This video by Chrysler shows just exactly how a "normal" Dodge Viper becomes an ACR-X, the track only model. While the job is done at the same facility that produces the built-from-the-ground-up Viper Competition coupes, the ACR-X is retrofitted with race goods after it is assembled.
The list of goodies is long: roll cage, brake cooling ducts, racing fuel cell, fire suppression system, and huge brakes. All of which make the ACR-X track ready, almost from the showroom floor.
While everyone anxiously awaits some news regarding the future of the Dodge Viper, there has been much speculation about what the brand will become. Will it be reborn as a purpose built sports car or race car? Will it retain much of its current traits and stay similar to the current car?
While Dodge CEO Ralph Giles takes the time in this video to discuss the current Viper and its pending retirement, he does not clue us in to any future Viper news. He does, however, acknowledge that demand for the outgoing 2010 Viper is very strong, and Dodge is considering building more ACR-X models to meet demand. Gilles also tells us that consumer demand is shaping decisions for the future of the brand.
Our first show is under our belt! What a great show, great cars, and great people! I met some friends at the West Michigan Burn Survivors Car, Truck and Cycle show and had a fab day looking and taking pictures just for you!!
Here is what I saw. This will be my first installment so stand by for more pics coming up very soon!
Roy brought this original 1958 Olds with only 36k on the odometer. Yup. All original car. Thanks, Roy. Very nice car! Where do I put the gas!!?? Here is the filler cap, hidden under this very large rear light! How kool is that! Just had to have a pic of the dash. Lots of chrome and shine. I didn't get info on this car. This is a small block V-8 in a very small sports car. The builder really squeezed this engine in! Pretty great, huh? This is Dan Hodelson's beautiful 34 Ford Pick-up. Every line was clean, the paint was very well done. Thanks Dan, for bringing this pick-up for us to see. My wife just loves the baby birds. Well, I guess I do, too! this kool yellow baby bird belongs to Rich. It is a 1955 and is sharp as new. Lots of '69 Dodges, but very few 68 models. Why is that? I had one back in the early 70's with a 383 and custom exhaust. This hot looking '68 was brought by Chuck. Chuck tells the story that it was born with a slant 6, but, with lots of care and love, he re-birthed it into a 440 RT. Looks and sounds very hot! Thanks, Chuck! Two! Two matching (well, almost) Shelby GT500's with all the chrome and trim. Under the hood is where one can see the biggest difference, all in the application of the trim. Be still my heart.... This was the most decked out of the two, but both were excellent examples of 2008 Shelby GT500's that I have seen. One is Wes' and the other belongs to Roy. Both are SVT Ford Shelby Mustang GT500s and, although I never got to hear them rumble, I bet it is a great sound! Don't you just love the badges? MMM good! Here they are from the back. Identical from this view. 1911 Buick model 12, this all original (you guessed that, didn't you?) was brought to us by John. I wanted to talk some more with him, but there was a line to ask questions so I just listened in. Read the board at the end and see some great details. I am not sure if he drove it here or trailered it in. I would guess it came by trailer. One note. Look for the fan belt. It is a spring! And the exposed lifters on the top show some of the early concepts for the early motor cars. Very low mileage, I believe he said in the teens. Take a minute to read the story and you will see why it was driven so little.
That is the first installment of this years Burn Survivors show. Many more pictures to come. If you enjoy reading Mike's Show-N-Shine, please take a minute and sign up to receive an email each time I publish a new post. Just look in the sidebar and sign up with your email address. Mike's Show-N-Shine loves comments. If I have featured your car in this series of posts, please leave me a note. I would love to hear from you!
The Indianapolis 500 may be several months away still, but the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car is ready to go. The tangerine Camaro is a throwback to the past, paying homage to the one that paced Indy in 1967. While the mechanicals are stock, the car does have some visual upgrades, as expected. The Inferno Orange Metallic paint and White Diamond rally stripes go nicely with the Indy 500 logos on the doors, front fenders and seat headrests. The front grille is a new piece that may become an option on future Camaros. Check out the press release below for all the details.
PRESS RELEASE
Chevrolet Camaro SS to pace 2010 Indianapolis 500 Rally Stripe Paint Scheme Pays Tribute to '69 Camaro Pace Car
INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials from Chevrolet and Indianapolis Motor Speedway unveiled the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car at the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum today.
"We've enjoyed a great partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway throughout the years, and are proud to once again have the privilege of pacing the Indianapolis 500 in a Camaro," said Jim Campbell, General Manager, Chevrolet.
The 2010 Chevy Camaro Indianapolis 500 pace car is a 21st century sports car that looks to the future with a nod to both the car's and the race's heritage. The first year for Camaro to pace the Indianapolis 500 was in 1967, the year the Camaro made its debut. Camaro has since paced the race in 1969, 1982, 1993 and 2009.
This year's pace car features an Inferno Orange Metallic paint scheme with White Diamond rally stripes that travel from the front to the rear over the top of the body, as well as extending to the instrument panel. The design is a modern interpretation of the original rally stripe that debuted on the 1969 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car.
"Chevrolet has done it again with the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Pace Car, it is simply beautiful," said Jeff Belskus, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation. "The car's tribute to '500' history and its sports car feel will be a big hit with our fans, and it will look great leading the Indianapolis 500 field on Race Day."
This year's pace car is equipped with a stock 400 hp 6.2L V-8, an RS appearance package and leather interior with Inferno Orange interior accents. The pace car also features unique design cues that further enhance the Camaro's head-turning design. Features unique to the pace car include:
2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo painted on doors and embroidered on driver and passenger headrests 2010 Indianapolis 500 event logo badges on front fenders All-new front grille insert that Chevrolet plans to offer as a future Camaro accessory Amber lens tail lamps Complete safety strobe light system with custom interior light bar in the rear window (no rooftop light bar) All-new GM Accessory floor mats with red and orange accent stitching Starting at approximately $23,000, and offering an EPA-estimated 29 highway mpg on the V-6-powered car, the all-new Camaro is a budget-friendly sports car that doesn't sacrifice on performance. Despite the recent economic challenges, the Camaro has overtaken its closest competitor to lead the regular sports car segment in sales for the last six months. Chevrolet sold more than 6,000 Camaros in each of these months.
The public will get their first look at the 2010 Chevy Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 pace car when it makes its auto show debut at the Indianapolis Auto Show starting on Dec. 26.
Chevrolet is one of America's best-known and best-selling automotive brands, and one of the fastest-growing brands in the world. With fuel solutions that range from "gas-friendly to gas-free," Chevrolet has nine models that offer an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon or more on the highway, and offers two hybrid models. More than 2.5 million Chevrolets that run on E85 biofuel have been sold. More information can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. The 2009 racing season marked the 100th anniversary of the Speedway and the start of its Centennial Era, which continues with the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.
For 2010, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will play host to the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, the Brickyard 400 on July 25 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP on Aug. 29. For tickets and information, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com.
With the Dodge Viper getting ready to take a two year hiatus, Dodge promised to have some special models coming out to tide folks over in the meantime. One such model is the ACR-X.
Dodge and it's SRT group created this track day beast to compete in the SCCA and NASA Viper Racing League. Sporting a price tag of $110,000, it bests the standard ACR Viper by putting out a stout 640hp.
The suspension has also been further tuned to perfection, and weight is down by 160 pounds over the "stock" version. Some further aerodynamic enhancements and other racing goodies help further the cause.
Production begins this spring, with the Dodge Viper Spec series kicking off in July of 2010.
PRESS RELEASE
Dodge Targets Road Racing Enthusiasts With 2010 Viper SRT10 ACR-X
Turn-key, spec-series racer aimed at continuing Dodge Viper's storied racing history Dodge and Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team combine best performance attributes of Viper ACR with Viper Competition Coupe Latest special-edition Viper ACR offers improved on-track performance and safety Dodge Viper Cup spec series will debut in July 2010 Orlando, Fla., Dec 10, 2009 - Dodge today pulled the cover off the newest special-edition model of the 2010 Viper SRT10 lineup. The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X is a turn-key, non-street legal race car that is slated to make its on-track debut in the summer of 2010.
"The Dodge Viper ACR-X takes the performance attributes of Viper to an even higher level for a wide range of drivers starting with the grassroots racer all the way up to the professional," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. "This project is a result of many years of performance engineering expertise from our SRT team, combined with the passion and dedication of Viper Nation, to keep the Viper racing tradition going strong on tracks around the country and the world."
Combining the best performance attributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper ACR (American Club Racer) and the safety equipment of championship-winning Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X is powered by the SRT-developed 8.4-liter V10, equipped with factory headers and a low-restriction exhaust system, that produces 640 horsepower (40 more than production model).
The suspension also is tuned and upgraded specifically for on-track usage, while the weight is lightened by a full 160 pounds (versus the standard production Viper) to take on even the most challenging road course. Additional aerodynamic upgrades improve downforce, while enhancing stability and significantly improving grip in high-speed cornering.
Similar to the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X contains factory-installed safety equipment such as a factory-designed roll cage, fuel cell and race seat. Additional racing components are added to meet the significant durability and reliability requirements for on-track competition.
In what will be the final year of production for the current generation Viper, the ACR-X is the third limited, special-edition model to be introduced by Dodge. ""We're going to make 2010 the most exciting year for Viper yet with specially developed cars for the street and the track," added Gilles. "The ACR-X is targeted at road-racing enthusiasts who want to successfully compete in our ultimate American sports car."
Last month, the SRT team used a testing session at Laguna Seca raceway to shake down the Viper ACR-X for the first time. Behind the wheel was professional driver Kuno Wittmer from the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship series, who was able to run consistent 1:31.00 lap times around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn course. Wittmer's lap times were more than 3 seconds faster than the street-legal Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR that holds the production car track record at Laguna Seca raceway.
"The Dodge Viper ACR-X is incredible," said Wittmer. "After a short warm up, I was running lap times as quick as exotic GT race cars. I was blown away by the power and acceleration, and even more surprised at how the ACR-X navigated the challenging Laguna Seca corners and how friendly it was to drive at the limit.
"All aspects of the car work together perfectly to plant all that horsepower and torque without issue," Wittmer added. "This will be a great package for someone coming out of grassroots racing with a desire to step-up to GT level competition. Dodge nailed it with this one!"
The Viper SRT10 ACR-X is designed to compete in the Viper Racing League, Sports Car Club of America and National Auto Sport Association events.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X will be approximately $110,000. Production is slated to begin in Spring 2010.
For more information on the Dodge Viper ACR-X, call Viper Race Headquarters at (888) 960-3333 or visit www.viperheadquarters.com
Dodge Viper Cup:
The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X will make its on-track debut in July 2010 in a newly developed spec series called the Dodge Viper Cup, which will be sanctioned by the existing Viper Racing League. Each vehicle in the new series must be the new Viper ACR-X.
Two races per weekend for five weekends will make up the 10-race 2010 Dodge Viper Cup schedule which includes July 9-11 at Virginia International Raceway; August 14-15 at Hallett Raceway; September 11-12 at Pocono Raceway; October 1-3 at Miller Motorsports Park and October 22-24 at Daytona International Speedway.
A contingency program sponsored by Dodge Motorsports and Mopar will pay out more than $200,000 during 2010. Payouts for each race are in cash and Mopar vouchers come as credit toward purchase of Mopar parts and accessories.
Additional cash awards will be made to the top-3 finishers in the Dodge Viper Cup. The 2010 champion will win $25,000, second-place will receive $10,000 and third-place will pay $5,000.
Viper Racing Heritage:
The Dodge Viper has enjoyed a successful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the original Viper racing entry, the GTS-R, which earned five international GT championships and the 1997-1999 FIA GT championships. It also posted an amazing overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999 – the first for a production-based American car.
The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, introduced in 2003, delivered the next chapter with its coupe-shaped carbon/Kevlar body and a track-ready chassis, based on the Dodge Viper SRT10. The Viper Competition Coupe has continued the on-track prowess by capturing the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge GT title, championships in Formula D Drifting series in 2004 and 2006 and the British GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.
viperheadquarters.com:
Dodge has created a new website designed to showcase the Dodge Viper SRT10 both on the street and on the track. Check out the new online home for all things Viper at www.viperheadquarters.com
Viper Racing League:
The Viper Racing League is one race series within the group of three (including Challenge Series and Driving School) sanctioned by Viper Days. The series has 11-weekend events scheduled for the 2010 season at some of the country's most prestigious race tracks. For more information including the 2010 race schedule, visit www.viperdays.com
NASCAR's new Nationwide Series has already generated some buzz with the debut of the new Mustang stock car, and now it has another pony car in it's stable: the Dodge Challenger.
Chrysler pulled the wraps off it's new ride in Talledega, and the pleasant surprise is that the car retains a pretty stock looking front end. The Challenger joins not only the Mustang, but as of now unannounced cars from Toyota and Chevrolet in four races on the 2010 Nationwide Series calendar: Daytona in July, then later dates at Michigan, Richmond, and Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The new car designs are expected to be fully adopted for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. This process is the same way NASCAR rolled out the Car of Tomorrow in the Sprint Cup series. Check out Dodge's official press release below for more info.
PRESS RELEASE
Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - Dodge Introduces Challenger For NASCAR Nationwide Series
TALLADEGA, Ala. (Friday, Oct. 30, 2009) – 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."
2010 Dodge Challenger The Dodge Challenger merges the best American muscle-car characteristics-unmistakable design, world-class handling, powerful engines and technology-to delight driving enthusiasts across several generations. The two-door coupe accommodates up to five passengers and is produced from the company's proven rear-wheel-drive platform. With three models of head-turning styling, two legendary HEMI® V-8 engine choices, up to 25 highway miles per gallon, more than 25 safety and security features and modern amenities, it's no surprise Dodge Challenger was awarded J.D. Power and Associates "Most Appealing Midsize Sporty Car" in its 2009 APEAL Study.
"The Dodge Challenger has proven to be one of the most sought after high-performance vehicles on the street today," said Dave Bailey, Senior Manager of Motorsports Engineering and SRT Body, Interior and Electrical. "Sharing our consumer's passion for performance through the race version of our Dodge Challenger will continue to showcase the unique engineering brought to our race and production vehicles."
Dodge will continue its support of Penske Racing's three-car operation in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010 with drivers Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr. and Keselowski.
The No. 12 Dodge Challenger will take part in Monday's NASCAR Nationwide test session at Talladega Superspeedway for the "new cars" with Allgaier driving.
Artisan has partnered with Turbochargers.com to create a turn key Camaro SS with some serious power. The crew is outfitting the car with pair of rear mounted GTK350 turbos, a cat-back exhaust, intercooler and a tweaked ECU to net a total of 600 whp from the SS' 6.2-liter V8.
The exterior of the SS is ramped up with 1.5-inch flare in front and a three-inch stretch in the rear where a set of 21-inch (front) and 22-inch (rear) iForged wheels reside, framing 14-inch SSBC Big Brakes. A new lip, rear diffuser, gauge package, Artisan-embroidered head-rests, BASF Glasurit paint and a numbered plaque round out the mods, and although the parts can be had separately, the full turn-key package will set you back $69,000 when the Artisan SA-600 goes on sale this June.
With the 2010 Taurus SHO just revealed at the Chicago Auto Show, we already have proof that one major tuner is going to be developing some go fast parts for the car. A quick look at this page of Hennessey Performance Engineering's website confirms the company is going to provide an aftermarket for the rebirth of the SHO.
John Hennessey is a former owner of a first generation SHO, and he himself is impressed with the specs of the soon to be released car and is hoping that there will be a strong market for parts. At the onset, expect intake and exhaust mods, followed by a boost controller, turbo and intercooler upgrades and possibly some suspension tweaks.
We've seen the new soon to be revealed 2010 Mustang's hood, dash, and bits and pieces of the body. This week, we see the new seats.
The darkened picture of the seats and center console is a teaser much like previous shots. The new thrones look mighty inviting, with a nice amount of padding and some American sized bolsters.
The center console appears to be a little bit taller than the current generations.
Stay tuned for next weeks revealing picture, all leading up to the car's official reveal.
Pretty great, huh?
Two! Two matching (well, almost) Shelby GT500's with all the chrome and trim. Under the hood is where one can see the biggest difference, all in the application of the trim. Be still my heart....
This was the most decked out of the two, but both were excellent examples of 2008 Shelby GT500's that I have seen. One is Wes' and the other belongs to Roy. Both are SVT Ford Shelby Mustang GT500s and, although I never got to hear them rumble, I bet it is a great sound!
Don't you just love the badges? MMM good!
Here they are from the back. Identical from this view.
1911 Buick model 12, this all original (you guessed that, didn't you?) was brought to us by John. I wanted to talk some more with him, but there was a line to ask questions so I just listened in. Read the board at the end and see some great details.
I am not sure if he drove it here or trailered it in. I would guess it came by trailer.
One note. Look for the fan belt. It is a spring! And the exposed lifters on the top show some of the early concepts for the early motor cars.
Very low mileage, I believe he said in the teens. Take a minute to read the story and you will see why it was driven so little.
That is the first installment of this years Burn Survivors show. Many more pictures to come.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s-eMlQOzlAfVidoZfLwZVRN_K6nKHSuCGq-Ug8WU1HMoa1lyuG7SYPNtdMZcMaho4wuN9KddWgvyXNcLyeSPO9bvWb99RyyLpEe-b0tlm3B1gwV1CRW8KQQL3Z4yn0eV67gYwMmu2lzHAZXqAyMIlp=s0-d)
