Zakspeed Racing managed to extend the life of the glorious but old Dodge Viper GTS-R that won the Nurburgring 24 hours endurance race in 1999 by turning it into a one-of-a-kind street-legal vehicle. The renowned German racing team - that also competed in Formula 1 in the 80s - did quite some work on the car to make it suitable for the quiet life of regular roads: they replaced the original rear spoiler and side sills with less extreme versions, got rid of the diffuser, fitted it with road-licensed wheels, re-designed the braking system (now with handbrake too), modified the original V10 and exhaust system to tame it down a bit and changed the racing seats in favor of more user-friendly ones.

The standard Viper GTS-R was equipped with a 8-litre V10 engine delivering 507 hp and 677 Nm of peak torque coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The car could go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4 seconds with 320 km/h (200 mph). During its racing career, the GTS-R series has won the 24 hours of LeMans three times in row (1998, 1999 e 2000), three times the Nurburgring 24 hrs (1999, 2001 e 2002), and once the 24 hours of Daytona (2000).

View the full Zakspeed Dodge Viper GTS-R photo gallery

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In an interview with Viper Magazine, Chrysler’s SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles announced that the long awaited new generation of the Dodge Viper will be officially unveiled at the New York International Auto Show (April 6-15). Apparently - in contrast with some early reports - the new version of the famous supercar will not be as brutal as its predecessors, in an attempt to appeal to a wider share of the market. However, no official data or specs about the new model have been released so far.

Rumor has it that the next Viper will be powered by a 8.7-litre V10 unit - which would be the the biggest production engine ever to carry a Dodge badge - but it is still unclear whether it will use Fiat’s Multi-Air technology or not. Its output should be somewhere in the 700 hp area, although it will be limited by the ESP. Many other rumors surround the development of this model (some say it will use Maserati Granturismo’s frame, some say it will make large use of Ferreri technology and so on), way too many: we think there is no point in speculating over what cannot be confirmed just yet. Let’s just wait and see.

via | Autoblog.com

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In a recent interview conducted by Rick Kranz of Automotive News at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Dodge main man Reid Bigland stated that the redesigned Viper “will appeal to a broader segment of the market“, adding that it will offer “comforts that people come to expect in a high-performance vehicle today”

He did not overtly give any hint in regard to a possible weakening of the output, but the statement would be quite in contrast with the last rumors we heard about the new model. However, Mr. Bigland’s last words apparently confirmed that those who were attracted to the Viper in the past will certainly be attracted to the new one too.

The new model is expected to debut at some point in 2012, but at the moment there seems to be no chance to see any of it at the next North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 9-22). Well, let’s just wait and see.

Picture | Autoblog.it

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Chrysler’s subsidiary Mopar decided to take Dodge Viper’s already terrifying 8.4-litre V10 and turn it into a drag-racing engine, and the result is an incredible 800 hp/940 Nm unit which is now on display at the 2011 SEMA. Aluminum block and cylinder heads, forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods and forged aluminum pistons are the most relevant features of this engine, which has been specifically developed to compete in drag racing.

Moper also confirmed that Viper’s standard 8.4 litre V10 will be subjected to further developments in order to make several different versions, including one suitable for off-road vehicles. Dodge Viper’s production is currently on hiatus as a new version of the mighty model is currently in the works, but it is nice to know that the heart of the last model will keep on pulsing in different guises.

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According to Allpar.com, the development of Dodge Viper’s next generation is going in the opposite direction of what all the modern trends of the industry would dictate. It is reported that the new Viper - which is expected to debut in 2012 as a model year 2013 - will use a bigger version of its signature V10 engine, going from the current 8.4 litre displacement to an unprecedented 8.7. The famous American coupe will also feature many technical upgrades, while the adoption of Fiat’s MultiAir system is yet to be confirmed.

With an extra 0,870 cc per cylinder (or, as the Americans say, 0,531 cubic inches) this engine is bound the become the biggest engine that Chrysler ever put on a production car. The power delivered should be in the 700hp area, although - unlike all previous versions - an ESP system will put a bridle on all that might. Rumor has it that a V8 version - probably equipped with Hemi 6,4 litre engine powering both Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 - is also in the works, but no confirmation on the subject has been released so far.

Picture | Autoblog.it

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If you could buy a Dodge Viper SRT-10, what would you do with it? Probably not turn it into a Saab, but that’s what some guys in Sweden did - or sort of. The wrecked Dodge was originally bought with the intention of rebuilding it, but as parts became scarce and the investment required got out of hand, the mechanical bits were then used on a Saab 9-3 SportCombi. And so what we get is a Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower. It wasn’t quite as simple as what we’ve described but this could prove to be the most powerful Saab station wagon currently cruising the streets of Sweden.

Dodge Viper becomes Saab 9-3 SportCombi

Source | CarScoop

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The drop-dead gorgeous Zagato TZ3 one-off revealed at last year’s Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza on Lake Como in Italy will not be so “one-off” after all. Autobild launched the rumour that the Zagato TZ3 would get a small production run, and the report has since been confirmed to Autoblog.com by the company itself.

Interestingly, after the Fiat-Chrysler merger, the TZ3 will be based on the Dodge Viper and will use carbonfibre bodywork. It’s a departure from tradition where past Zagato TZ models were based on Alfa Romeo cars. The TZ3 Corsa one-off was built for collector Martin Kapp who already has an Alfa Romeo TZ and TZ2 in his garage.

The TZ3 model won the concept design award at the famous Villa d’Este event, but at the time it was equipped with a Maserati V8 engine. In the TZ3 Stradale road-going production model we get could the Dodge Viper’s 8.2-litre V10 engine instead, and other aspects of the racing model - including monocoque carbon shell, rollbar cage and hand-made aluminium bodywork - will be modified.

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The presentation from Fiat-Chrysler on future plans for the Chrysler brand and models has been comprehensive, if a little confusing, and confirms much of what was already thought. The Fiat 500 will be the first Fiat group model to reach American shores, late next year, with dedicated sales teams and “salons” in Chrysler showroooms.

The hope is that the cute little Fiat 500 will hold much of the same fascination for the Americans as the Mini, with its retro style winning hearts. It will be followed by the Fiat 500 cabrio in 2011 and the Abarth 500 in 2012, in a logical progression which will be the first introduction to the US market and distribution channels for Fiat.

As for Chrysler models, there will be a number of “special editions” launched to get the last few models off the production line. The 300, Town and Country, Sebring and PT Cruiser will transform into a sports edition, fashion edition, ocean edition and final edition respectively, to tie the models over before new production, style and models kick off later next year and into 2011.

Continue reading: Fiat-Chrysler plan: Fiat 500 confirmed to US

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It an intriguing move in the car industry, Fiat has taken on the Dodge Viper supercar brand by taking on the franchise as part of the Fiat-Chrysler deal. The Viper brand has been in dire straits, and may not be safe under Fiat management either.

Plans were to sell Viper, but at ten million dollars, Chrysler couldn’t find a buyer. Fiat may find the task just as hard, with Devon Motor Works apparently being the only bidder at a mere 5.5 million dollars.

The Viper has been an icon in American sports cars since it first appeared in 1992, but may risk going by the wayside as Fiat protects its own Maserati and Ferrari supercar brands. While Fiat may recognise the differences between its luxury Italian sportscars and a US V10 supercar, things are tense for lovers of the Viper brand.

Continue reading: Fiat acquires Dodge Viper: future sale possible

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The Dodge Viper doesn’t have ‘just’ 600hp, as the manufacturer has officially declared, but actually a good 642, as revealed by a dynograph test from Dragtimes. The experiment shows that the Dodge Viper could challenge the Corvette ZR1 as America’s fastest and most powerful car. As the guys at Jalopnik say, only a head-to-head test run of the Dodge and Corvette will find out…

Source | Jalopnik

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