Motor Authority - blog Tag: SRT10

The web is already buzzing with the snake-branded American supercar's potential benefit from Chrysler's new association with Ferrari parent company Fiat. The latest rumor? A Ferrari-derived V-10 powerplant in the works for the next-gen Dodge Viper.

Just a few months ago Chrysler was trying to sell off the Viper brand and its factory as the dark veil of bankruptcy descended. But now the future looks bright, with CEO Sergio Marchionne professing a desire to see the brand live on and now the latest talk of a Prancing Horse-inspired mill.

Originating with anonymous Fiat sources cited by Car and Driver, the reports are still anything but...

The web is already buzzing with the snake-branded American supercar's potential benefit from Chrysler's new association with Ferrari parent company Fiat. The latest rumor? A Ferrari-derived V-10 powerplant in the works for the next-gen Dodge Viper. Just a few months ago Chrysler was trying to sell off the Viper brand and its factory as the dark veil of bankruptcy descended. But now the future looks bright, with CEO Sergio Marchionne professing a desire to see the brand live on and now the latest talk of a Prancing Horse-inspired mill. Originating with anonymous Fiat sources cited by Car and Driver, the reports are still anything but official. Still, the talk of a turning the Viper from the little-known brute-force powerhouse it is now into the brand-defining halo car for Dodge is an attractive one for enthusiasts. The V10 engine at the heart of all this speculation would be a two-cylinder extension of the Fiat family V8. With 90-degree cylinder banks and pushrod-actuated valves, the Viper version would be a bit of a cross-breed, skipping the high-tech flat-plane crank found in the Ferrari version. Of course, the original Viper V-10 was born of collaboration with Lamborghini, so it's oddly appropriate another Italian supercar maker should help out this time around. The current 600-horsepower, 8.4-liter V-10 in the 2009 Viper SRT10 uses Mechadyne variable cam timing and pushrod valve actuation, so it's certainly not anything that would hold the car back. After all, the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is the current unofficial Nurburgring production car lap record holder with a time of 7:22.1 - over four seconds quicker than the 2009 Corvette ZR1 or 2010 Nissan GT-R. [Car and Driver] Read More

In the tumble of Fiat and Chrysler's alliance following Chrysler's bankruptcy, the future of the Viper has been a back-burner issue, but today, Dodge President and CEO Mike Accavitti announced that the Viper will in fact see continued production under the company's new leadership.

In the video below, Accavitti makes it plain that the new leadership is fully behind the continued production of the Viper at the Conner Avenue assembly plant. "The Viper lives. The new leadership team the Chrysler Group gets it," he said.

Since its introduction in 1989 at the Detroit Auto Show, the vehicle has had a rabid, if small, core following. When Chrysler... In the tumble of Fiat and Chrysler's alliance following Chrysler's bankruptcy, the future of the Viper has been a back-burner issue, but today, Dodge President and CEO Mike Accavitti announced that the Viper will in fact see continued production under the company's new leadership. In the video below, Accavitti makes it plain that the new leadership is fully behind the continued production of the Viper at the Conner Avenue assembly plant. "The Viper lives. The new leadership team the Chrysler Group gets it," he said. Since its introduction in 1989 at the Detroit Auto Show, the vehicle has had a rabid, if small, core following. When Chrysler began its descent into bankruptcy last year, the Viper brand was held close until the very end, and though it was ultimately shopped to potential suitors, no satisfactory offers were put on the table, and so the brand stayed with Chrysler. Now, under Fiat and Sergio Marchionne's leadership at the Chrysler Group, the Viper will continue forward, serving its niche of high-performance enthusiasts and pushing the envelope of what is possible in a production street car. After all, the Viper SRT10 ACR does hold the production car record lap time at the Nurburgring with a Corvette ZR1, Porsche GT2 and Nissan GT-R-beating time of 7:22.4 minutes. With its 8.4L, 600hp V10 engine and more-than-capable handling, perhaps it's no surprise. So far, over 25,000 Vipers have been built in the car's 17-year production run.Dodge Viper SRT 10 ACR2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 unleashedDodge CEO Mike Accavitti announces continued Viper production Read More

With the Dodge Viper business safely in Fiat’s hands for now, production at the car’s Conner Avenue plant in Michigan has finally resumed. Chrysler stopped production at all of its North American plants when it filed for bankruptcy on April 30.

The information was confirmed to the Wall Street Journal by Chrysler spokesman Max Gates, who said production started early today. The plant employs about 115 people and exclusively produces the Dodge Viper supercar for both street and racing applications. Additional assembly plants could return to production within the week. However, Chrysler is still planning to take all of its plants... With the Dodge Viper business safely in Fiat’s hands for now, production at the car’s Conner Avenue plant in Michigan has finally resumed. Chrysler stopped production at all of its North American plants when it filed for bankruptcy on April 30. The information was confirmed to the Wall Street Journal by Chrysler spokesman Max Gates, who said production started early today. The plant employs about 115 people and exclusively produces the Dodge Viper supercar for both street and racing applications. Additional assembly plants could return to production within the week. However, Chrysler is still planning to take all of its plants down during the weeks of July 13 and July 20 for the traditional summer shutdown. While this latest news offers a bright spot for Viper fans, Chrysler is planning to either sell the brand altogether or stop producing the vehicle by the end of the year. There has been speculation that Fiat wants to end the Viper’s reign because of fears it will steal sales from its Ferrari and Maserati brands. Chrysler’s remaining assets have been merged with Fiat, which now owns a 20% stake in the company.2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 unleashed Read More

Chrysler has been trying to sell its Dodge Viper sports car business since late last year but according to the struggling automaker, the once prominent brand couldn’t even muster up offers of $10 million. In fact, Chrysler insisted that it had received only one bid of $5.5 million from Devon Motorworks, which planned to use the Viper platform for its own GTX supercar.

It has since been revealed that several group had made offers of up to $35 million but these were before Chrysler’s bankruptcy, though there were reportedly knocked back for having insufficient financing.

Fast forward to today, and Chrysler, now out of bankruptcy... Chrysler has been trying to sell its Dodge Viper sports car business since late last year but according to the struggling automaker, the once prominent brand couldn’t even muster up offers of $10 million. In fact, Chrysler insisted that it had received only one bid of $5.5 million from Devon Motorworks, which planned to use the Viper platform for its own GTX supercar. It has since been revealed that several group had made offers of up to $35 million but these were before Chrysler’s bankruptcy, though there were reportedly knocked back for having insufficient financing. Fast forward to today, and Chrysler, now out of bankruptcy and in bed with Fiat, has announced that it has turned over all the Viper assets, including rights to the name, to the Italian auto giant. It’s now up to Fiat to decide whether it still wants to sell the Viper business or phase out altogether, reports Edmunds. Phasing out the brand, as dreadful as it sounds, is a possibility that’s gaining credence as there are fears that the Viper range is a competitor for the Ferrari and Maserati brands. The brand's sale, or death, would mark the end of a 17-year run of the Viper at Chrysler, with the first model having debuted in the 1992 model year. The company just produced its 25,000th Viper in March of this year, and celebrated the event with festivities that included the launch of the track-focused Viper SRT10 ACR.Dodge Viper SRT 10 ACRDevon Motor Works GTX official renderings Read More

You would think that an entity with as much cachet as the Dodge Viper business would have no trouble being sold during a fire sale but according to Chrysler the business couldn’t even muster up offers of $10 million. Reports last month that only one offer was made for the Viper business has left almost everyone scratching their heads, including several Michigan businessman and Republican congressman Darrell Issa.

All is not as it seems, according to new information from one of those Michigan businessman. Speaking with AutoWeek, Scott Devon, the CEO of a multi-million dollar frozen food business and the man behind niche sports car... You would think that an entity with as much cachet as the Dodge Viper business would have no trouble being sold during a fire sale but according to Chrysler the business couldn’t even muster up offers of $10 million. Reports last month that only one offer was made for the Viper business has left almost everyone scratching their heads, including several Michigan businessman and Republican congressman Darrell Issa. All is not as it seems, according to new information from one of those Michigan businessman. Speaking with AutoWeek, Scott Devon, the CEO of a multi-million dollar frozen food business and the man behind niche sports car company Devon Motorworks, has revealed that he made offers of up to $20 million. Another man, David Draper, who once owned vehicle customizing firm Cars & Concepts, even made an offer of up to $35 million. During bankruptcy proceedings last month, however, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli said there were no serious bidders. A spokesman for the automaker, David Elshoff, explained that those previous offers were made before the bankruptcy and were rejected because of unreliable financing on the buyer side. Republican congressman Darrell Issa, meanwhile, wants Chrysler to explain in full why it didn’t disclose any of these offers, stating that the hiding of information may have been illegal. The Viper business is now just another asset that can either be sold to the restructured Chrysler Group or go back on the market for public sale. Devon Motorworks was hoping to acquire the business, including any production facilities, to build a new supercar based on Dodge Viper running gear.2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 unleashedDevon Motor Works GTX official renderings Read More

Less than two days after Chrysler confirmed that it had received three offers for its Dodge Viper sports car business, the investors who just purchased most of the assets of specialty-car maker Saleen Automotive have revealed that they have also considered adding the Viper business to their portfolio.

The investors include Cyltec, Arrow Racing Engines, Control-Tec and Power-Tec Engineering. Grouped under the name MJ Acquisitions, they bought Saleen's street-performance car, aftermarket and supercharger business late last week.

Speaking with Automotive News, MJ Acquisitions representative Mike Shields confirmed the interest in the Viper... Less than two days after Chrysler confirmed that it had received three offers for its Dodge Viper sports car business, the investors who just purchased most of the assets of specialty-car maker Saleen Automotive have revealed that they have also considered adding the Viper business to their portfolio. The investors include Cyltec, Arrow Racing Engines, Control-Tec and Power-Tec Engineering. Grouped under the name MJ Acquisitions, they bought Saleen's street-performance car, aftermarket and supercharger business late last week. Speaking with Automotive News, MJ Acquisitions representative Mike Shields confirmed the interest in the Viper business but wasn't willing to give any details due to the touchy nature of the deal. On Tuesday, Chrysler co-president Jim Press revealed that his company was currently completing due diligence on the three bids it had received but that a decision was unlikely to come until after the viability presentation planned for the U.S. Treasury later this month. As for MJ Acquisitions recently acquired Saleen venture, Shields said he expects to continue with the aftermarket and supercharger business but commented that the Racecraft and flagship S-Line brands were currently under evaluation. Read More