As some other traditional domestics are ditching their minivan products, the originator of the segment has been working away at the newest version of their bread and butter. Daimler Chrysler has a lot at stake with the next generation Caravan and they need to get it right. In a segment where everybody and their brother is offering easy stowing seats, dvd screens and navi, DCX needed to pull out on the stops on the features front if they are planning on wooing soccer moms across North America.
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Dodge Viper

In days of old, car manufacturers would give preview pics of upcoming models to journos that they could not publish under penalty of death. Now, in these days of the internets, those embargos are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In some cases they are becoming fodder for the overactive American legal system. On the other hand, some automakers are using the web to their own advantage by beating bloggers at their own game and officially leaking pics.

Yesterday’s big loser winner in the leaked photos department seems to be Daimler Chrysler, who had no less than 3 new models leaked prior to the NAIAS in Detroit. Photos abound of the new Jeep Trailhawk, Dodge Viper and the Chrysler Nassau concept vehicle. The upcoming Chevy Malibu has also made an early appearance.

The big question here is: Broken embargo or deliberate leak?

More pics after the break
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