ChryslerMerger

Despite Reuters reports of Hyundai's interest in Chrysler and specifically the Jeep brand, Hyundai has gone on record denying it. We've grown accustomed to automakers giving the arbitrary "no comment" response when the rumormill swirls with corporate takeover talk, but Hyundai has flat-out denied any interest at all. Almost in the same sentence, though, officials from the Korean automaker state that the company is interested in constructing new plants overseas, so we wonder if there's any fire behind the smokescreen, possibly outside the United States. Perhaps not.

Click above for high-res gallery of the Viper ACR

The automotive world is abuzz with rumors and speculation regarding a possible Chrysler merger, and with good reason. It appears Cerberus, which owns 80.1% of Chrysler LLC, may be ready to wash its hands of the auto industry, and either General Motors, Nissan, or some other entity altogether could take the Pentastar off the private company's hands. Optimistic Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press told reporters at a recent Society of Automotive Engineers' conference that Chrysler would "be around", and that everyone should stop paying attention to wild speculation by the news media (Is he talking about us?).

The Chrysler rumormill is running at full steam for obvious reasons, and the latest talk surrounds Chrysler and its $3 billion Phoenix V6 engine program. Word on the street is that the project has been canceled, which makes abundant sense if in fact a Chrysler merger is imminent. If a deal to merge Chrysler with either General Motors or Renault/Nissan materializes, both potential mates have V6 engines that are vastly superior to anything nestled under the hood of a Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep. Why would either automaker want to spend $3 billion for something it already has?

General Motors and Cerberus reportedly want to act as quickly as possible if they are going to make a move on Chrysler. It seems that the two bargainers would like to come to a decision before the upcoming Presidential elections, as they believe they may get more promises from either candidate before the actual vote takes place. A potential problem exists though, as General Motors is finding it tough to come up with the cash needed to make a deal happen and banks aren't about the lend it to them. An alternative option that's being considered is getting government backing for the deal.

Bob Nardelli, Chrysler's current CEO, has given his employees the closest thing to an admission as we are likely to see that the company has been in serious negotiations with other automakers regarding future product plans and possibly even mergers. As has been widely reported over the weekend, Chrysler has apparently had discussions with General Motors regarding a tie-up between the two automakers, and the rumormill is churning away with stories that GM isn't the only suitor. Carlos Ghosn already has a history of merging automakers, and his Nissan/Renault partnership has naturally been recalled as a possible mate with Chrysler, as have Fiat and Tata Motors.