The Dodge Viper was put on the chopping block as Chrysler restructures. It’s hard to blame Chrysler for killing its spartan supercar. American car companies are in the fight for their lives. A hand-built low-volume sports car may look good in the window, but it won’t pay the electric bill. But the Viper’s story may not be over. Chrysler announced today the possibility of selling the Viper as its own brand to a new company. “We have been approached by third parties who are interested in exploring future possibilities for Viper,” said Bob Nardelli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chrysler LLC. “Viper is an integral part of this Company’s heritage… our intent would be to offer strong operational and financial support during any potential transaction, in order to ensure a future for the Viper business and perpetuate the legacy of this great vehicle.”
This would not be the first time an American car would live on without its parent company. When Studebaker closed its doors in 1966, its Corvette fighting Avanti proved the to be the car that wouldn’t die. Although Studebaker’s initial troubles producing the fiberglass boded Avanti may have actually killed the company, the last incarnation of the independent Avanti was produced in 2007. The Viper is dead. Long live the Viper!
Audi Sport revealed a racing version of the R8 sports car. The R8 racing version conforms to the production-based GT3 regulations and will be available in the fall of 2009.
Because the GT3 regulations prohibit the use of four-wheel drive the Audi R8 comes with the typical GT rear-wheel drive. The power is transmitted via a newly developed six-speed sequential sports gearbox. A modified front end and a large rear-wing generate the required downforce for the race track. Press release after the jump. >> read
BMW will be pretty busy in the next month preparing its debuts at the Paris Auto Show. It is expected to bring the refreshed 3-Series and the all-new 7-Series (including an ActiveHybrid version.) Another new introduction includes the new X1 small SUV concept based on the architecture used for the 1 and 3 Series. The X1 will take its mechanical parts from the X3 and the 1 and 3 Series cars. The X1 is hinted to make it to U.S. showrooms, although this is still unofficial. BMW’s new car reveals don’t stop in Paris. It will also unveil the all-new Z4 coupe and convertible at the Los Angeles auto show in late November.
It’s Monday morning… you’re getting herded into the subway with the rest of the workforce, wishing you were behind the wheel of an expensive sports car you really can’t afford. As the train is pulling away your eye catches a glimpse of the ads for an AMG edition of the SL. That’s just mean Mercedes. At least it’s only in Germany.
It seems that McLaren has second thoughts about its future supercar and it sending back to the drawing board for a redesign. The chief of the new design team will be Frank Stephenson, the former BMW, Mini, Fiat and Ferrari designer that will join McLaren Automotive to redesign the family of supercars that McLaren plans to put into production in 2009. According to AutoCar the P11 will be very different from the first images that have surfaced in the middle of last year. The P11 is also rumored to get an open-top and a GTR version that is supposed to be powered by a 600bhp-plus V10. The P11 was supposed to be launched later this year, possibly at Paris, or early next year at Geneva. Those dates are now have likely been delayed to later in 2009 or early 2010.<
Saab revealed a new sketch of the 2010 9-5, a model that will is supposed to "wow the Saab community," according to Saab General Manager, Steve Shannon. The car will make its world debut next year at the Geneva Motor Show with sales to begin later in the year. With design inspired by the Aero-X Concept, the future 9-5 will be a four-door coupe model (around 193 inches in length) and feature a new heads-up instrument display.
MG’s current owners, China’s Nanjing Automobile Group Corp., originally planned to bring the legendary marque back to the United States in the summer 2008. Well new announcements have showed that those plans have been pushed back indefinitely. Plans also had included building MG’s in Oklahoma from kits shipped from China. "The U.S.A. isn’t on the short-term radar as an anticipated market for us, but with the right product, it would be good to return there," Gary Hagen, marketing director of NAC MG. No reason was given as to why NAC MG changed it’s US release plans. It was simply stated that "The deal fell through". MGs were last sold in the United States in 1980. Since then many plans to reintroduce the brand to the US have never come to fruition.
The Audi S3 got into full conversion process which resulted into a brand new vehicle from outside to inside. The drivetrain was transferred to the back of the car which led to an ideal weight distribution of 50% to 50% between front and rear. The new model is powered by a 2.7L V6 twin-turbo engine taken from the Audi RS4, capable to deliver an astonishing 550hp. The performance is even higher due to the massively bodywork and larger front and rear bumpers.
In the interior the changes continue with the carbon-fiber trim in the doors. Also the seats and the pedals were positioned further to the left and right respectively due to the big engine and STW-derived X-Trac race transmission which needed a larger and wider center console. The car also features a removable steering wheel which can be used as an instrument to tame the savage O.CT S3. A digital stack display ensures that all information in regards to vital engine stats are showed. O.CT S3 Biturbo based on the Audi S3 Picture Gallery
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Renault unveiled at the Moscow Motor Show the 2009 Symbol - the latest vehicle to join its line-up as part of the Renault Commitment 2009 plan. The car will go on sale in November.
Its range of latest-generation engines all combine performance, fuel efficiency and respect for the environment. Both the petrol- and diesel-powered versions of this new vehicle can claim best in class fuel consumption, returning a low 4.3 litres/100km (equivalent to CO2 emissions of 116g/km) with the 1.5 dCi 85hp engine, and 5.9 litres/100km (equivalent to CO2 emissions of 140g/km) with the 1.2 16V 75hp powerplant. Press release after the jump. >> read
If you want an unique piece of history this is your chance. This is not only a pre-production Ford GT, but it’s also Steve Saleen’s personal GT. There were only 9 of this type made.
Ford GT was produced between 2005 and 2006. It began as a concept car designed in anticipation of Ford’s centennial year. Positive response on the auto show circuit in 2002 helped persuade the company to produce the car in limited quantities, and the first production versions appeared in 2005. Production startup began on August 17th, 2001.
The first customers took delivery in August 2004. The GT began assembly and was painted by Saleen in their Saleen Special Vehicles facility in Troy, Michigan. The GT is powered by an engine built at Ford’s Romeo Engine Plant in Romeo, Michigan. Installation of the engine and transmission along with interior finishing was handled in the SVT building at Ford’s Wixom, Michigan plant.
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