat down for a little exclusive session with The Detroit News and here is what he had to say about the next Charger, Viper and Durango:

Q : When the new Charger arrives and it gets the Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, will the engine top 300 horsepower?

A : I’m not saying. We will investigate that and we are looking at a higher-power version of (the Pentastar V-6). It will have a unique power rating, I will say that.

Q : When the new Durango replacement arrives in November, will it be called a Durango?

A : We’re actually debating the name as we speak.

Q :Will a new Dodge Viper appear in 2012 as a 2013 model?

We’re looking that right now. We’re talking to owners, and to people outside of the Viper circle. There’s no timeline, no rush. I want to bring it out and make sure it’s the right thing. The issue right now is the company is really focused on the year and the task at hand. We have a lot going on in ’12.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News