the pentogram strikes back... maybe...

Chrysler, not Wicca, is going to offer an option to turn your car into a WiFi hotspot along with some other stuff that will help it to compete with the Ford/Microsoft Sync system. my initial reaction was 'cool! that could be useful when out of town.' but then i thought that i generally fly everywhere except on camping trips, and then i dont really want the interweb following me. i also dont like the idea of paying a monthly fee for this on top of the sticker price.

some comment hecklers point out that Chrysler can put WiFi in a car, but cant make a car with any sort of fuel efficiency, which is a good point. well, they, Ford, and GM do make small cars, but the domestic little guys are now what the first Toyotas, Hondas, and VW's were: econo-boxes. except you can generally get a better deal from an import. its sad really. the domestic auto makers spent so much time catering to the SUV and truck market that they forgot how to make an attractive car at a nice price. now theyre scrambling to catch up and throwing in these gadgets to try and close the gap.

in my opinion, what would really help Chrysler is to broaden their relationship with VW, who is very successful in selling small and midsize cars. Chrysler is going to be producing the VW van line based on the very successful line Chrysler pioneered. now if Chrysler can get that going the other way on cars like the Rabbit, Jetta, Passat, and maybe even the Tiguan, then theyll have something on which nifty electronics may be the clincher. slick gadgets stuck on a Neon arent going to get me to buy a crappy Neon, tho. and somehow i doubt that VW is going to let Chrysler bastardize their sucessful designs.

i used to drive a Dynasty, and i LOVED that car. it was way ahead of its time, was shaped like a brick, could seat 14, had a trunck big enough to rent out as studio appartment and still go like 27 miles to the gallon. that was back in '89, when a computer was about the same size as a car. it seems like the rest of the industry has been moving forward while Chrysler made huge trucks and fought with the German cousins. i hope this thing turns around. Iacoca saved it once, i dont know if he can pull it off again.