Chrysler promised that the new 2008 Viper ACR would be priced at less than $100,000, and they were true to their word (barely) by announcing a $98,110 base price for the race-ready snake. The $12,000+ you spend over the base Viper coupe will get you a carbon fiber front splitter and adjustable rear wing, adjustable coilover suspension, a stiffer front anti-sway bar, lightweight 2-piece Stoptech brakes, and forged wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires.The net result of all this is a 40 lb weight reduction. You can also opt for the hardcore package that takes out the audio system, underhood sound deadening material, trunk carpet, and tire inflator. Doing so drops the weight another 40 lbs. No word as to whether you’ll be paying extra or less for that option. The powertrain remains untouched, but the 600 bhp and 560 lb-ft of torque coming from the V10 is more than enough.

[Source: AutoBlog]

Once pricing for the Dodge Challenger broke last week, we knew it was simply a matter of time before the free market milking began. The first example comes courtesy of eBay, where a dealer from Atlanta, Texas has started an auction for the amount of cash you’re willing to pay over the MSRP of the first Challenger SRT-8 they receive. They’re nice enough to let you choose what options you’d like (there aren’t many) and the bidding starts at $10,000, with a Buy It Now price of $18,990. So the question now is: how much is exclusivity worth to you?

Thanks for the tip Peter.

Source [AutoBlog]

Buyers who shell out $40,095 (plus what’s likely to be a staggering dealer surcharge) for the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 can at least rest in the knowledge that the cars they’re getting are loaded to the gills with standard features. In fact, there are only three options. For $50, you can upgrade to summer tires (all-season performance rubber is standard). $890 replaces the base head unit with the MyGig infotainment/navigation system, and $950 adds a power sunroof. Everything else is part of the standard equipment list — even a stint at the SRT Track Experience. Head on over to Allpar to see the complete rundown, which includes the minutiae like “6.1L badge.” More info on the Challenger is coming very soon, so keep your eyes peeled as Chrysler gets into full ramp-up-the-excitement mode.

[Source: AutoBlog]

AutoWeek may have broken the story on the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, but we’re now allowed to bring you the full gamut of pics and info straight from the horse’s mouth. As Drew mentioned earlier, we haven’t had an ACR version of the Viper since 1999, so the return of Dodge’s street-legal track car is significant news. The ACR is built around the standard Viper’s stout 8.4L aluminum V10 that remains essentially unchanged – not that a 600-hp, 560 lb-ft motor needs much improvement. Instead, Dodge focused on other areas of the car to transform the Viper into a run-what-you-brung bonafide track special racer.

Since Drew hit the high points in our previous post, we won’t reiterate them here. If you want more, you can read about every detail that makes this Viper SRT10 ACR special in Dodge’s official press release after the jump and check out the gallery of high-res pics below. We’ll be at the LA Auto Show next week to bring you live shots of the car after it debuts, as well.

[Source: AutoBlog]

The minivan is dead, so says GM and Ford. They’ve all but given up on the sliding-door people movers. But where two-thirds of the Big Three see a dead end, Dodge sees an opportunity. And so do Toyota, Honda, Kia and Hyundai, which means it takes more than a smooth ride and a full set of cup holders to compete in this tricky segment. Chrysler has therefore packed its latest Grand Caravan with a family-sized list of innovations.

Relying on a laundry list of features is a good thing, because if the Grand Caravan depended only on its looks for sales, then the minivan might be dead meat. The last time we saw sheet metal this flat and unadorned was on a UPS truck. Surely it wouldn’t have cost that much more to put in a curve or character line here and there. And is that the same grille as on last year’s Dakota? But as my wife points out, “It’s a van. You don’t buy a van for the aesthetics.” True. It’s what is inside that counts, and the Caravan has interior goodies galore.

The model was tipped to be built in a tie-up between US giant Chrysler and Chery, the Chin­ese brand, and they even signed a letter of intent late in 2006.

However, the model to come out of that agreement will not be the buzzy little machine seen at last year’s Geneva Motor Show – as an insider has told us another small car should be expected.

And the US firm’s sales chief, Thomas Hausch, fuelled speculation that the newcomer could be the first Chinese-built Chrysler by saying its plant in Graz, Austria, was not set up for small cars. The site’s flex­ible line currently makes the Voyager MPV and 300C sal­oon, plus the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Source [Auto Express]

The Dodge Viper V10 is calling the attention everybody since that it appeared less in the Hall of Detroit with nothing than 100 horses more than the previous version, now with 600 horses. E together with the serial car appeared a version of the division of performance of the Chrysler Group, the Mopar.

E seems that the new power of the Dodge Viper of plant was not the sufficient so that the staff of the Mopar was contented. They had obtained to extract nothing less than 675 horses of the engine 8,4 V10!

Together with this frightful power, we find a suspension and black wheels of 19 counts adjustable. Pretty!