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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The American tuning house Hennessey has revealed the final specifications on the limited edition 2010 HPE700 LS9 Camaro based on the all new Camaro SS. The HPE700 is powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged LS9 Engine from the Corvette ZR-1 that has been tweaked by HPE to output an incredible ground punding 725 HP and 741 lb-ft of torque. The HPE700 Camaro with the heart of a super car can make the run from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds and complete the standing quarter mile in 11.3 seconds at 126 MPH while the new pony car’s top speed is increased to 201 MPH.
If this is the sort of thing that tickles your fancy, then hurry up, Hennessey only plans on building 24 examples of the HPE700 and all but 10 have already been spoken for. If these numbers aren’t impressive enough for you, HPE has announced that they are also offering an 850 HP and 1000 HP twin turbocharged upgrades
Video and specifications after the jump.
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Chrysler’s in house tuning division, Mopar, is pretty busy these days preparing their lineup of high performance modified muscle cars for the SEMA Show next week. Aside from the quarter mile conquering Dodge Challenger 1320, the Dodge booth will include at least one other hot rod Challenger. The other Challenger will be a reworked R/T that makes use of almost every part in the Mopar catalog. With everything from a Mopar intake to their stage 2 coil overs, it is almost as if someone threw the entire book at the modern muscle car in order to create this SEMA ready show car.
The Challenger will be painted red and feature quite a few flat black accents to help the glossy surface pop. The blacked out treatment includes a Mopar Go-Wing Rear Spoiler and a set of side stripes as well as the traditional black bars running down the hood with a special Mopar touch. Finishing off the R/T Challenger are a set of retro rally wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter, giving the modern muscle car the perfect touch of nostalgia.
Full list of specifications and prices after the jump.
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While celebrity gossip usually concerns romances with members of the opposite sex, Hollywood residents do some crazy things from time to time. For instance the big screen actor Brad Pitt has just been spotted with a new love interest. Just the other day he ran into a little snag with his custom chopper, and it now seems that he is finding happiness on four wheels with something that has orange accents and a bowtie.
The latest object of the award winning actor’s affection may not be what you are thinking, and Angelina shouldn’t be too jealous, because Brad was recently seen stepping into a brand new Camaro SS. Just like all of GM’s 2010 pony cars, the Branjamaro is powered by an extremely efficient modern day small block V8. The LS3 power plant displaces 6.2 Liters and can make as much as 422 HP and 408 lb-ft of torque when equipped with a fuel saving six speed manual transmission. Either way we know that it has an octet of cylinders because it is an SS model, but the question remains does Brad Pitt’s new lady take full control or does she let him bang the gears.
The SEMA show will be filled with hot rod American muscle cars amongst a multitude of high performance vehicles when they open the doors to the Las Vegas Convention Center next week. One of the many tuning shops from around the nation that will be in attendance is SpeedFactory, and they will be bringing the world’s first all aluminum 440 cubic inch Hemi powered Challenger. The speed shop has performed open heart surgery on the Mopar muscle car and replaced the standard iron heart 6.1 Liter Hemi V8. SpeedFactory bored and stroked the SRT-8’s Hemi all the way up to a displacement of 7.2 Liters, which converts to the magical number, 440 in American.
The result is a Dodge Challenger that can make 700 HP on pump gas and has been massaged enough to be reliable as a daily driver. Covering the best part of the car is a matte black carbon fiber hood, complimented by a set of matching SpeedFactory side stripes. The rest of the good stuff is hidden behind a set of BBS CH-R Black Edition flow formed wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter that make the Mopar paint pop. The SpeedFactory STR-8 is equally as dressed up on the inside with some new upholstery and a retro shifter. As far as modern American muscle cars are concerned this big block Challenger will be at the top of the heap.
Press release after the jump.
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Larry Shinoda was a great American automotive designer who was responsible for the original Boss 302 back in 1969. When it was created, the 5.0 Liter powered Mustang was the best handling blue oval pony car of all time and came with the now infamous shaker hood scoop and hockey stripes running the length of the vehicle. The Ford factory tuned Boss 302 was destined to compete in the SCCA’s Trans Am championship and was also the forerunner to the design of the 1970s muscle car. When Mr. Shinoda passed back in 1997 his daughter KAren kept her father’s spirit alive by founding Team Shinoda.
Team Shinoda has just revealed the first details about their 2010 BOSS Shinoda Mustang, a car riddled with the classic design cues of the original with an added 800 HP bonus. Serial number #001 is now up for sale on the online auction house eBay, so if a bright blue 2010 pony car complete with rally wheels and slats covering the rear window is something that you are interested in, then you can place a bid of your own, starting at $69,400.
Upgrades to the 2010 Mustang include a Paxton NOVI 2200 supercharger bolted to the 4.6 Liter fuel injected eight cylinder engine in order to extract a total of 800 HP from the Ford V8. On the outside, the BOSS gets the familiar side stripes that start at the hood and end near the bottom of each door as well as lettering on the hood. The BOSS sits on a set of 20 inch chrome Bullitt wheels that hark back to the 1960s as well as the rear spoiler, rear window louvers and black out panel between the tailights. However the 21st century touch can be seen in items like the Shinoda chin spoiler and Shinoda badging.
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The 2010 Ford Mustang will be well represented at the 2009 SEMA Show in Las Vegas with over eight highly modified models to be unveiled at the world’s greatest tuner car show. The design house 3dCarbon will be on hand with the 2010 Boy Racer, Galpin Auto Sports will bring out a modified 2010 GT Convertible, the suspension manufacturer H&R will focus on personalized colorized wheels for the new Mustang while Paul’s High Performance will build a drag strip ready Mustang aimed at tackling the quarter mile. The Steeda Q350 will be both track tested and street legal by the time it makes it to the show and Street Scene Equipment will combine both power and style with their own take on the blue oval’s new pony car. Ford Racing’s factory driver and D1GP drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. will bring the limited edition Mustang RTR-C to the show while Ford Vehicle Personalization will have their own metallic gold Mustang that is sure to wow the automotive enthusiasts at the south end of the strip in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Press release after the jump.
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In order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the successful 1970 Mustang Boss 302, Ford Racing is unveiled the limited edition Ford Racing Boss 302R. There will be only 50 units each priced at $79,000.
Based on a 2010 Mustang, the Boss 302R will be powered by a 5.0-liter 4-valve motor producing an estimated 400 hp mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.
This special edition will also be sold with a Grand-Am Homologation Package, priced at $129,000.
Stay tuned for the official images!
Press release after the jump.
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The other days we reported about the Lingenfelter 750HP Supercharged Camaro, but this will not be the only Lingenfelter’s project at SEMA Show. They will also bring the 2010 Camaro LTA, or a modern version of the Pontiac Trans Am.
Although there are not much details on the car, it is known that the Camaro LTA will be powered by a powered by a LS based 655 hp Lingenfelter 455 CID engine and will feature Corsa exhaust, custom honeycomb wheels & Nitto tires.
Also, both interior and exterior feature a classic ’71 Trans Am theme.
Stay tuned for more details!
Dodge announced today the official details on the 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic and SRT8 featuring the classic Plum Crazy Pearl Coat exterior color. Both models are now on sale and are priced at $35,140 for the 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic in Plum Crazy Pearl Coat and at $44,155 for the SRT8 model.
The Dodge Challenger R/T Classic Plum Crazy edition is the first to offer dual throwback A-line body-side R/T stripes in matte black or new bright white. It also features "Challenger" fender badges in classic script, large 20-inch polished-chrome heritage wheels with all-season performance tires, classic egg-crate grille with heritage “R/T” badge, body-color rear spoiler, functional hood scoop and chromed fuel-filler door.
The Plum Crazy R/T Classic is powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine that delivers 376 hp and 410 lb.-ft. of torque and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds. The SRT8 is powered by a 6.1-liter HEMI V-8 engine producing 425 hp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. It adds exterior-matching SRT performance seats with Plum Crazy accented stripe.
Press release after the jump.
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