1969 Dodge Charger V/C: Are You Happy to See me or is that a Viper Under Your Hood?

We've seen the Viper's 10-cylinder engine slithering out of its old skin and sliding under the bonnet of many different cars ranging from a Chrysler PT Cruiser and a 300 sedan, to a Dodge Challenger and a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi, but what could be more fitting than seeing it in a classic muscle car like the 1969 Dodge Charger?

This bad boy was found for sale on eBay with the seller claiming to have modified or replaced just about everything on the original 1969 Charger, from the upper and lower control arms and the independent rear suspension to the rack and pinion steering system, all of which are said to have been sourced from the Viper.

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Chrysler Reopens Conner Plant to Produce All-New 2013 SRT Viper, Sales Start Next Year

It was July 2, 2010, when the last Dodge Viper SRT10 rolled off the assembly lines of the Chrysler Group's Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit. The end of production also meant that the facility was idled for the last 17 months.

But that's about to change as today, Chrysler announced that it will reopen the Conner plant for the production of the next generation SRT Viper, which will be unwrapped at the 2012 New York Auto Show in April before it goes on sale later in the year.

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2013 Dodge Dart Compact Sedan: First Official Shots of the Interior

Last week, the Chrysler Group gave us our first look at the exterior details of the brand-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan with the promise of teasing the interior on December 13.

True to its word, the Detroit automaker published a fresh batch of photos today giving us a sneak peek into the interior of the new Dart saloon, which will officially break cover at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in the second week of January.

The futuristic looking instrument binnacle houses an available 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) customizable cluster display with a light surround between the analog tachometer and fuel gauge.

On the upper side of the center console, we find the Chrysler Group's UConnect multimedia system sporting an 8.4-inch touchscreen that Dodge says is the largest of its kind in the compact segment.

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Marchionne Says 2013 Dodge Dart will be Certified at 40mpg, will get 9-Speed Auto

The Chrysler Group gave us our first taste of its sporty looking all-new 2013 Dodge Dart compact sedan on Tuesday with the release of a teaser photo gallery and the initial data on the car's specifications.

The Dart may prove to be one of the most important models in Dodge's recent history not only because it is the first Chrysler product to be based upon a Fiat architecture and in particular, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but also because CEO Sergio Marchionne told Reuters that he believes its fuel efficiency will be certified at "40 mpg or more by the end of the month".

The reason why that matters is that, under the deal made with the U.S. government to allow Chrysler to emerge from bankruptcy protection in 2009, the Italian company will receive the final 5 percent of stock if it develops a Fiat-based car that will be built in the U.S. and can get at least 40 miles per gallon.

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New 2013 Dodge Dart Compact Sedan Based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta

The Chrysler Group has resurrected the Dart nameplate from the 1960s for its new Dodge compact sedan model that will receive its world premiere at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the second week of January.

The new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle to be based upon a Fiat architecture as it makes use of a modified version of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback's platform named Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW), which has been lengthened and widened to improve interior space.

The Detroit automaker says that 68 percent of the Dart's body is composed of high-strength steel, resulting in a "very strong and rigid structure".

Powering the 2013 Dodge Dart will be three four-cylinder gasoline powerplants including a new Tigershark 2.0-liter unit, a 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine that will most likely be shared with the Fiat Abarth 500 in the U.S., and a new Tigershark 2.4-liter MultiAir engine.

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Dodge to Drop New Generation 2013 Viper at Next Year's New York Auto Show

The time for the return of the Dodge Viper after a two-year hiatus is almost up. In fact, we'll get our first look at the Chrysler Group's next halo car as early as next April at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.

Chrysler's SRT Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles made the revelation in an interview with Viper magazine, while Automobile Magazine says that it has also confirmed the news with its sources at Dodge.

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Dodge Viper GTS-R Race Car Reverse-Engineered to be Street-Legal

Usually, you hear about street-legal sports cars converted into racers but this time we have the exact opposite.

After acquiring a Zakspeed Racing Dodge Viper GTS-R in 2010, the current owner of the 1998 model turned to Heurich Classics, a Germany company that specializes in the maintenance, repair and optimization of vintage and classic cars.

The owner had two very special requests for Heurich Classics: recreate the looks of the Hasseroder Viper GTS-R that won the 24 hours of Nürburgring endurance race in 1999 and at the same time, make it completely street legal.

The German firm started out by eliminating, replacing, adding or modifying certain components of the Viper GTS-R to allow it to achieve road-legal status in Europe.

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Next Chrysler Minivan to be Sold as a Rebadged Dodge Only in Canada

Lately, there has been an abundance of news regarding the Chrysler Group's future plans. About a month ago, the automaker's CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters that the Chrysler Group would stop selling duplicate offerings to provide each of its brands a stronger and more unique lineup.

As part of the firm's revised plan, Marchionne said at the time that the company would only offer a replacement for the Chrysler Town & Country discarding the Grand Caravan from Dodge's range.

And while that may be true for the U.S. market, the Detroit News is reporting today that the Dodge Grand Caravan will most likely live on in Canada, which would not get the next Town & Country.

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Dodge's Detroit Motor Show-Bound Sedan Model will Not be Called the Hornet

[2006 Dodge Hornet Concept pictured above]

We've known for a while now that Dodge plans to introduce a new compact sedan model based on a Fiat platform that will replace the Caliber at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January.

While the company is keeping most of its cards close to its chest, Reid Biglund, head of the Dodge brand told the Detroit News we'll find out more in the coming weeks including the car's name which he says won't be Hornet as some media outlets suggested. "Hornet will not be the name," said Biglund.

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Dodge Boss Says Next Viper will Appeal to a "Broader Segment of the Market"

The next generation of America's second most famous thoroughbred sports car after the Corvette, the Dodge Viper SRT10, is entering its final phase of development as we approach its market launch that's slated to occur sometime in 2012.

In the past year or so, Dodge officials have been letting out bits and pieces of the puzzle that give us some idea of the direction that the company plans to follow with the first new model to be development under the ownership of the Fiat Group.

On the sidelines of this week's 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Rick Kranz from Automotive News had the opportunity to talk to Dodge boss Reid Bigland about the new Viper SRT10.

Bigland told Kranz that the redesigned model "will appeal to a broader segment of the market" and that we should expect it next year but most likely not at the 2012 Detroit motor show.

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Chrysler Invests $1.7 Billion to Build Fiat-Based Jeep in the U.S., Marchionne says Nitro “Should Never Have Been Built”

Chrysler announced today that it plans to invest US$1.7 billion for the development and production of the next Jeep SUV, including a $500 million investment at its assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio, where the new model will be manufactured not just for the U.S., but also for export to all global markets.

The plant will be updated with an additional 260,000 square feet added to its body shop, a new quality lab and improvements to its paint shop and material handling facilities.

The Detroit-based carmaker will also add a 26,000-square-foot metrology center to improve fit and finish of the cars and plans to introduce a second shift in late 2013, creating more than 1,100 new jobs in the process.

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Report: New Alfa Romeo-Derived / U.S. Made Dodge Compact Sedan to Debut at 2012 Detroit Show

A new U.S. market compact sedan to be developed by Fiat and built by Chrysler is set to make its debut appearance at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the beginning of next year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The as-of-yet unnamed model will be badged as Dodge and powered by a Fiat-derived 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It’ll also do 40 mpg combined, or at least it will if Fiat wants to net itself a further 5% of Chrysler from Mr. Monopoly Uncle Sam.

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Ford and Dodge Flop, Lexus and Honda Top JD Power’s 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study

The results are in for JD Power’s latest 2011 U.S. Initial Quality study that looks at the first 90 days of ownership and the news is not good for Ford Motor Company. The Dearborn-based company tumbled from fifth place and highest-ranking non-luxury automaker last year to 23rd in 2011 with 116 problems per 100 vehicles. Analysts claim that Ford’s freefall is due to complaints related to the company’s onboard MyFord Touch infotainment systems.

Even worse, Dodge was placed last in the list with 137 problems per 100 cars. Scion, MINI, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Suzuki didn’t fare well either occupying the last places in the study.

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Multiple 2011MY Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Vehicles Recalled to Fix Steering Columns

A dozen vehicles from the three core Chrysler brands covering more than half of the company’s 2011 models are being recalled in the United States to fix a potential problem with the steering column.

The recall covers 11,351 vehicles and affects certain 2011 model year Dodge Journey crossovers, Jeep Wranglers, Chrysler 200s, Chrysler 200 Convertibles, Dodge Avengers, Dodge Nitros, Jeep Liberty SUVs, Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compass crossovers, Jeep Patriots, Dodge Grand Caravans and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

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Chrysler’s SRT Team Teases…Next Dodge Viper SRT10 on Facebook

In a very…tongue-in-cheek move, Chrysler’s newly formed Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand responded to fans asking them on various social media sites what future products are in development by posting this…revealing sketch on its dedicated Facebook page. Here is what Chrysler’s SRT team wrote:

“Like many of you, Twitter user @DaveOrrSales asked for a taste of what's to come at SRT. We dodged death to sneak you this top-secret photo. That's all you get, crew.”

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Chrysler Group Repays US and Canadian Government Loans in Full

The Chrysler Group announced the repay of U.S. and Canadian government loans totaling $7.6 billion (€5.39 billion), more than six years ahead of schedule. More specifically, the Detroit automaker made a payment of $5.9 billion to the U.S. Treasury (UST) and $1.7 billion to Export Development Canada (EDC) to retire the loans granted in June 2009. EDC is the holding company through which the Canadian federal and Ontario provincial governments provided loans to Chrysler Group. Read more »

Real Life Grand Theft Auto with Man Stealing Police Car and Crashing it into a Truck

Today's video find contains three things: a police vehicle, a dangerous individual and a high-speed run that could answer the question what would Grand Theft Auto look in real life. It all started on Friday, March 13 when 38-year-old Arthur Lee Thompson allegedly attempted to steal a computer from a Walmart store in Summerville, South Carolina. According to the report, when faced by the store manager, he purportedly punched him in the mouth and took off in a green Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The police were called in to investigate and it didn’t take long for an officer to locate Thompson and pull him over. From there on, the entire incident was caught on film by the police cruiser’s inboard camera.

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Insane! Swedes Turn a Dodge Viper into the Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower

Proving once again that there is no limit to what one can build when you let your imagination take over, a team of Swedes transformed a Dodge Viper into the menacing Saab 9-3 SRT10 MegaPower you see in these pictures.

It all started when a man bought a wrecked Dodge Viper SRT-10 with the intention of rebuilding it. However, it soon became obvious that task was far more difficult than he originally thought due to the extent of the damages and the lack of parts. It didn’t take long to come up with a fresh idea: strip the Viper’s body clean and use the mechanical hardware and parts of the chassis on a Saab 9-3 Sport Combi.

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2012 Dodge Durango SUV (or Magnum) Scooped Undisguised!

Thanks to Twitter user who posted a link to a Twitpic page, we now have the first photo the 2012 Dodge Durango, which could end up being named Magnum or something entirely different, without any trace of camouflage.

The full size SUV model is believed to ride on the same or lengthened version of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, which was developed alongside the next generation Mercedes-Benz ML SUV.

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2011 Dodge Challenger Facelift Scooped Undisguised!

Now here's a nice surprise for Dodge fans. A member of the Mopart forums has snagged some photos of what appears to be the facelifted 2011 Dodge Challenger in R/T trim without a single trace of camouflage. The cosmetic changes over the 2009/2010 muscle-coupe are extremely subtle and it will take a trained eye to spot the differences.

These include the reshaped lower intake up front (basically, the designers turned it upside down) and the elimination of the Ram nose emblem on the hood, plus a new set of door handles. It is possible that the 2011 Challengers could feature more changes on the outside and in particular the rear end as we don't have any other photos of the car.

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