[Scoop]

[CNN]

Towards the end of 2010, Dodge will cease production of its Viper sports car that was first introduced in 1992. To celebrate the final production of the current generation Viper SRT10, Dodge is adding new colors, improving performance and introducing a series of special edition models. All in all, the Detroit automaker plans to build around 500 Vipers for the last model year.

Changes for the 'base' 2010 Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe models are limited to the introduction of two new exterior colors –Toxic Orange Pearl Coat and Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat, and a shorter fifth gear ratio (changing from 0.74 to 0.80) for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speeds.

Power continues to come from a 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600HP and 560 lb.-ft. (760 Nm) of torque, with Dodge claiming a 0-60 mph (96 km/h)in under 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat, and a top speed of 202 mph or 325 km/h.

Body style offerings remain unchanged with the availability of Roadster and Coupe models along with the ACR (American Club Racer) package

The hardcore Viper SRT10 ACR which recently set a new lap record at the Laguna Seca raceway, gets a new short-throw shifter and a redesigned rear wing profile and end plates in 2010. Dodge said that these changes combined with the new fifth gear ratio result in an increased top speed of 4 mph, to 184 mph (296km/h) for the ACR model.

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Dodge introduced the first two of a series of special edition models of the Viper that are to come in 2010.

First up is the Viper ACR 1:33 Edition, which pays tribute to the new production car lap record set on Nov. 24 at Laguna Seca raceway. It features a unique two-tone Black Clear Coat / Red Clear Coat exterior color scheme which is the exact opposite of the original ACR model. Interior highlights include piano black console bezels with red gauge highlights complemented with red accent stitching in the seats. Production will be limited to 33 cars.

The second special model is the Vooodoo-edition Viper ACR that gets an all Black Clear Coat exterior with a Graphite Driver's Stripe outlined in red. Only 10 examples of this model will be built.

More details and pricing on all 2010 Dodge Vipers will be announced at a later date.

The subtly revised 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, which is set to make its world premiere at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show, has set a new lap record at the Laguna Seca with a time of 1:33.915 as recorded by Motech in-vehicle data recorder (1:33.944'' as unofficially recorded by trackside clock) breaking the previous lap record of 1.35.117 set by a Devon GTX this past August. The 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was piloted by SRT vehicle dynamics engineer, Chris Winkler.

"It was definitely exciting but a somewhat uneventful lap overall from behind the steering wheel," said Winkler. "The Dodge Viper ACR has amazing power and handles like a dream, so following my first practice here last month, I came away pretty confident that we'd be able to set a new record."

In the final year of the Viper's production, the hardcore ACR, (first introduced in 2008), receives a series of upgrades including a shorter fifth gear ratio that changes from 0.74 to 0.80 for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speed, a new short-throw shifter and a redesigned rear wing to further optimize aerodynamics and improve rear yaw downforce.

Dodge says that these improvements result in an increase in top speed of 4 mph, to 184 mph (296 km/h) for the 2010 model.

There are no other changes for the Viper ACR that is powered by an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque, for a 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration in under 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat.

Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand and Senior Vice President, Product Design Office, Chrysler Group LLC, said that the company plans to release several special edition models during the last year of the Viper including a Laguna Seca edition to commemorate the record lap. All in all, around 500 Vipers will be produced in 2010.

Via 24hcar

More of a result of pipe-dreaming than actual inside info, the 2010 Plymouth Road Runner Concept that’s featured in the August/September issue of Mopar Enthusiast magazine is based on the new Dodge Challenger using styling cues from the ’71-’72 model year Road Runners. The folks at Mopar Enthusiast beleive that if the car were to be produced today, it should be powered by a HEMI 5.7L V8 as standard with 6.1L and 7.0L V8 HEMIs being offered as optional equipment.


Via: Autoblog.com , Source: Mopar Enthusiast

A little over a year ago, we showed you some conceptual designs for a modern day successor to Plymouth's 1971-1975 Road Runner based on today's Dodge Challenger. The concept was penned by Michael Leonhard and featured in the August/September issue of Mopar Enthusiast magazine. Then, it was nothing more than a vision of what the car would look like.

However, Leonhard got in contact with Carscoop to inform us that he has put the design up for auction on eBay with the intent to build a one-off model that if all goes well, will be displayed and delivered to its owner at next year's Los Angeles Auto Show.

Leonhard's proposal, which looks pretty neat in the computer generated images, is essentially a reskinned 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 that takes styling cues from the '71-'72 Plymouth Road Runner.

The designer's plans also include a modified interior with new seat covers, door trims, headliner and rear-quarter trim while maintaining the Challenger's dashboard and console.

Underneath the skin, it is proposed that the one-off 2010 Plymouth Road Runner will get a turbocharged version of the SRT8's 6.1-liter HEMI V8 engine with 620HP and 650 lb-ft of torque for an estimated 0-60mph time of around 3.8 seconds and the quarter mile sprint in 11.9 seconds - all in theory of course.

It all sounds very nice until you read the eBay Motor's 'Buy it Now' price of US $950,000 (for the completed vehicle) combined with the fact that Leonhard has not revealed the name of what is described as, "the world leading and renowned company specializing in coach building and concept car manufacturing" that will handle the build of the car on the auction page.

Not to generalize, but even if we were passionate enough to spend the same amount of money as it would cost us to buy, let's say, a new Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, (around $350,000), a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S ($132,000), a Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS ($133,700) and still have enough cash left around for half a dozen of 2010 Corvette Grand Sports ($55,000 a piece), for a car that's in essence, a rebodied and modified $44,000 Challenger, we would like to see it in the flesh, let alone know every single detail about its build.

Naturally, those interested, may contact Leonhard for more information directly through his website here.

All the same, since we really like the project, we'd like to wish him the best of luck in his attempt to make the 2010 Plymouth Road Runner Concept a reality.

Link: eBay

Just over a year ago, the Chrysler Group's newly formed Envi division unveiled a series of production-based electric cars that it planned to put on sale. Fast forward a few months, Chrysler went in and out of bankruptcy, sealed a deal with the Fiat Group and then, in August 2009 under the leadership of its new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, secured a $73 million grant from the Obama administration for the manufacturing of 220 plug-in hybrid and electric pickup trucks and minivans in St. Louis and in Michigan. Well, guess what;

According to a news report from Reuters, as part of the Marchione's recently announced five-year business plan to revitalize the Chrysler Group, Fiat has pulled the plug on the automaker's Envi division as well as the development of the test fleet for which it had received the government grant.

Chrysler spokesman Nick Cappa told Reuters on Friday that Envi, which was responsible for the EV range, will be absorbed in the normal vehicle development program and its former chief Lou Rhodes will head an electric car division for both Fiat and Chrysler.

The group's CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters that for the time being and with the current technology available, he doesn't believe much in EVs and that electric cars would represent just "one or two per cent" (less than 60,000 vehicles) of Chrysler's sales by 2014.

"Until the (battery) storage gets resolved, I think electric vehicles are going to struggle," Marchionne said.

As of yet, there's no official word from Chrysler, but if the report from Reuters concerning the part about the scrapping of the 220 plug-in hybrids turns out to be true, one should wonder what's going to (or what should) happen to the $73 million grant that the automaker received. Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Back in the late 1960's, Dodge developed the Charger Daytona race car to compete in NASCAR but to comply with the rules, they also had to build at least 500 copies to sell to the public and thus was born the Charger Daytona, the most outrageous musclecar of the time. Taking a step back into the good old days, the guys over at Heide Performance Products created the modern day successor to the road-legal racer with the Dodge Challenger-based Daytona concept that was shown at this week's SEMA.

The concept model gets all the design features that made the original Daytona look special such as the 'mile-high' rear wing, the elongated front nose piece, the hood scoops and the front fender trims.

Other highlight of the Dodge Challenger Daytona include the Vortech supercharged 5.7-liter V8 engine that should be good for around 600 horsepower or more, the KW Automotive sport suspension and the Magnaflow sport exhaust system.

Link: HPP