Viper ACR Roadsters built for Woodhouse Dodge

Being the number one sales volume leader in Dodge Viper sales for 11 years has its perks. And when Dodge decided to end production of the Viper in its current form, Woodhouse Dodge put in a request for a convertible Viper ACR. And surprisingly, Dodge obliged.

Since the ACR is a car known for its downforce producing aerodynamics, the aero bits and pieces had to be massaged to work on a roadster - namely the rear wing and the front spoiler. Dodge built 20 examples of the car for Woodhouse, so interested parties should contact them in Blair, Nebraska. Price is a hefty $107,310, but how often do you get such a rare opportunity?

Video: Dodge Viper ACR-X on the dyno

There's something undeniably pulse quickening about race cars, and the brutal power that their engines produce. Perhaps it is the raw and purpose built nature that draws us to them, maybe it is just the fact that they are fast.

The Dodge Viper ACR-X is both purpose built and fast. It forgoes the stock Viper's catalytic converters, adds forged pistons, modified calibration, and long tube headers. All that is good for 640 horsepower and 605 pound feet of torque.

The video above shows the 8.4L V10 going through it's paces courtesy of Dodge engineers. As you will see, there's nothing more mesmerizing than the sound of the engine coupled with the ominous red glow of those long tube headers.

Video: LMC Super Cuda breaks 200mph mark racing Ferrari Enzo

Back at this year's SEMA, one of the coolest cars in attendance was the Legendary Motor Company built Super 'Cuda. A twin turbo Viper V-10 thumps to the tune of around 1,000 horsepower underhood and a nicely done restomod look add up to one serious ride.

And all of that is not just for show. LMC recently brought out the Super 'Cuda and a Ferrari Enzo (for good measure) to Chrysler's Chelsea, Michigan proving grounds for some fun.

In a straight line, the Super Cuda rules as expected. It is so fast, as a matter of fact, that on one pass the the windshield molding came off and the hood lifted by three inches. When it comes to ultimate top speed, however, the Enzo wins with a top speed of 218 mph to the Cuda's 208. But seriously, 200+ mph in a Barracuda? Insane.

Dodge to end Viper production in July 2010, new car in 2012?

At a recent Chrysler business plan meeting, CEO of the Dodge car brand Ralph Gilles dropped some big news. After going back and forth on what to do with the Viper brand, Chrysler has decided to end production of the car in July 2010. 500 final cars will be built, that according to Gilles, will be the most special Vipers built to date. The explanation given was that Chyrsler wants to preserve the value of current Vipers by not continuing the current generation indefinitely.

It's not time to mourn the loss of the American supercar just yet, however, as Gilles also announced that an all new car is in development with a target release date of 2012. And this new Viper will be getting a little input from Chrysler's Italian colleagues (see: Fiat, Ferrari). All we can hope is that they retain the Viper's distinct American personality.

Video: Just another Viper V-10 powered motorcycle

What is it with people and their fascination when it comes to mating V10 engines and motorcycles? I'm not really sure if they have a death wish or they just crave attention. Either way, Allen Millyard from the UK has devised another machine that marries insane power to two wheels. This one actually looks more like a traditional motorcycle than the Dodge Tomahawk, albeit with a very long wheelbase.

Video: Nissan GT-R plays nice with other supercars

This video features a nice in car trailing shot in a Nissan GT-R following some pretty gaudy company. A little stroll through SoCal with some of it's friends, including a Viper, M6, and a couple of Ferrari's. The GT-R more than holds it's own through the course of the video.

Stock 2008 Dodge Viper runs 10 second quarter mile

Positive news from the Pentastar is hard to come by nowadays, what with the Chrysler bankruptcy mess and the not so secret fact that they've been trying to sell off the Viper brand. Now 800 or so dealers are getting the 'ol pink slip.

But the fact of the matter is, the Viper is and always has been one of the fastest cars you can roll off the factory floor. And it shows in a confirmed dragstrip pass made in a bone stock Viper SRT10 Convertible with 100 miles on the odometer, ripping off a 10.92 second quarter mile.

Most of your media outlets have tested the car in the 11.6-11.9 range, so with the right conditions and driver we can see how this is possible.

Saleen to buy Viper?

Saleen has been in an upheaval of sorts for a while now. Founder Steve Saleen left to do his own thing, then the company's assets were sold off to private investors. It's new owners plan to keep making superchargers and bolt on's, but the turnkey Racecraft series and S could face the axe. Meanwhile, the company's former owners retain possession of it's supercar manufacturing business while they figure out what to do with it.

In the meantime, Chrysler has been openly trying to pawn off it's Viper brand. They have three potential owners, and they're not naming names at this time. At the same time, Saleen is refusing to comment on the possibility that they might be one of the three mystery buyers. You know what they say about silence...

[Source: AutoWeek]

50th Anniversary Hurst Viper revealed, to be auctioned for charity

Hurst is on a roll, first bringing out the Hurst Challenger and now a Hurst version of the Dodge Viper. The Hurst Viper has been built to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary of building specialty performance vehicles under the brand of Hurst Performance.

Since adding more power to the already adequate 600hp 8.4L V-10 is a little silly (well to some anyway), most of the upgrades are purely aesthetics. The Hurst/Viper, of which only 50 will be made, comes only in two color combos that commemorate the official colors of the company: Black with Gold stripes or White with Gold Stripes.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Hurst car without a Hurst shifter, so these special Vipers will be fitted with the company's new HARD-DRIVE gold anodized pistol grip shifter. Also from the company catalogue are Hurst 19- and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires. The interior is shrink wrapped in Katzkin charcoal leather that's embroidered with the Hurst logo and touched off with gold stitching and perforated leather inserts.

A little has been done in the performance category, as Hurst added a Corsa exhaust and Moton Club Sport adjustable coil-over suspension. The first of 50 examples of the Hurst Viper will be auctioned off this week at the Barrett Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to Victory Junction, which runs a camping facility for chronically ill children.

PRESS RELEASE

HURST RELEASES FIRST PHOTOS OF THE HURST/VIPER

Irvine, Calif. (January 9th, 2008) - Hurst Performance Vehicles today releases photos of the 50th Anniversary Hurst/Viper. This very special Viper is SERIAL #01 of only 50 to be built by the legendary Hurst Performance Vehicle Group. It features unique flat gold paint with gloss black stripes and black chrome Hurst wheels and detailing. This vehicle will be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction on January 17th, 2009 with the proceeds donated to Victory Junction, a year-round camping facility for children for chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.

The production Hurst/Viper vehicles will feature the new Hurst HARD-DRIVE® gold anodized pistol-grip shifter, Hurst 19" and 20" polished aluminum wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, Corsa exhaust and Moton Club Sport adjustable coil-over suspension with Eibach springs. The interior features a special Katzkin charcoal leather with Hurst embroidered logos, gold thread detailing and perforated leather inserts. In honor of the Golden Anniversary the vehicle will be available exclusively in Hurst's legendary color combinations of Black with Gold stripes and White with Gold stripes. HURST/Vipers are available for individual order though Hurst Performance Vehicles and Woodhouse Dodge.

About Hurst Performance
Founded in 1958, Hurst Performance is one of the most recognized and revered names in the automotive performance arena. The Hurst brand has long been synonymous with speed, performance and quality, with an impressive track-record of pioneering high performance products and vehicles for all forms of motorsports and hot-rodding. Hurst was one of the first specialty companies to partner with the OEMs and bring enthusiasts limited edition performance vehicles like the legendary Hurst/Olds 442. For more information please visit www.Hurst-Performance.com.

About The Woodhouse Auto Family
Woodhouse Auto Family is a successful family-owned business which has sold vehicles in all 50 states. The Woodhouse Auto Family consists of 7 dealership franchises in the Omaha, Nebraska metro area. Woodhouse Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep have consistently been in the top 10 sales position for the Pentastar Corporation. In addition, Woodhouse has been a leader in new Dodge Viper sales for the past 8 years. With an extensive background in racing and performance Woodhouse also leads in performance modifications of the Dodge Viper SRT10.

About Victory Junction
Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children, ages 6 to 16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, N.C. with a second location opening soon in Kansas City, Kan. Victory Junction offers programs for 24 disease groups and maintains strong relationships with 22 partner hospitals. Victory Junction's mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous donors to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families. For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

ASC-McLaren Dodge Viper NAIAS showcar for sale

Yes, it's a McLaren tuned Dodge Viper. The American Specialty Cars (ASC) built Viper made it's debut at the Detroit Auto Show in 2006. At the time the car made sense, since Chrysler was still owned by Daimler, which had ties with McLaren. The Diamondback Viper Concept sported a McLaren tuned V-10.



The concept featured a host of carbon fiber body panels and an "OmniCarbon" hood to show off the car's 650 hp V-10 tuned by McLaren Performance Technologies. The American outfit based near Indianapolis was started by the same Bruce McLaren behind the F1 team, but with a focus on preparing his Can-Am racers for competition in North America.



Whatever the association with the legendary Kiwi, the Diamondback was a real show-stopper. Unfortunately, only the one example was made, but that show car is now available for a lucky buyer to take home. It cost ASC about $750,000 to build the Viper back in 2006, but only 55 miles later, it's up for grabs for $295k. Follow the link for more information on this one of a kind snake.

Hurst announces 50th anniversary Dodge Viper

Hurst is going all out for it's 50th anniversary. First it brings a new version of the Challenger, and now it's rolling out a special edition Viper. Hurst will build fifty of the Vipers (get it?), all with similar features as the Challenger.



Upgrades will include a pistol grip shifter and Hurst wheels. The interior will be stitched up by Katzkin leather, and sound effects will come via a Corsa exhaust. As for colors, you will be offered the usual two: black with gold stripes, and white with gold stripes.



The car you see in the picture is a one of a kind that will be auctioned at next month's Barret-Jackson. It features matte gold paint with a matte black racing stripe and black gold wheels. Check the press release blow for more details.



PRESS RELEASE



LIMITED EDITION HURST/VIPER CELEBRATES THE ICONIC BRAND'S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY



The 50TH Anniversary HURST/Viper is the latest in a long line of highly-collectible performance cars to feature the famous Hurst "H" logo.



Irvine, Calif. (December 16, 2008) - To celebrate the company's 50th anniversary, Hurst Performance Vehicles announced today that it will build a limited edition series Hurst/Viper. Featuring an impressive list of performance enhancements and classic Hurst color combinations, only 50 of these unique supercars will be built beginning in December, 2008.



The Hurst/Viper will feature the new Hurst HARD-DRIVE® gold pistol-grip shifter, Hurst forged aluminum wheels, Katzkin leather interior, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, Corsa exhaust and Moton Club Sport adjustable coil-over suspension with Eibach springs. In honor of the Golden Anniversary the vehicle will be available exclusively in Hurst's legendary color combinations of Black with Gold stripes and White with Gold stripes. The interior features a special Katzkin charcoal leather with Hurst embroidered logos, gold thread detailing and perforated leather inserts.



"We are extremely proud to offer another milestone Hurst vehicle," states Nate Shelton, Chairman of Hurst Performance Vehicles. "The 50 year legacy of Hurst is matched by very few companies; it is truly something to celebrate. We are looking forward to 50 more years of delivering Hurst performance and value to our fans and enthusiasts."



Hurst Performance Vehicles has partnered with the Woodhouse Auto Family of Blair, Nebraska to build a very special Hurst/Viper for charity. HURST/Viper #01 features a unique flat-finish Hurst Gold exterior paint, black racing stripes and black-chrome Hurst wheels. This vehicle will be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction on January 17th, 2009 with a portion of the proceeds donated by Woodhouse to Victory Junction, a year-round camping facility for children for chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. The new camp will be built in Kansas City, Kansas.



Lance Pittack, Owner/Principal of Woodhouse Automotive Family states "We are thrilled to partner with Hurst to help Victory Junction to provide a life-changing experience for these very deserving children and their families. We are donating the profits from the sale of this very special #01 HURST/Viper to help build the newest Victory Junction camp here in the Midwest".



Joining Woodhouse and Hurst with donations for this vehicle are suppliers Moton Suspension Technology, Corsa Performance Exhaust, Hurst Shifters and Katzkin Leather. HURST/Vipers are available for individual order though Hurst Performance Vehicles and Woodhouse Dodge.



About Hurst Performance

Founded in 1958, Hurst Performance is one of the most recognized and revered names in the automotive performance arena. The Hurst brand has long been synonymous with speed, performance and quality, with an impressive track-record of pioneering high performance products and vehicles for all forms of motorsports and hot-rodding. Hurst was one of the first specialty companies to partner with the OEMs and bring enthusiasts limited edition performance vehicles like the legendary Hurst/Olds 442. For more information please visit www.Hurst-Performance.com.





About The Woodhouse Auto Family

Woodhouse Auto Family is a successful family-owned business which has sold vehicles in all 50 states. The Woodhouse Auto Family consists of 7 dealership franchises in the Omaha, Nebraska metro area. Woodhouse Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep have consistently been in the top 10 sales position for the Pentastar Corporation. In addition, Woodhouse has been a leader in new Dodge Viper sales for the past 8 years. With an extensive background in racing and performance Woodhouse also leads in performance modifications of the Dodge Viper SRT10.



About Victory Junction

Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children, ages 6 to 16, with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, N.C. with a second location opening soon in Kansas City, Kan. Victory Junction offers programs for 24 disease groups and maintains strong relationships with 22 partner hospitals. Victory Junction's mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous donors to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families. For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

Dodge Viper now available for employee pricing

Chrysler may be trying to unload the Viper brand to the highest bidder, but first it's going to give millions of Americans the opportunity to buy their own supercar at a discounted price.



Until now the Viper remained outside Chrysler's Employee Purchase and Certain Designated Individuals discount program, but that's about to change as the supercar joins the list of eligible vehicles.



While Chrysler employs over 130,000 people, we doubt many of them, especially in this economic climate, will have the means or motivation to pick up the gas-guzzling V10 muscle car. However, an arrangement between Chrysler and Wal-Mart extends the benefits program to employees of the mega-retail chain, and with over 1.2 million employees, we're sure there are a few who'll take Chrysler up on its offer. Don't go rushing to pick up an ACR, however, as the track-focused model remains outside the program.

MT gets better numbers from ZR1 than C&D

Most automotive journalists have already experienced the raw, unbridled power of the new Corvette ZR1. Motor Trend has joined the party, and they brought their own extensive list of testing equipment with them.



Motor Trend tested the ZR1 at the Chrysler Proving Grounds because its 5-mile loop is one of the few places that has the space to test the ZR1's top speed. The mag was able to crest 200 wind-adjusted mph, and MT computers showed that the ZR1 was still pulling when that magical number was achieved.



Hitting 200 mph puts anything on four wheels in the supercar club, and a 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds ranks the ZR1 near the top of any exclusive car club. MT testers also needed only 11.2 seconds to travel a quarter mile and crossed the magic line at 130.5 mph, which they point out is 6.1 mph faster than the Dodge Viper.



Car and Driver was the first to test the ZR1 and posted slightly slower 0-60 and quarter mile times of 3.4 and 11.5 seconds, respectively. Other impressive stats from MT, however, include a 60-0 brake distance of just 97 feet and max lateral acceleration of 1.1 g, which easily bests the Viper's .99.



Bottom line is, the ZR1 is fast.

Viper powered Challenger SRT-10

The Challenger has been on sale all year, giving tuners plenty of time to spruce up the new/old musclecar and bring the fruits of their labor to SEMA. Dodge is no exception to this, as it plans to bring it's newest concept, the Challenger SRT-10.



Sporting an 8.4L V10 graciously donated by a Viper, it pumps out a gratuitous 600hp and 560 lbft of torque. As you can see in the pictures, traction is hard to come by. Other mods include a functional carbon fiber shaker hood that feeds air to the voluminous V10, a carbon fiber front splitter and rear deck lid, a new rear spoiler, BILSTEIN shocks at all four corners, larger wheels, bigger brakes and quad exhaust tips out back. More carbon fiber trim can be found in the cockpit along with new sports seats and a red engine start push-button just like in the Viper.



How serious is Dodge about building this car? The engine appears to fit nicely in the Challenger's bay. Could this be an answer to Ford's GT500KR? Time will only tell.



PRESS RELEASE



Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept



Auburn Hills, Mich., Oct 14, 2008 - The opportunity for SRT engineering to "one-up" itself comes to fruition with the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept. Power for the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept comes from the Dodge Viper 8.4-liter, all-aluminum V-10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb. ft. of torque. It's a vehicle that delivers the well-known SRT credo of benchmark performance. The Dodge Challenger SRT10 Concept includes a fresh coat of Tornado Red paint with a carbon-fiber deck lid and hood. The "shaker hood" is a nostalgic representation of the 1970 HEMI Cuda, giving the 600-hp Viper V-10 engine room to breathe. Brakes have been upgraded and BILSTEIN® shocks at all four corners improve handling balance. The interior boasts sport seats and carbon-fiber accents throughout and, of course, true to the Viper-powered vehicle lineage, a red engine start push-button in the dash.