SWEEPING changes aimed at putting Chrysler Corporation back on the road to profitability have delayed the UK introduction of a high performance version of the Neon saloon. The troubled American car manufacturer spelled out more details about its future and gave more information about its new structure following the announcement earlier this year that it was due to close six factories and make 26,000 people redundant.

Meanwhile, British customers will have to wait only a few more weeks for the go-faster version of the US company's smallest model, the Neon. 'Supplies have started to reach us and each of our dealers should have two examples of the R/T model in stock by the time it is launched at the end of next month,' said Chrysler UK marketing chief Steve Gray. He told Fleet NewsNet: 'We expected to have the car on sale by now, but production has been affected by the cutbacks announced by new company chief executive Dieter Zetsche.

'However, our plans for the R/T version have been only slightly affected and despite the delay, we're still confident of selling 500 examples this year,' he said. Tuned to produce 150bhp the 2.0 litre compact car is said to accelerate to 62mph from rest in around nine seconds and have a 120mph top speed.