Dodge Viper SRT-10

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The skies opened up and the sun shone down upon us here at Top Speed recently when we received a call from our test car supplier letting us know that they had something special in store for this weekend. What showed up later on that afternoon was a Viper Red 2009 SRT-10, never before had any shade of red been so adequately named. This is was not our first time getting behind the wheel of the 8.4 Liter ten cylinder convertible, but there is just something about this shade of red that pops along and when combined with our car’s optional lightweight forged rims, showing off those bright red brake calipers, that makes this venomous vehicle something special.



Anyone familiar with the interior of a Dodge Viper will tell you just how minimalist the cockpit of these cars can be, with a few select white face gauges in front of the driver and a few auxiliary dials stacked just off to the side, even the an AM/FM/CD player radio is nothing to write home about. However creature comforts are not what this car is about, even though the interior does looks nicer than we remember, perhaps due to an improvement in materials. One thing that was very familiar was the smell of the V10, the radiating heat it emitted and the feel of that six speed manual shifter vibrating in your right hand, that is because Team Viper set out to make the most visceral performance machine ever built in the U.S.; and they have succeeded. Unfortunately Dodge needed their car back so our pleasant surprise was untimely cut short, but any time spent behind the wheel is well worth it.



With the increase in displacement to a full 8.4 Liters, the maximum output of the V10 has gone up to an even 600 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque. The 2009 SRT-10 can accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds, run the standing quarter mile in 10.9 seconds @128 MPH and reach a top speed of 202 MPH; all while averaging and estimated 12 MPG in the city and a rather impressive 22 MPG when cruising at highway speeds. The only option that our 2009 Viper Red Dodge came with were a set of optional forged rims which brought the modern American muscle car’s rice tag up to $93,000; not too bad for the closest thing you can get to a 1968 Corvette.



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Dodge Circuit EV confirmed for production

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Revealed at the Detroit Auto Show, the Dodge Circuit EV has been finally confirmed for production. Lou Rhodes, Chrysler’s ENVI division president said that the first all-electric vehicle will be launched next year. It will compete with mdoels like Tesla Roadster, but will cost less.



The car’s chassis will be assembled in Europe by Lotus, when shipped back to U.S. for the electric drivetrain install. The car is already under high testings. After the Circuit EV will be launched, Chrysler will also add electric sedans, SUVs and crossover models.

The Circuit EV is powered by a completely electric ENVI drivetrain that delivers 268 hp. The concept makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than 5 seconds, while top speed goes up to 120 mph.

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2010 Dodge Ram Sport R/T

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What exactly does the high-performance R/T badge mean. In the 1960’s on musclecars like the Dodge Coronet it meant Rapid Transit, I’ve also heard that it meant Real Trouble for anyone who would dare to challenge any Mopar at the strip or at a streetlight. In the 1990’s with the birth of the Viper it meant Racing Technology.





But today on our 2010 Dodge Ram Sport, the R/T badge stands Road/Track, and although I couldn’t imagine any Chrysler Engineers clocking a Nurburgring time I’m sure the new coil spring rear suspension should be up to the job. One thing is for sure; the restyled aggressive exterior would be right at home in any NASCAR paddock





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2009 SMS 570 Challenger

Article file under http://www.rsportscars.com

The most exciting high performance new Dodge Challenger variant to date has got to be the brand new SMS 570 Challenger, introduced this week by Steve Saleen's brand new factory tuning Dodge performance division, SMS Supercars.





After Steve Saleen's tumultous departure from the OEM tuning company he built from the ground up, Saleen Inc., the automotive industry was rapt with speculation for what the King of the American Car would come up with next. Since the days of the Fox-bodied 5.0, Saleen Mustangs and all manner of muscle cars have lit up boulevards and bedroom walls from sea to shining sea. But after leaving Saleen, Inc., it was time for something brand new.






That time is now, and if a stock Dodge Challenger is not enough for your tastes, the SMS 570 Challenger can now be ordered from any Dodge dealership as a turnkey red light racer for delivery soon, that is if you can swing the SMS 570 base price of $64,870.





The 570 employs the patented and redesigned Cadillac of supercharging systems, the SMS296. The sophisticated system employs features dual thin-core intercoolers with single pass coolant flow, and custom asymmetric multi-lobe compression screws.

The results? 500 bhp in SMS 570 trim, or 700 bhp in the pricier and racier "X" variant from a big boosted and reworked version of the Challenger's stock-displacement HEMI.

Like the Saleen Mustangs of old, these new Challengers will be available to the consumer through Dodge and offered with a factory warranty. There's a lot to like here, and we look forward to seeing what else Steve Saleen and SMS Supercars have up their sleeves.

2009 Dodge EV Concept

Article file under http://www.rsportscars.com/dodge/2009-dodge-ev-concept/





The Dodge EV electric sports car concept, based on the Lotus Europa, is exactly the car ailing Chrysler LLC needs. For a car like the EV concept to not see production would be admitting defeat for Chrysler/Dodge, which carries one of the worst MPG averages of any automaker.

Real Pure Electric Performance from Dodge






It's no secret that sports car drivers would never settle for something, for all its merits, as boring as a Toyota Prius. Automakers worldwide have hybrid or full electric sports car models in the works, trying to capture the hearts and car note payments of the future auto enthusiast on a green tip.



There's nothing particular outstanding about the Dodge EV when compared with other electric sports cars such as the Tesla Roadster, the RUF Concept A or the 2010 MINI E. The chassis comes courtesy of the Lotus Europa, that British automaker's larger sports car. Power comes from a 200 kW (268 equivalent bhp) electric motor putting power to the rear wheels.

An outstanding feature of such electric high performance ccars is the fact that all the torque is available from a standstill. The Dodge EV pushes a tire-crushing 480 lb-ft. of torque, primarily responsible for taking the 3000 pound sports car from 0-60 in what Dodge promises to be somewhere in the 4 second range.

High Performance, Zero Emissions, but is the Dodge EV Production-Bound?

Chrysler has the most uncertain future of any full-line automaker in the world right now. With GM in serious talks to buy Chrysler from Cerberus Financial and Daimler calling their current 19.9 percent stake in the American automaker a financial liability and nearly worthless, R&D budgets can't too high right now.

But GM, who has dumped its research and development budget into the dual-mode hybrid Volt powertrain and E85 Ethanol Flex Fuel green cars, could potentially have the chips to bring the Dodge EV to production, or to use the technology in anything from a Cruize to a Camaro.

Something called the General Motors EV brings to mind another electric car that has not actually given the company a good name. Still, times are changing, and full electric sports cars will be in greater demand than ever before.

First Drive: 2009 Dodge Viper ACR

By Angus MacKenzie, Photography by Brian Vance
Article file under http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/
coupes/112_0803_2009_dodge_viper_acr/index.html

YOU'RE looking at Dodge's answer to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS or Lotus Exige, a road car you can drive to the track, hot lap all day, and drive back home, tires, brakes, and ego intact. The Viper ACR is raw. It's wired. And it's probably the best weekend racer yet from Detroit.








The ACR has exactly the same power and torque as the regular Viper-600 horses and 560 pound-feet. The engine drives through a smaller dual plate clutch that reduces rotating inertia by 18 percent and the latest iteration of the Tremec T6060 six-speed that includes triple-cone synchros on first and second, and 10-percent-wider gears to manage the torque. The new GKN ViscoLok diff features its own sump to quicker generate the hydraulic pressure needed to actuate the limited-slip clutches faster, yet more progressively and with greater precision.

Most of the time, effort, and development dollars have been spent on stuff that makes the ACR go faster through the twisty bits-suspension, brakes, wheels and tires, and aerodynamics. Especially the aerodynamics. Just chew on this for a moment: At 150 mph, the regular Viper coupe generates 100 pounds of downforce; at the same speed, the Viper ACR generates 1000 pounds of downforce.

That giant carbon-fiber rear wing is the most obvious reason why. But there's also a new carbon-fiber front splitter that extends way back under the car and incorporates seven steps to diffuse the airflow. The new hood louvers unveiled with the 600-horsepower engine upgrade a year ago play a part, too. "We knew we were going to do a new ACR, so we moved the louvers forward to help change the aero balance of the car," says SRT boss Herb Helbig.

Suspension changes include race-style KW shocks all around that can be adjusted for stiffness and ride height, springs twice as stiff as those in a normal Viper, and a beefier front stabilizer bar. Forged "Sidewinder" alloy wheels save 30 pounds of unsprung weight, and new two-piece StopTech brake rotors save a further 30. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires-basically barely legal race rubber-are standard.

The standard ACR is 40 pounds lighter than the regular Viper coupe. An optional "Hard Core" pack saves an extra 40 pounds through the removal of the audio system, underhood silencer pad, trunk carpet, and tire inflator. The radio is replaced by a lightweight cover that can be configured to mount the lap timer that comes with the package. Hard-core, indeed.