Dodge cars

First SRT Viper sold for a whopping $300K

Last week, we reported that the first SRT Viper would be auctioned during this past weekend’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Orange Country with all the proceeds going to the Austin Hatcher Foundation. Apparently, the pleasure of driving the first model cost more than many of us anticipated; the new generation Viper sold for $300,000.

Despite this amazing sale, the SRT Viper wasn’t the most successful car at the event: the first 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible was sold for $600,000 at the auction, while a custom 2012 Mustang GT Blue Angels was sold for $400,000 last year.

As a reminder, the SRT Viper is powered by a 8.4-liter V10 engine that delivers an impressive 600 HP at 6,100 rpm and 560 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. The model will be offered in standard and GTS versions, while a GTS-R version will be offered for those who will want to enter the car in the racing competitions.

First-ever SRT Viper will be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson

The new SRT Viper debuted a few months ago, but anyone wishing to own the latest generation Viper is going to have to wait until 2013 to actually drive it. Then again, those with heavy pockets will get in ahead of everyone else by putting in a bid on the first-ever SRT Viper when it goes up for auction through Barrett-Jackson. The auction will be held at approximately 3:00pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012 and all proceeds will go to the Austin Hatcher Foundation.

The new generation Viper is powered by a 8.4-liter V10 engine that delivers an impressive 600 HP at 6,100 rpm and 560 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. The new engine will be mated to an improved Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission. SRT also said “so long” to the all steel flywheel and made an aluminum flywheel standard on the Viper. Not only does this drop 11 pounds from the weight of the car, but drops a tenth of a second off of its 1/4-mile time.

Any auction goers better be prepared to fork over some dough because the first ever SRT Viper is not going to go for a bargain basement price.

Travis Pastrana Challenges/Invites Sebastien Loeb to the X-Games and Loeb Accepts

Any fan of professional wrestling is used to seeing per-produced challenges/invitations via video and in dramatic fashion, but racing fans rarely see such drama. Well, that was until Travis Pastrana decided his competition at the upcoming X-Games just wasn’t tough enough this year and sent a video challenge/invitation to 8-time WRC champ, and fellow Red Bull athlete, Sebastien Loeb.

This was far from the professional wrestling-esq “I challenge you to a cage match” style of challenge, as Travis’ video was short, sweet and complimentary to Loeb‘s skills as a rally driver. Red Bull put together Loeb’s response in a much more dramatic fashion, as it was dubbed over with some music and had a plethora of information regarding his super-fast car built just for this event. It even included an auto show-like red cloth veil removal. Still it wasn’t an over-the-top wrestling response, but it was still a tab on the dramatic side relative to Pastrana’s original video.

So let’s have a look at what Pastrana has gotten himself into… Loeb is running a car built-to-suit by Citroen Racing. It comes with a 2.0-liter four-pot that pumps out an unreal 545 ponies and 590 pound-feet of face-deforming torque. According to the video, the hot Citroen will hit 60 mph in just under 3 seconds.

Needless to say, Pastrana and his 2013 Dodge Dart are not only going up against the best rally driver that the world has to offer today, but also a car that is as good as any in the X-Games. Has Pastrana bitten off more than he can chew? Only time will tell, so we will have to wait until the RallyCross event kicks off on July 1st to find out.

We’ll keep you up to date with any other news that pops regarding this friendly rivalry.

You can see Pastrana’s challenge video above and Loeb’s acceptance video after the jump.

Report: Ram 1500 to Don a Torque-Happy Diesel Option in the Future

2013 Ram 1500

Anyone that drives a truck in a manner that it is built to be used – you know, actually hauling more than just yourself – will tell you that diesel power is the way to go. Not only are diesel engines far more reliable, but they also boast extraordinary torque for their size and historically get better fuel economy. For some reason unknown to us, the “Big Three” only offer diesel engines in their 3/4-ton and larger trucks, leaving 1/2-ton truck with only gasoline engines to choose from.

With trucks being all about towing these days more than in recent history, a lot of focus has been placed on increasing frame rigidity and driveline quality to bump up towing capacity on the entry-level 1/2-ton pickups, but little has been done to pump up the twisting power needed to get those heavy loads moving (A.K.A. torque).

Well, it looks like Chrysler is getting really serious about the Ram taking over Chevy’s No. 2 slot on the best-selling pickup list. In addition to all of the new enhancements coming in 2013, reports are pointing toward a diesel variant coming to the 1500 lineup in the near future, as test mule 1500 Rams are being spotted bearing torque-happy diesel power plants.

No, this is not a Cummins diesel engine like most would expect. The engine of choice is the VM 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine by Fiat. Before you start complaining about Ram straying away from the Cummins engine, understand that this Fiat diesel is no wimp, as it cranks out 241 ponies and 406 pound-feet of torque straight off of the shelf. Add in the fact that it gets up to 28 mpg on the highway and you have a winner.

That would put this diesel at the same torque output as the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, but allows it to get 10 more MPG on the highway. Given the new frame enhancements in the Ram 1500, we would anticipate a towing rating well over 10,000 lbs from these diesel-power Ram 1500s.

For now, these engines are still in the testing phase, but we will keep you informed if anything changes.

2014 Dodge Journey SRT6

It seems as though the entire Fiat ownership umbrella is undergoing significant lineup changes in the upcoming years and this includes the entire Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep lineups. One rather odd model that we just received confirmation on is the Dodge Journey SRT6. The only car that could have been more awkward of an addition to the SRT lineup would have been if Dodge slapped an SRT badge on the now discontinued Caliber… Oh wait, they tried that.

Regardless of its awkwardness, seeing that “6” on the end of “SRT” is rather intriguing, as that definitely indicates some serious muscle is on the way. The Journey R/T, the likely donor car for the SRT6 model, has a powerful-as-is 3.6-liter V-6 engine that cranks out 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and pumping more power from that Pentastar is pretty eyebrow raising.

Given the fact that most STR4 and SRT6 models include either a supercharger or a turbocharger, we would expect this Pentastar V-6 engine to crank out upwards of 370 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque with a turbo or 330 horsepower and 325 pound-feet with a supercharger. Regardless of the configuration, this will make this crossover SUV, which looks more like a minivan than an SUV, a real screamer.

We also anticipate the SRT6 model to come standard with all-wheel drive, as anything less than that would be a true disservice to Dodge’s customer base. On top of all of the performance enhancements, expect SRT to inject some appearance items. The likely additions will include 20-inch rims, ground effects, a custom interior, and a lower stance.

While there is no anticipated release date yet, we expect to see the SRT6 as a mid-2013 model or an early 2014 model. We will continue to keep you updated as more details come out, but on the surface, this looks like one crossover not to be messed with. Our hats go off to the Fiat leadership for thinking outside the box, now we just have to see if people actually buy it.

The Dodge Durango’s Death will Bring About the Rebirth of the Jeep Wagoneer

The Dodge Durango has never really been one of the most popular SUVs in the market. Sometimes we automotive media even tend to forget it’s around. But the Durango certainly has its own group of enthusiasts that love them and buy a new one every few years, and rightfully so. The Durango has recently morphed into one of the better looking body-on-frame SUVs available, as well as one of the most utilitarian SUVs remaining on the market.

All of that aside, Dodge and parent company, Fiat, have decided that the Durango has run its course and it’s time for it to ride off into the sunset. There is no need to mourn its death, as its axing will bring about yet another cult classic that will don the same underpinnings of the outgoing Durango. This new model, according to an interview with Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne, by Automobile Magazine, will be dubbed the Jeep Wagoneer.

Yup, after nearly two decades have passed since the Grand Cherokee replaced it; the Wagoneer name is again being uttered by the brass at Jeep. With the Durango reportedly going the way of the dodo bird in 2016, we assume that the Wagoneer will arrive sometime in the 2015 model year to give it some time to catch on before cutting the Durango altogether.

In the same interview, Marchionne also let us know that Dodge will axe the Avenger for the second time, in 2014. This time around, the Avenger lasted only five model years, one year less than its original version. We were shocked to even see it return, so seeing it disappear is no surprise at all, despite that it was far less ugly than its original rendition.

As soon as we can get a hold of some info on the upcoming Wagoneer, we will update you further.

2012 Dodge Challenger Mopar 10 by Superior Auto Design

The Mopar 10 package is a serious twist on the muscular Dodge Challenger to begin with. It comes with a 375 HP 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine, a cold-air intake, a front strut-tower brace with shock caps, and a unique engine cover, among many other cool things. There doesn’t seem to be anything to change about it at first glance, but Superior Auto Design disagrees.

The South Florida based tuner has come up with a stellar package for the Mopar 10 Challenger that increases the power up to an impressive 540 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque on 8.5 PSI of boost. For this, the tuner is offering a new exhaust system, a Procharger kit, an eBoost2 controller, and a D1SC Procharger Kit.

For the exterior, the Challenger has received a carbon SunTek tint and a new set of 20" wheels combined with Eibach sportline springs. The interior has been wrapped in Suede with Blue Stitching.

All in all, the result is pretty amazing!

Video: 2013 SRT Viper GTS makes its mark outside a dealership

If you needed more proof as to how amazing the new generation SRT Viper is, here you go! Youtube user, RealMCR12, caught the Viper on tape outside of a Dodge dealer. Next to its amazing engine rev sound, the Viper was captured doing a few rounds on the road next to the dealership. After the year long Viper hiatus, SRT was able to provide a stunning specimen, allowing the wait to be absolutely worth it.

As a reminder, the SRT Viper is powered by a new 8.4-liter all-aluminum, V-10 overhead-valve engine that delivers a total of 640 HP and 600 lb-ft of torque. The new engine is mated to an improved Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission. Official performance numbers haven’t been provided as of yet, but when the time comes, we’ll be there to report them!

Forza Horizon: Box Cover and First Screenshot Revealed

Turn 10 Studios is preparing the next chapter in the Forza Motorsport history books with a new Horizon version. Forza Horizon will debut in Fall 2012 for the Xbox 360, and we already have an insight into the game with the box cover and first screenshot of the future game.

No other details have been provided, but the screenshot reveals that the new generation SRT Viper will be a part of the action when the game hits the shelves. The company has also announced that the new Forza Horizon will ditch simulated racing in favor of arcade action in order to one-up other famous racing games currently on the market.

"Forza Horizon combines the automotive thrills that Forza fans expect with a gorgeous open-road world that begs to be explored. "Our goal is to turn gamers into car lovers, and car lovers into gamers," Forza 4 director Dan Greenawalt said. "This is part of our DNA. That’s why we’ve been working on this series for more than 10 years. Our goal is to take people who play Skyrim and Call of Duty and make them in racing game players. That is why I come to work every day."

Carroll Shelby: The Life of a Legend

The name Carroll Shelby may not be quite as familiar to new automotive enthusiasts as it is for older generations, but his creations are no stranger to anyone that follows and loves performance automobiles. Mr. Shelby was not only a genius when it came to building high-performance American muscle, but he was also an accomplished racecar driver.

Carroll managed to parlay his racing roots into a partnership with Ford that spanned over 50 years. However, that partnership almost never happened, as his first choice in partners was Chevrolet. Imagine that, a “Shelby Camaro” or “Shelby Corvette,” it just doesn’t quite sound as good as "Shelby Mustang,” does it?

Carroll Shelby lived a full life, as he graced this world with 89 years of his presence and nearly 60 of those years he was providing us gearheads with examples of his automotive skill, be it winning races or designing hot rods. Carroll Shelby will be missed dearly by everyone in the automotive world, but we are not here to mourn the passing of this legend. Nope, we feel that the right way to send off this legend is by celebrating his long and legendary life.

Click past the jump to read the complete life history of Mr. Carroll Shelby