Chrysler doesnt touch its SRT performance division

:

Last week, Chrysler LLC announced cuts in production, people and products, but the automaker’s in-house SRT performance division appears largely unscathed.

Chrysler “lifer,” Michael Accavitti, who is director of the Dodge Brand and SRT marketing communications, is confident about the future of the performance division. He believes Bob Nardelli, Chrysler’s chairman and CEO with no auto industry experience, is a fine choice to lead Chrysler in its new life following its split with former owner Daimler AG.

And SRT got a vote of confidence from Jim Press, the Toyota executive brought to Chrysler to run sales, marketing and product planning. “SRT is giving those customers what they want in emotion, in passion, in driving,” he said recently, though he hinted the SRT label would focus on Dodge products.

Accavitti has every “car guy’s” dream job: he’s the front man for an automaker’s in-house Mike_accavitti_chrysler_srt_180 performance-tuning division, in this case, Chrysler’s Street and Racing Technology, or SRT.

The “car guys” famously have little regard for the bean-counter types. Not only is the business background of Chrysler’s new CEO Bob Nardelli hugely more financially oriented than product-focused, Nardelli comes with double whammy of enjoying zero auto-industry experience, period.

But Accavitti is convinced new chairman and CEO Nardelli is the real deal. AutoObserver spoke with Accavitti soon after Chrysler announced Nardelli’s arrival. Accavitti spoke about Nardelli’s passion, SRT’s direction in the post-Daimler era, and how he expects SRT will fare under new private ownership.



Source: http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/11/chrysler-srt-sp.html?CFID=8969433&CFTOKEN=13266942