Chrysler to go hunting 3?

Chrysler has made a habit of stealing the thunder of higher profile prestige brands at motor shows – especially at its home event, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
 
Cars like the Viper, the Prowler (alright, that was a Plymouth, but close enough) and the show cars that preceded the launch of the 300C, all dropped jaws at their respective debuts and went on to provide business and, perhaps more importantly, momentum for the carmaker.
 
So as this story is written on the eve of the opening of the 2008 NAIAS, is Chrysler -- perhaps more in need of 'momentum' now than at any other time in its history -- about to do it again?
 
The hot rumour in Detroit is that the beleaguered American brand will show a prototype of the car it could pitch against BMW's 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as well as Audi's A4 and Lexus IS, at tomorrow's NAIAS opening.
 
Though it will be in the shape of an electrically-powered vehicle, and wearing the maker's ENVI 'skunkworks' label, the rear-wheel drive car is said to be production-ready using a cut-down version of the platform upon which the 300C, Challenger and Charger are all built.
 
Dubbed 200C, the Carsales Network learned of the car's claimed existence at a Chrysler function last night, just hours before the NAIAS' opening. But that's all we know...
 
A '200C' would make a lot of sense if the brand is serious about markets like Europe and the UK where the 300C is hamstrung by its size. In the USA it would also give the carmaker a point of difference from the largely front-wheel drive near-premium domestic competition.
 
Debuting the car in electric form gives the carmaker the ability to garner some green kudos and test the water for a mainstream four, six and perhaps eight-cylinder combustion engined version.
 
Are the pieces falling into place?
 
Like you, we're eager to see whether the Auburn Hills crowd can pull a rabbit out of its hat and bounce back into the spotlight. At least we don't have long to wait to find out whether the 200C rumour is true or not...
 
Look out for more news on the 200C (or not!) and more coverage direct from Detroit in the days to come.