Ralph Gilles and his SRT team have just finished rolling out the new 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, and the new 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 and already the Chrysler design chief and SRT head is mulling what's next. While Gilles made mention of the 2013 Dodge Viper and an upcoming entry-level SRT vehicle (both of which come as no surprise to us), what came next did: Giles hinted that a second generation Dodge Magnum might just have a place in the modern-day Dodge's lineup.
The original Dodge Magnum was a Chrysler LX-platform-based wagon built from 2005-2008 before being killed off just before Chrysler's bankruptcy. According toThe New York Times, many people at Chrysler still have much love for the original swagger wagon and the Magnum's demise wasn't something a lot of the rank and file were in favor of at the time. "That vehicle was single-handedly killed by one executive who is no longer with the company. He's retired," Gilles toldThe New York Timesat Willow Springs Raceway. "A lot of people in the company still like that vehicle -- a lot. A lot of things that weren't possible back then, now are."
The topic of the Magnum's second coming arose as Gilles was discussing the odds of other vehicles joining the ever-expanding SRT lineup. "The Dodge Viper, certainly, is a likely choice for an SRT version," he said toThe New York Times, "Also, we know we need an entry-level vehicle of some kind." That's when talk of the Magnum began.
"With the Magnum, we owned the station wagon segment," Gilles said. While that may have been true back when the Magnum debuted, the high-horsepower station wagon segment is no longer vacant. Should the Magnum return, it would face stiff competition from Cadillac's 556-hp CTS-V Sport Wagon. With the Caddy on the marketplace, an SRT variant of a future Magnum would be a must.
WhenThe New York Timespressed Gilles further on whether he had yet designed a second-generation Magnum, Gilles reportedly smiled and said, "Stay tuned, great things are coming. That's all I can say."
We sure hope so, Mr. Gilles.
Source: The New York Times
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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