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Motor Authority - blog Category: Viper

  • Breaking: Dodge Viper Done By July 2010, Coming Back In 2012 With Fiat Group DNA

    Breaking: Dodge Viper Done By July 2010, Coming Back In 2012 With Fiat Group DNA November 4th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, November 4th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 7 Comments

    Breaking: Dodge Viper Done By July 2010, Coming Back In 2012 With Fiat Group DNA

    Today Chrysler is revealing its 5-year plan, and one of the biggest bombshells so far is that Dodge will produce only 500 more units of the Dodge Viper. But according to Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles, those 500 will be the most special Vipers ever made. Once they're done, production will end, no later than July, 2010. But that's not the end of the Viper story.

    The Viper will be back by summer of 2012, according to Gilles. And best of all, perhaps, is that it will leverage some of Fiat's sportscar DNA. In an oblique reference, Gilles mentioned Fiat's sports car-focused brands--hinting strongly at Ferrari--as providing the basis for the...

    Today Chrysler is revealing its 5-year plan, and one of the biggest bombshells so far is that Dodge will produce only 500 more units of the Dodge Viper. But according to Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles, those 500 will be the most special Vipers ever made. Once they're done, production will end, no later than July, 2010. But that's not the end of the Viper story. The Viper will be back by summer of 2012, according to Gilles. And best of all, perhaps, is that it will leverage some of Fiat's sportscar DNA. In an oblique reference, Gilles mentioned Fiat's sports car-focused brands--hinting strongly at Ferrari--as providing the basis for the revived Viper. No details or specifics were revealed, however. As for what shape the final 500 Vipers will take, Dodge will be hard-pressed to top the Viper SRT10 ACR. That car still dominates production-car Nurburgring times with a 7:22.1--three tenths faster than the much newer Corvette ZR1 and ahead of almost all of its rivals. The same 600-horsepower 8.4-liter V-10 engine is almost a certainty, but an even lighter, more exotic Viper could be in the works. On the flip side, they could go more luxurious with the car, adding an interior that takes the Viper more into the realm of supercar than its current position of street-legal race car. We'll have to wait and see, but it's certainly some of the most exciting news to come out of Dodge in recent months. Read More

  • Video: Devon GTX Sets Unofficial Laguna Seca Lap Record

    Video: Devon GTX Sets Unofficial Laguna Seca Lap Record August 14th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson's avatar Nelson Ireson, Author, August 14th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 9 Comments

    Video: Devon GTX Sets Unofficial Laguna Seca Lap Record

     

    America does horsepower, it even does handling, but aside from the Corvette ZR1, it doesn't really do supercars. At least not in the modern sense of the word. But one company, Devon Motorworks, hopes to change that perception. It's off to a good start, claiming to have set the unofficial production car lap record at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California - and now we have a video of the lap.

    The GTX is due for its official debut this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the company is still playing the car's specifications close to its vest, but they have released the Laguna Seca lap time of 1:35.075. The company says...

      America does horsepower, it even does handling, but aside from the Corvette ZR1, it doesn't really do supercars. At least not in the modern sense of the word. But one company, Devon Motorworks, hopes to change that perception. It's off to a good start, claiming to have set the unofficial production car lap record at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California - and now we have a video of the lap. The GTX is due for its official debut this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the company is still playing the car's specifications close to its vest, but they have released the Laguna Seca lap time of 1:35.075. The company says that's a production-car record, beating out the likes of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo and Corvette ZR-1. The last we heard from Devon was the company's $5.5 million low-ball bid for Chrysler's Viper brand back before the bankruptcy and eventual Fiat acquistition. The company had hoped to use the Viper plant to build its very own supercar, the GTX. While not much is known about the GTX, purchasing the Viper business would have allowed Devon to base the car around the renowned Viper platform. We should know much more about the GTX on Saturday, when a prototype of the car is revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours. “There is no more important event in the world for cars in this class,” says Devon Motorworks CEO and founder Scott Devon. “We realize that – by introducing the Devon GTX at the Concours d’Elegance – we are asking the world’s automotive elite to bless this car. With its bold design and outstanding performance characteristics, we are quite confident we will earn their approval.” The company is also expected to attempt to break the world lap record for a production car at the Nurburgring this summer, so keep an eye out for news of that as well. What we know so far is that the car’s design is being handled by noted Swedish designer and former Ford employee Daniel Paulin. Previewed here in these official computer generated renderings, Paulin's new design language gives the GTX a classical yet futuristic line. The interior of the GTX will appear Spartan but will be packed with high-tech gear. To see the unofficial Laguna Seca record production car lap, check out the video below. Devon Motor Works GTX official renderings   Devon Motorworks GTX Laguna Seca Lap Read More

  • Video: Dodge Viper lives, will see production beyond 2009

    Video: Dodge Viper lives, will see production beyond 2009 July 10th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, July 10th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 2 Comments

    Video: Dodge Viper lives, will see production beyond 2009 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

  • Chrysler resumes production post bankruptcy, starts with Dodge Viper SRT10

    Chrysler resumes production post bankruptcy, starts with Dodge Viper SRT10 June 15th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, June 15th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 3 Comments

    Chrysler resumes production post bankruptcy, starts with Dodge Viper SRT10 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

  • Dodge Viper business turned over to Fiat

    Dodge Viper business turned over to Fiat June 11th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 11th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 20 Comments

    Dodge Viper business turned over to Fiat 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

  • Chrysler passed on multi-million dollar offers for Dodge Viper business

    Chrysler passed on multi-million dollar offers for Dodge Viper business June 10th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, June 10th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 0 Comments

    Chrysler passed on multi-million dollar offers for Dodge Viper business 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

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