Allen Motors Inc. Blog
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Tuesday, May 6th 2008
9:29 AM
Let's Refuel America Program!
This is a brand new promotion from Chrysler, good on most new vehicles for a limited time. Locks gas price at $2.99 per gallon for 3 years, with some restrictions. Please call 603-434-0391 and ask for the Sales Department for details on this great new program!
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Friday, May 2nd 2008
1:16 PM
Chrysler enters Vanishing Point Challenger in One Lap of America
It's good to know that there are folks at Chrysler who are having a good time. The best evidence of this is the automakers's entry this year's One Lap of America "cross-country" race. Chrysler's Vice President Ralph Gilles and Erich Heuschele, Vehicle Dynamics Supervisor for SRT, are entering a blank white Challenger inspired by the 1970 Dodge Challenger that stars in the cult film Vanishing Point from 1971. The plot of the original movie revolves around a guy named Kowalski who has to deliver a white 1970 Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. He's aided by a blind DJ named Super Soul who listens to the police band and delivers helpful if not clairvoyant info to the protagonist over the radio. It's fitting then that Gilles and Heuschele have entered the One Lap race this year under the names of Kowalski and Super Soul, and the car they'll be driving is the very first preproduction Challenger prototype that was ever driven on public roads. It's been rescued from the crusher and slightly modified with a fresh coat of white paint (the first ever seen on a new Challenger) and new wheels to more resemble the original.
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Thursday, May 1st 2008
10:48 AM
John McElroy: Driving the Dodge Challenger SRT-8
John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit".
0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds
ΒΌ mile: 13.7 seconds
0-100-0 mph: under 17 seconds
60-0 mph: 110 feet
When it comes to top speed, the SRT people have had the car up to 170 mph, but that was on an oval. Since the Challenger is not speed-limited in any way except for its aerodynamic drag, they believe that out on the Salt Flats it will go even faster.
We drove the Challenger from Pasadena to Willow Springs race track through the winding Angeles Crest highway northeast of Los Angeles. It's a great combination of fast sweepers, long snaking esses, and clear-to-the-horizon straight-aways. Perfect for putting a car like this through its paces.
And the Challenger is definitely up to the challenge. Even though you've heard how porky this car is, tipping the scales at over 4,000 pounds, out on the open road or lapping on a big open race track, you don't really notice it. Maybe an autocross would be a different matter, but other than in very tight turns, this car feels good.
There is good effort in the steering, almost on the brink of being heavy, but not quite. And it has excellent on-center feel. The thick rim makes it comfortable to grab the wheel with your whole hand, or just make light adjustments with your fingertips.
The brakes are exceptional. Big 4-piston Brembos with 14-inch rotors up front and 13.8-inch ones in the rear. It'll haul this car down from 60 mph in only 110 feet, which is extremely impressive and helps explain why you forget that this car is heavy.
SRT Engineering added an interesting refinement to the brakes that they call knock-back mitigation. When cornering at very high speeds in many cars, the wheel bearings will flex, and the rotors will tilt outboard, actually pushing the pads away. Then, the next time you jump on the brakes, you'll get you a long pedal since the pads have to travel farther. To get rid of that disconcerting feel, anytime you go over 0.6 g's, the Challenger slowly runs the ABS pump to push the pads back into position. Actually, ESP systems use this same feature when its rains so the pads will wipe water off the rotors. The wrinkle that SRT Engineering added is to have it cycle through this feature based on g-load. They have a patent pending.
Besides the raw power roaring out of the engine, and the extraordinary sound of the exhaust note that I wrote about last time, the ride and handling of this car deserves to be singled out. At Willow Springs race track I was surprised to see how flat the Challenger corners. And on the sinuous and heaving Angeles Crest highway I was surprised to see how supple the car rides. There's a very good balance between the two, which must be thanks to exhaustive suspension tuning and the fact that this is the fourth car to come off the LX platform. They just keep building on their body of knowledge.
There's so much more to write about this car but I'm out of room, except to make one last point. The customers who buy this car will not be put off by its price tag or the fuel economy. They've got the dough and they want the go, so they're going to buy it anyway.
Thanks to Autoblog for this review:
0-60 mph: 4.9 seconds
ΒΌ mile: 13.7 seconds
0-100-0 mph: under 17 seconds
60-0 mph: 110 feet
When it comes to top speed, the SRT people have had the car up to 170 mph, but that was on an oval. Since the Challenger is not speed-limited in any way except for its aerodynamic drag, they believe that out on the Salt Flats it will go even faster.
We drove the Challenger from Pasadena to Willow Springs race track through the winding Angeles Crest highway northeast of Los Angeles. It's a great combination of fast sweepers, long snaking esses, and clear-to-the-horizon straight-aways. Perfect for putting a car like this through its paces.
And the Challenger is definitely up to the challenge. Even though you've heard how porky this car is, tipping the scales at over 4,000 pounds, out on the open road or lapping on a big open race track, you don't really notice it. Maybe an autocross would be a different matter, but other than in very tight turns, this car feels good.
There is good effort in the steering, almost on the brink of being heavy, but not quite. And it has excellent on-center feel. The thick rim makes it comfortable to grab the wheel with your whole hand, or just make light adjustments with your fingertips.
The brakes are exceptional. Big 4-piston Brembos with 14-inch rotors up front and 13.8-inch ones in the rear. It'll haul this car down from 60 mph in only 110 feet, which is extremely impressive and helps explain why you forget that this car is heavy.
SRT Engineering added an interesting refinement to the brakes that they call knock-back mitigation. When cornering at very high speeds in many cars, the wheel bearings will flex, and the rotors will tilt outboard, actually pushing the pads away. Then, the next time you jump on the brakes, you'll get you a long pedal since the pads have to travel farther. To get rid of that disconcerting feel, anytime you go over 0.6 g's, the Challenger slowly runs the ABS pump to push the pads back into position. Actually, ESP systems use this same feature when its rains so the pads will wipe water off the rotors. The wrinkle that SRT Engineering added is to have it cycle through this feature based on g-load. They have a patent pending.
Besides the raw power roaring out of the engine, and the extraordinary sound of the exhaust note that I wrote about last time, the ride and handling of this car deserves to be singled out. At Willow Springs race track I was surprised to see how flat the Challenger corners. And on the sinuous and heaving Angeles Crest highway I was surprised to see how supple the car rides. There's a very good balance between the two, which must be thanks to exhaustive suspension tuning and the fact that this is the fourth car to come off the LX platform. They just keep building on their body of knowledge.
There's so much more to write about this car but I'm out of room, except to make one last point. The customers who buy this car will not be put off by its price tag or the fuel economy. They've got the dough and they want the go, so they're going to buy it anyway.
Thanks to Autoblog for this review:
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Monday, April 28th 2008
9:56 AM
Willy Wonka and Charlie were here on Saturday. Thanks!
Thanks to Willy Wonka (or was it Willy Wonka Jr.?) and Charlie Bucket for coming out Saturday to visit, and give out candy!
Kids Coop Theatre presents its spring production of "Willy Wonka Jr." based on Roald Dahl's classic story "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
The productions are set for May 9-17 at Derry's Adams Memorial Opera House in the downtown area. Show times are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m.
"Willy Wonka Jr." will, no doubt, be another great addition to the Kids Coop list and tickets are only $9 for students and seniors/$12 for adults, available beginning April 10 at Daren's Music Center in downtown Derry, and at Allen Motors, in Derry. Visit online for tickets and information at www.kids-coop-theatre.org.
Kids Coop Theatre presents its spring production of "Willy Wonka Jr." based on Roald Dahl's classic story "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
The productions are set for May 9-17 at Derry's Adams Memorial Opera House in the downtown area. Show times are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m.
"Willy Wonka Jr." will, no doubt, be another great addition to the Kids Coop list and tickets are only $9 for students and seniors/$12 for adults, available beginning April 10 at Daren's Music Center in downtown Derry, and at Allen Motors, in Derry. Visit online for tickets and information at www.kids-coop-theatre.org.
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Thursday, April 24th 2008
8:35 AM
Summer is here! Time for Jeeps and Ice Cream!
As shown below, summer is a time for Jeeps and Ice Cream! Thanks to our customer Sandy for her drawing of her offering ice cream to her salesman Aaron Morse! What more can I say, our customers are inspired!
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Monday, April 21st 2008
9:06 AM
Troy Allen Lifetime Achievement Award
Saturday April 19th, Troy Allen was presented with the Derry Little League Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations Troy!
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Friday, April 11th 2008
10:03 AM
Anyone remember the 70's? Like wow, man.....
Note: Don't bother trying to join the "Van Clan". I already tried, the P.O. Box is no more....
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Thursday, April 10th 2008
4:23 PM
Video Tutorials for Wrangler Soft Top and Mygig
Really. Visit our Service Department page for new Video Tutorials for MYGig Radio and Wrangler Soft Top. More to come!
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Friday, April 4th 2008
8:41 AM
Allen Motors 2008 Dodge Challenger Update!
Allen Motors 2008 Dodge Challenger R/T will be shipping April 24, and arriving in stock the second week of May.
This vehicle is still available for purchase. See Allenmotors.com for details.
This vehicle is still available for purchase. See Allenmotors.com for details.
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Monday, March 24th 2008
8:24 AM
Chrysler offering in-car web access later this year
The gang in Auburn Hills sure does love the gadgetry. Sirius satellite TV, heated and cooled cupholders, and Swivel-N-Go seating will soon be joined by in-car Internet access. The Washington Post reports Chrysler will utilize cell tower signals and a mobile phone account to make the radio a WiFi port, giving passengers access to the web. The technology will be offered as a dealer add-on for existing models later this year, and it will be available as a factory option at some point after that.
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Thursday, March 20th 2008
1:20 PM
Jeep Performance may offer diesel engine swap kit for Wrangler
Chrysler LLC should be credited with making a strong push for diesels in the U.S., having sold oil burners like the last-gen Jeep Liberty CRD and current Grand Cherokee CRD for the past few years already. People who prefer crawling rocks to carrying kids, however, are clamoring for a diesel motor in the Wrangler. Though Jeep has no plans of which we're aware on offering a diesel Wrangler in showrooms, Jeep Performance, a division of Mopar, is reportedly working on an engine swap kit that would allow owners to install the 2.8L diesel four-cylinder from the last-gen Liberty CRD in their Wranglers. The 2.8L four-cylinder produces 160 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and while it was good for 21 mpg city/26 mpg highway in the Liberty, Wrangler owners are probably more interested in its prodigious torque that's well-suited for off-road excursions than its frugality with fuel.
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Thursday, March 13th 2008
2:06 PM
Who has been with us for 22 years today?
If you guessed General Manager, Matt Shramek, you win! And so do we, thanks for 22 great years Matt!
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Friday, March 7th 2008
10:48 AM
"Dear Dodge, Thank you for giving the Ram a really strong frame."
There is a good reason to pay attention to those "Bridge May Be Icy" signs that are posted at nearly every overpass in the U.S., and the guy in the photo above would likely have died for ignoring the warning if it weren't for his Dodge Ram. The Ram's sturdy frame is the only thing standing between this lucky mother trucker and a 70 foot fall to the riverbed below. And the picture is the best argument we've seen to date against unibody pickups that would have slid right over the edge.
[Source: Wrecked Exotics]
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Friday, March 7th 2008
8:19 AM
Jet Engine Dodge Caravan!
Honey, it's time to pick up the kids at the soccer game.......
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Wednesday, February 27th 2008
3:50 AM
Joe Hodgson, the Singing Salesman Anniversary!
To know him is to love him, it's Joe Hodgson, the Singing Salesman! He has been with Allen Motors now for 4 years, and we could not be happier to have him! Many more Joe!
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Saturday, February 16th 2008
3:27 PM
Bone Marrow Drive was a great success.
Thank you to everyone who showed up for the Bone Marrow Screening on Saturday the 16th. We had over 200 people sign up! We certainly hope some matches are found.
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Monday, February 11th 2008
10:09 AM
From a happy customer!
Good afternoon,
My name is Melissa and on Sunday 2/3/08, my parents and I went to Allen Motors. I was looking to trade in my 2005 Jeep Liberty for a 2008 Liberty. They had bought a car there and told me that they had a good experience with you. Jason greeted us, he was fantastic, very helpful and made buying a car seem so easy. He took all my information and got me the deal I was looking for. On Monday I came in to sign the paperwork with Aaron. He was just as helpful and fun. He went over all the paperwork and explained everything about the new car. He answered all my questions with a smile. This was truly the BEST experience I have ever had buying a car. I could not be any happier with the experience I have had and with the car I got. I wanted to share my wonderful experience with you. I have already and always will share my great experience with Allen Motors. Thank you for the best car buying experience.
Melissa
Thanks Melissa!
My name is Melissa and on Sunday 2/3/08, my parents and I went to Allen Motors. I was looking to trade in my 2005 Jeep Liberty for a 2008 Liberty. They had bought a car there and told me that they had a good experience with you. Jason greeted us, he was fantastic, very helpful and made buying a car seem so easy. He took all my information and got me the deal I was looking for. On Monday I came in to sign the paperwork with Aaron. He was just as helpful and fun. He went over all the paperwork and explained everything about the new car. He answered all my questions with a smile. This was truly the BEST experience I have ever had buying a car. I could not be any happier with the experience I have had and with the car I got. I wanted to share my wonderful experience with you. I have already and always will share my great experience with Allen Motors. Thank you for the best car buying experience.
Melissa
Thanks Melissa!
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Friday, February 1st 2008
5:36 AM
Let's take a look at the new 2008 Minivan
While other domestic automakers are pulling out of the minivan market, Chrysler believes in the future of the minivan, and they've gone to great lengths to develop what could be the world's most family-friendly vehicle. The all-new 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan (Dodge is a division of Chrysler) bring the living-room-on-wheels concept to a new level, with new styling, new seating options, and a new array of family-friendly gadgets.
When it comes to safety, the Grand Caravan doesn't fool around: Electronic stability control, antilock brakes, front-seat torso airbags, and three-row side curtain airbags are all standard, and integrated child seats and a rear-view backup camera are optional. And when it comes to functionality, the Dodge is hard to beat, what with its three second-row seating options and lots of interior storage space. Swivel 'n Go vans even include a small plastic table that sets up between the seats, perfect for games or meals on the go. (And speaking of which -- did I mention the optional stain-resistant seat cloth and floor mats? Wish I had that when my kids were little!)
The real surprise was the third-row bench: It has decent thigh support and legroom for adults. The seat splits and folds into the floor, and an electric-folding option allows you to do so the touch of a button. Dodge offers both single- and dual-screen rear entertainment systems. The latter allows second and third row occupants to watch separate programming; along with the built-in DVD player there are two sets of audio/video input jacks plus optional SIRIUS satellite TV for the third row.
Dodge Caravan -- particularly when equipped with Swivel 'n Go seating -- is the superior choice for a busy family life. Driving the Grand Caravan made one thing clear: Chrysler's market leadership in the minivan field isn't going away any time soon.
Thanks to About.com for the review. Note: 2008 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country are in stock and ready for deliver now. Come on in and see the best mini-van in the world!