Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance

The Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance, or GEMA, is a manufacturing arm of Global Engine Alliance LLC, which is a joint venture of DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, and Hyundai Motor Company for developing a line of shared engines. Sometimes the GEMA is nicknamed the World Engine. GEMA has two factories in Dundee, Michigan. Production will begin in 2005 and will continue at least through 2012 with approximately 2,000,000 engines produced annually. 20 different automobile models from the three companies will use the engines. Each manufacturer has configured their variants of the basic GEMA design differently, so consumers will likely experience different horsepower, gas mileage, and "feel" from each manufacturer.

Related Topics:
Joint venture - DaimlerChrysler - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation - Hyundai Motor Company - Dundee, Michigan

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The plan to pool resources and share risks was dealt a serious setback when DaimlerChrysler announced in 2004 that it would sell its stake in financially-troubled Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi subsequently announced that it would scale back GEMA engine purchase projections, which may affect the expected economies of scale.

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GEMA will produce a single family of 4-cylinder engines with variable valve timing; there are no 5 or 6 cylinder familes planned at this time. The range starts with a 1.8 L unit which will principally find use in European and Asian markets, and includes 2.0 L and 2.4 L variants which will find use in the United States. Turbocharged and supercharged versions may also be produced, as in Chrysler's similar Tritec motor.

Related Topics:
4-cylinder - Variable valve timing - Turbocharged - Supercharged - Tritec

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Chrysler intends to use the 2.0 L 150 hp GEMA engine as the base engine, in the United States, in its new Caliber, which is a replacement for the Neon (on September 20, 2005, Chrysler announced it was ending production of the Neon). The Caliber is a four-door vehicle similar in appearance and configuration to the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe twins, and is slated for introduction in the first quarter of 2006. There has been no announcement from Chrysler as to whether it will advance the introduction date for the Caliber, since with the cancellation of the Neon, Chrysler is left without a small, high mileage model.

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Chrysler has announced a signifant increase in horsepower (132 => 150) with the new GEMA 2.0 engine over the old Neon engine, coupled with some increase in fuel economy.

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The 2.4 L 170 hp variant of the GEMA engine has been scheduled by Chrysler for use in the performance-oriented R/T trim line of the Caliber.

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The larger 2.4 L 170 hp GEMA variant will probably also become the base engine in the next-generation of the Stratus/Sebring, since the current generation Stratus and Sebring use an existing 2.4 L displacement engine as their base engine offering. The Stratus and Sebring replacements are slated for introduction as 2007 models.

Related Topics:
Stratus - Sebring

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Chrysler expects to use the GEMA family of engines in nine other models.

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Chrysler projects that it will buy up to 840,000 GEMA engines annually.

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