1998 - 2000 Chrysler 300m Concorde Intrepid> Door Latch Assembly>>driver's Side on 2040-parts.com

Ralph Gilles talks past, present and SRT future

Ralph Gilles -- SRT boss, Chrysler vice president of design, curator of something called the "Man Van," has become the public face of Chrysler performance, carrying the legacy of Firepower engines and 428 Coronets and the Dodge Viper RT/10 into the future with the Challenger, Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8s. Since "unofficially" helping form it in 2003, Gilles has seen SRT transformed into Chrysler's most coherent performance strategy since Plymouth Rapid Transit, a company-wide force so much greater than the flagship Dodge Viper. He was there from the beginning.

Ford taps programs, in-car technology to aid teen driving

Teenage boys are more likely to neglect their seatbelts, while teenage girls will get distracted by passengers more often, according to a recent study from Ford. Ford commissioned Penn Schoen Berland to survey 500 teens and 500 parents about teen driving habits and perceptions. In addition to comparing boys and girls, the survey found that both parents and teen drivers believe winter is the most dangerous season for driving.

GM expands advanced-vehicle-technology center in California

General Motors unveiled a new technical center dedicated to the development, maintenance and testing of alternative-energy vehicles last week in Torrance, Calif. The company has had local digs for years but recently leased the building next to its existing Advanced Technology Center for an alternative-energy research facility. It now employs a dozen scientists, technicians and engineers to advance the electrification of GM vehicles.