At the Chrysler business plan meeting this morning, Ralph Gilles, CEO of the Dodge car brand, dropped big news on the Viper. After going back and forth for the past 18 months on what to do with Viper, Chrysler has decided that production of the current Viper will end in July 2010. Before that happens, 500 final cars will be built that, according to Gilles, will be the most special Vipers ever. Gilles explained that the company wanted to preserve the value of existing Vipers by not continuing the current generation indefinitely. He didn't give any details on what would be special with the final 500 cars.

However, Viper fans need not mourn yet. Gilles revealed that an all new car is being developed with a launch targeted in 2012! Even better the Viper will be getting some help from Chrysler's new Italian colleagues... and lets not forget about a certain Fiat outpost that uses a yellow-and-black Prancing Horse for its logo that's based in Maranello.

Source: AutoBlog

Dodge Motorsports today revealed the Dodge Challenger as the "New Car" for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and announced an expansion of its partnership with Penske Racing beginning in 2010. Dodge will provide support for Penske Racing’s two-car operation in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in addition to Penske’s three teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"As the performance brand of our new company, we are excited to expand our relationship with Penske Racing and introduce the iconic Dodge Challenger as our entry into the NASCAR Nationwide Series," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Car Brand. "Motorsports are a significant part of the Dodge brand’s legacy. Penske Racing has such a rich tradition in motorsports, and our partnership in the Nationwide Series will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase the Challenger and offer our loyal Dodge enthusiasts plenty of excitement in this very competitive series next year."

Penske Racing will field two teams, both running the full-season schedule. The Dodge Challenger will be used at the four "New Car" races NASCAR has designated, starting at Daytona in July. At the other 31 events that complete the 35-race season, Penske Racing will field Dodge Chargers as it did this season with the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger driven by Justin Allgaier. NASCAR is expecting full integration of the "New Car" in 2011.

Joining Allgaier will be Brad Keselowski in the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge. He also will compete in the Dodge Challenger for the four designated races and in a Charger for the remainder of the schedule.

"Today’s announcement further reinforces our relationship and commitment to Dodge Motorsports, and we are excited about our future with this great brand," said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. "We believe Dodge’s relationship with Penske Racing will continue to elevate and highlight both our brands and deliver value to Dodge enthusiasts."

Allgaier, in his rookie season in the Nationwide Series, is currently fifth in the season point standings and the leader among Rookie of the Year candidates.

"Penske Racing has a very successful relationship with the Dodge brand," commented Allgaier. "I am honored to be one of Dodge Motorsport’s drivers and to be able to drive the new Challenger in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is going to be awesome. The car looks great and will give the Nationwide Series its own identity."

Source: Paddocktalk

Las Vegas and most of the tuner industry is getting ready for the 2009 SEMA Show next week. The folks at SpeedFactory will come to the show with their new supercharged, all-aluminum 440 HEMI-powered Dodge Challenger.

SpeedFactory took the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a 6.1L HEMI Mopar aluminum block and increased the displacement to 440 cu. in. (to 7.2L). With a Vortech V3 centrifugal supercharger and other modifications, output was increased to a whopping 700-hp.

Complimenting the increase in performance is a Mopar Performance NAG 1 transmission, Mopar Performance fuel rails, Moroso coolant tank and oil pan, Getrag IRS with 1000 HP half-shafts, Corsa stainless steel cat back exhaust system, performance springs, sway bars, and additional strut tower braces, 15-inch Brembo 6 piston front disc brakes and Bridgestone R Compound tires mounted on 20-inch BS Black Edition CH-R wheels.

Source: eGMCarTech

Four months after exiting a U.S.-funded bankruptcy reorganization, Chrysler Group is about to unveil a product roadmap that relies heavily on vehicles from Italian partner Fiat (FIATY) while abandoning many of the U.S. carmaker's own models.

The plan, due to be unveiled Nov. 4, involves the reintroduction of Fiat's premium, sporty Alfa Romeo brand to the U.S. starting in 2012, The Wall Street Journal reported this afternoon.

Chrysler also will introduce the 500, Fiat's tiny car that is popular in Europe, to Americans. It won't, however, attach the Fiat name to it. More in the jump...

Chrysler meantime is preparing to phase out many of its current models, particularly Dodge cars, the Journal said.

Fiat and Chrysler are working to create several new vehicles with Fiat technology for the U.S. market, including a midsize Chrysler-brand sedan to be released in 2012.

The sweeping changes, due to play out over the next two to three years, represent a big gamble for Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, who has staked his reputation on the turnaround.

Marchionne, who successfully revamped Fiat, appears to be creating a vehicle lineup that stays true to Chrysler's blue-collar muscle-car and pickup roots while adding European-style vehicles to attract a new, more white-collar customer.

But in the short term, Marchionne's task is to keep the company afloat until 2012 when the bulk of the new offerings will come to the U.S.

Chrysler is faced now with shrinking market share and few new models coming to market. While it doesn't disclose its finances, Fiat has said repeatedly it won't inject any money into Chrysler despite receiving a 20% ownership stake in the company's reorganization.

Instead, it is contributing technology and management expertise.

"The biggest issue this company has is getting through the next few years," Rebecca Lindland, an automotive analyst at IHS Global Insight, told the Journal.

"They are going to have a hard time maintaining market share, let alone increasing it."

Source: MSN

Street racers of a certain age have fond memories of the original Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger and its many escapades on drag strips across the country. For the upcoming SEMA show, Mopar has re-created a latter-day street car, the Dodge Challenger 1320, inspired by the standard quarter-mile drag strip, which measures 1,320 feet.

The street-legal Challenger 1320 "image vehicle" sprang from a Mopar Drag Pak Dodge Challenger, a stripped-down race-only version of the production car, designed for the drag strip and available only by special order.

Chrysler has shoehorned a massive 7.0-liter Hemi V8 — that would be 426 cubic inches, for you muscle-car buffs — into the engine bay. With Mopar valve covers, long-tube headers and exhaust system, the oversize V8 packs 556 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is transferred to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, a custom Dynatrac rear housing with Dana 60 internals and a selectable ARB locking rear diff.

The Challenger 1320 rides on Mickey Thompson drag radials mounted on Mopar police wheels, with adjustable coil-over shocks at all four corners.

Accentuating the retro look are a bulged hood with Hemi scoop, a front spoiler and a grille panel/headline surround, all rendered in carbon fiber and designed by Seibon.

Inside, the Challenger features Dodge Viper seats, Hurst shifter and sport steering wheel. The radio, center console and rear seat have been removed to cut weight.

Source: InsideLine

Of the three classic muscle car nameplates currently on sale in the United States, the Dodge Challenger may very well sport the most retro look and feel. Whether or not that's a good thing depends on your personal point of view, but Chrysler seems happy to accept the role and is further promoting the link to Challenger's '70s heritage with a new Plum Crazy Pearl Coat color option for 2010.

In case you're not aware, Plum Crazy was the surprisingly popular deep purple hue found on the Challenger and its stablemate, the Plymouth Barracuda, during the heyday of the American muscle car wars. These days, any car originally painted up in Plum Crazy has an intrinsic value to many collectors, and it seems Dodge is hoping for a similar situation the second time around.

The purple color is only available on R/T (for $225) and SRT models (for $500) for 2010 and the package also includes Plum interior stitching and a Plum seat stripe on the SRT8. Outside, buyers can choose from either Black Dual Wide Stripes or a newly-optional set of stripes in white. Previous High Impact colors Detonator Yellow and B-5 Blue are no longer available for order.

Also new for the Challenger in 2010 is a Super Track Pack option for a reasonable $400 that allows the driver to fully disengage stability control (finally) and adds 245/45ZR20 tires from Goodyear along with an uprated suspension with Load Leveling and Height Control, Performance Steering and heavy-duty disc brakes.

Source: AutoBlog

Chrysler's new Italian management on Monday announced a surprise shake-up of the automaker's executive team, saying two recently appointed brand CEOs have left and that it was splitting Dodge into two groups, one focusing on trucks and the other on cars.

The moves marked the second management reorganization since Fiat Group SpA CEO Sergio Marchionne took control of Chrysler on June 10 when it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Peter Fong, president and CEO of the Chrysler brand and the company's top sales executive, and Michael Accavitti, president and CEO of the Dodge brand, abruptly left the company, Fong for personal reasons and Accavitti to pursue other interests, Chrysler said in a statement.

Sales of Chrysler Group LLC vehicles, which consist of the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands, are down 39 percent for the first nine months of the year. Chrysler also was caught unprepared for the government's Cash for Clunkers program and had too few small vehicles on dealer lots to benefit much from the rebates.

Source: Associated Press

The freshened Ford Mustang outpointed two other reincarnated muscle cars — the Chevrolet Camaro and the Dodge Challenger — as well as the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe in Consumer Reports’ tests of six sporty cars and coupes in the October issue.

The Mustang received a Very Good overall road test score of 78, outpointing the Camaro which received a Very Good 71, and the Challenger, which received a Good 53 points. CR’s engineers found the Mustang’s 2010 freshening makes it an even more balanced and satisfying driver’s car than ever before. A lot in the jump!

The new Camaro shares basic underpinnings with the Pontiac G8 sedan. The Challenger is based on the large Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger rear-wheel-drive sedans. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe received a Very Good test score and is distinct from the rest of the group. It is loosely based on the Genesis luxury sedan and is powered by either a turbocharged four-cylinder or V6 engine, in contrast to the muscle cars’ V8s.

CR also tested the redesigned Nissan 370Z two-seat coupe, an agile sports car which received a Very Good test score, and the updated and improved 2009 Subaru Impreza WRX, which also received a Very Good test score.

Prices ranged from $38,565 for the 370Z to $26,088 for the WRX. The Mustang has average reliability and is Recommended, as is the WRX. The other models are too new to have reliability data for CR to Recommend them. CR only Recommends vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on CR’s Annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than seven million print and web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

Full tests and ratings of the sporty cars test group appear in the October issue of Consumer Reports, which goes on sale September 1. The reports are also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org . Updated daily, ConsumerReports.org is the go-to site for the latest auto reviews, product news, blogs on breaking news and car buying information.

In everyday driving, the Mustang corners with agility and the highway ride is civilized. The Ford Mustang GT premium, ($34,725 Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price as tested) is powered by a 315-hp, 4.6-liter V8 engine that delivers strong acceleration and gets 20 mpg overall in CR’s own fuel economy tests. The engine has a deep burble that is pleasing to listen to. The five-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly and accurately. Braking is Very Good. The 2010 freshening brought upgraded interior materials and better fit and finish.

The Camaro provides blistering performance and handles capably, but its girth undermines its agility. The Chevrolet Camaro 2SS ($35,425, MSRP as tested), is powered by a 426-hp, 6.2-liter, V8 engine that delivers very strong performance and 18 mpg overall. The engine sounds great when the throttle is punched. The six-speed manual transmission has a good feel. Braking is excellent. The interior is nicely finished despite gaps around the instrument panel and some cheap plastics.

With exhilarating straight-line acceleration, a brawny V8, and stock-car styling, the Challenger recaptures the character of the American muscle car. The Dodge Challenger R/T ($36,600, MSRP as tested), is powered by a 370-hp, 5.7-liter “Hemi” V8 engine that delivers strong performance and 18 mpg overall. The optional six-speed manual transmission shifts well with a pistol-like grip that fits snugly in hand. Whatever wind and road noise there is, and it’s not much, is overwhelmed by the invigorating engine growl. Braking is mediocre and it has a big car feel rather than a sports car. The well-assembled interior has a nicely padded dash and nostalgic horizontal seat stitching.

The Genesis Coupe has agile handling that makes make it fun to drive, which is unusual for a Hyundai. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Grand Touring ($28,375, MSRP as tested), is powered by a 306-hp, 3.8-liter V6 engine and gets an impressive 23 mpg overall. The V6 engine smoothly hums under acceleration. However, the interaction of the six-speed manual transmission’s shifter and heavy clutch make it a challenge to get smooth shifts. Braking is very good. The interior is nicely finished, although it’s not luxurious like the Genesis sedan’s.

The WRX’s ride is taut, yet controlled and the car is steady yet compliant on the highway. The Subaru WRX ($26,088, MSRP as tested), is powered by a 265-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers very strong acceleration and gets 24 mpg overall. It’s well matched to a five-speed manual transmission. In everyday driving, the WRX engine has the manners of a typical four-cylinder with mileage to match. Braking is excellent. Interior plastics are all hard, but the interior is well-assembled.

Redesigned for 2009, the two-seat 370Z is shorter and better finished than its predecessor, the 350Z. Great handling and braking are high points of the 370Z, as is abundant power. The cabin is cramped and noisy, it’s hard to see out, and the stiff ride is wearing over time. The Nissan 370Z Touring ($38,565, MSRP as tested), is a real sports car with quick handling and lots of grip. It is powered by a 332-hp, 3.7-liter V6 engine that gets 23 mpg overall, but on premium fuel. The six-speed manual transmission’s short-throw shifter has a good feel. Braking is excellent. The interior has exceptional fit and finish.

The elephantine rear airfoil bolted to the rear deck of the Dodge Viper ACR is not only highly functional, but it gets credit as being the first mass-produced carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) wing on a production car. Rear wings on high performance vehicles are designed to counter lift. Without aerodynamic aids, most vehicles become less stable and have reduced grip as velocities increase (worst case, the vehicle actually flies as did the Mercedes CLR at Le Mans in 1999).

Chrysler's SRT Performance Group was tasked with building a faster variant of the Dodge Viper with the ACR, yet cutting weight at the same time. The team did extensive studies of wing profiles before settling on a 72-inch wide wing manufactured out of CFRP. While most wings have a structural core or ribbing, the ACR's hollow wing is comprised of just four layers of epoxy/carbon fiber weave with an outer UV-resistant clearcoat.

The wing is amazingly strong (as evidenced by the picture at right), yet it weighs just 7.5 lbs, 50 to 80 percent less than an aluminum or thermoplastic counterpart. Working in conjunction with a variable-geometry front splitter and dive planes, the oversized rear wing helps the Viper ACR achieve its targeted 1,000 lbs of downforce at 150 mph. That's enough to help Dodge's supercar sustain a cornering load of 1.5 Gs at speed – superior to many GT racing cars.

Source: AutoBlog

Now that Fiat has inherited control of the Viper brand (attempts by Chrysler to sell it resulted in a single bid of a paltry $5.5 million), buzz has been circulating about the fate of America’s other sports car. According to our sources, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has big plans for the Viper sub-brand. Marchionne thinks Viper has the potential to be to Dodge what Miata is to Mazda—a halo car that transmits the brand’s best attributes, and one that has tremendous marketing potential in car enthusiast/amateur racing circles.

Currently floating through the executive offices in Torino is a plan to fit the Dodge with a V-10 version of the next-generation corporate V-8. This 90-degree engine would be modular top to bottom as well as by cylinder, with a flat-plane crank for the Ferrari V-8, a conventional cross-plane crank for the Maserati V-8, and pushrod-actuated valves for the balance-shafted Viper V-10.

An interesting irony here is that Lamborghini, back when it was in Chrysler’s control, helped to develop the Viper’s aluminum V-10.

Source: Car and Driver

Reviewers have praised the 2011 concept Dodge Circuit EV. Many have driven the prototype model and Chrysler previously announced that the vehicle would be produced, then speculation came suggesting the program was canceled especially in light of the economic issues. However, there is now new evidence indicating the program may still be underway.

Chrysler is currently testing prototypes of the Circuit EV in Michigan, Arizona, and the UK. Chrysler has proving ground in both of the U.S. states, but why would prototypes be in testing around the world if the program is cancelled and there is no hope for production.

Chrysler recently announced their commitment to electric vehicles. They will introduce their first EV next year, but will the Circuit make the list down the line? According to Lou Rhodes, the president of Chrysler's ENVI division which focuses solely on electric vehicles, the Circuit may still be a possibility. More in the jump!

In an interview with Car and Driver, Rhodes spoke in some detail about the Circuit's future. He may have let a few words slip out to intrigue listeners or they may have been words planned to unofficially state that the program is still underway. Either way, here are the details. According to Rhodes, the Circuit would be produced at the Lotus factory and then shipped to a U.S factory for electric component install. The prototype vehicles are undergoing constant modifications one of which will cut the 0-60 mph time by a half second.

Rhodes says that Chrysler intends to sell 100,000 EVs which will reduce costs due to the scale of the effort. The Circuit EV could undercut the price of the Tesla Roadster by "tens of thousands" according to Rhodes.

Much of this information is probably still speculation, but drawing from the clues hinted at by Rhodes, its believable that the Circuit EV may still see production someday. With constant focus and effort put into the program, it's unlikely that its merely for eye appeal.

Developing prototypes and testing prototypes costs money and takes up precious time. Why invest both time and money into a product that isn't intended for production? To date, Chrysler has spent an estimated 3 years perfecting this vehicle, hopefully it only takes a few more until the production version become a reality.

Source: All Cars Electric

The Dodge Viper has received a reprieve. After nearly a year of trying to sell the iconic sports car business, Chrysler said Friday it will continue to build the Viper SRT10. Production was expected to end at the Connor Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, known as the “Snake Pit,” in December.

But the new Chrysler has reversed its decision after a review of the company’s products, and top executives found the Viper to be a viable business going forward. The current lineup, including the ACR and competition versions, will continue.

“It’s off the table,” a spokesman said.

Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy in June, and the new company is led by Fiat. The Viper plant was the first to re-start production. More than 25,000 Vipers have been built since the car launched in 1992. The current SRT10 is powered by an 8.4-liter, 600-hp V10 that can hit 60 mph in less than four seconds. The fourth-generation model hit the market in 2008.

Source: AutoWeek

The Competition/Plus project was started in an effort to provide a more affordable package, as well as appeal to customers who might not necessarily want the classic gold paint schemes. Named after the legendary shifter that helped make Hurst famous, the package includes only the essentials: an Eibach suspension system, Magnaflow exhaust system, Hurst 20-inch alloy wheels, color-matched leather inserts and stitching for the interior, matte black exterior accents, and, of course, a Competition/Plus short throw shifter with the classic white ball. We're told the package is available on any color of Challenger, whether it's the B5 Blue pictured here, Hemi Orange, TorRed or any other.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but full details on the car should be released soon. More images at the source!

Source: AutoBlog

Call it project Sniper, project Nitemare, or just bat poop crazy, but Scott Vanderschoor’s twin-turbo, Viper V10 powered Mustang project has officially transitioned from garage-bound dream to functioning automobile status and we have the video to prove it.

The link was sent to us by Scott Clark (DieselGeek on the forums) who spends some of his spare time doing what he’s doing in this video, tuning and dialing in fuel injection setups on cars that range from fairly tame to, well, this.

Vanderschoor, it needs to be mentioned is a home builder, and he performed the work on every aspect of this amazing project. He’s been providing photo updates throughout the build on the BangShift.com forums.

This is a quickie video that shows the car’s first fire up and Clark establishing a baseline to have the car idle and behave itself well enough to get it onto the dyno rollers and really put the wood to that big V10. Video in the jump!



Source: Bangshift

Now that Chrysler has completed its sale to Fiat SpA, the newly formed Chrysler Group LLC resumed production at its first factory since coming out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Surprisingly, the plant that Chrysler chose to reopen first is its Conner Avenue plant, which makes the low-volume Dodge Viper.

There has been quite an interesting controversy involved with Chrysler’s Viper business, which now belongs to Fiat SpA. The Auburn Hills automaker has built only 61 cars at the Conner Avenue plant this year.

Chrysler shut down all operations after its Chapter 11 filing on April 30. According to Automotive News, most plants are now scheduled to resume production by the end of June.

“At this time, we cannot give exact timing in regards to the start of production at our other manufacturing facilities,” the Fiat SpA controlled automaker said in a statement today.

The plants will first resume production of some 2009 models and will then switch to 2010 models after the normal summer shutdown in July.

Source: eGMCarTech