Next Dodge Viper inspired by a “naked woman on the beach.” Aren’t we all?

The Dodge Viper has always been an impressive looking vehicle, but its muscled lines haven’t ever been what we’d call feminine. That may change with the next-generation version of the Snake. Ralph Gilles, head ofChrysler design and the Dodge brand, says that the look of the next Dodge Viper will be inspired by “a naked woman on the beach.”

Sorry, but we’re having a hard time coming up with a witty quip after that one (well, other than the one in the headline).

Gilles made the announcement while speaking with reporters at the Automotive News World Conference, and while the revelation about the vehicle’s design inspiration was a big highlight, he also announced that the next Viper would take dead aim at stealing buyers away from both the Porsche brand and the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s especially true when it comes to the crowd of younger buyers – guys and girls under 45.

The next-generation Viper is set to debut in 2013, and while that gives Dodge plenty of time to get the car right, we don’t expect either Porsche or Chevrolet to sit back and allow the Viper to play catch up. Suddenly we’re very excited to see what the sports car world looks like in two years.

2011 Dodge Journey Gallery

With all of the Chrysler models receiving updates both significant and otherwise, it’s understandable if you’ve gotten a little lost in the fray. Here’s what you need to know: One of the most surprising bright lights to come out of the company’s refresh bender is the 2011 Dodge Journey. While the 2011 Dodge Charger and Durangomay have stolen the spotlight with their new sheetmetal, the Journey has transmogrified into a small family hauler that offers plenty of horsepower, acceptable fuel economy and a massively updated interior. There’s even one of the quickest and largest touchscreens of any vehicle we’ve come across nestled in the dash.

Given Chrysler’s recently discovered love of installing much-improved interiors in its vehicles, the newfound goodies indoors should come as no surprise. But the company’s engineers seem to have spent just as much time tweaking the crossover’s driving character, resulting in a complete package that has turned it from being a washed-up never-was into a competitor almost overnight.

Last Dodge Viper gets custom treatment

The 2010 Dodge Viper is many things, awesome among them. So when you’re buying something truly awesome, what do you do? Paint it earth tones, of course. Brown cars are the zenith of cool, and the very last Viper (for now) rolled out of the Conner Avenue plant wearing bronzed gold House of Kolor paint with copper-hued stripes. Airbrushed on those stripes by SRT’s Bob Soroka are pictograms of race tracks that bear special significance for the Viper.

The last of the current-generation Vipers turned out to be a coupe, factory customized for owner D’Ann Rauh. D’Ann and her husband Wayne Rauh own the largest personal stash of Vipers, totaling more than 40 cars. Not only does Rauh’s car wear a stunning color palette, the interior has custom leatherwork by Tony Spampinito, a veteran of the Rauh’s past Viper projects. Dark graphite finished forged aluminum wheels tuck under the flashy bodywork, and seeing the Viper wearing the hue makes one wonder why there’s never been a shade of umber offered on the Viper’s flanks before. Maybe next time, whenever that is. Full details in the press release after the jump.

Dodge recalling 22,000 2010MY trucks, SUVs over brake issue

Chrysler has found a defect with certain 2010 Dodge Nitro, Dodge Ram 1500, Jeep Liberty and Jeep Wranglermodels that could hinder braking. An improper flare on a brake tube that connects the master cylinder to the hydraulic control unit is being blamed for the problem. The HCU is part of the anti-lock braking system, and the faulty flare may leak and lead to a loss of brake fluid, which could lead to reduced braking performance and heighten the risk of a crash.

Chrysler will replace the tubes on 22,118 vehicles at its own cost under safety recall starting in August. Concerned owners can also phone in at 800-853-1403 or visit The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safercar.gov website. NHTSA is tracking this effort under campaign ID number 10V315000

Rumormilll: Ferrari-powered 2011 Dodge Caravan R/T coming?

Let’s include this one in the highly improbably file. The Mopar specialists at Allpar.com are reporting that the previously reported 2011 Dodge Caravan R/T minivan could come powered by a V8 engine. Along with most of the Chrysler lineup, the Town and Country and Caravan will be getting a substantial mid-cycle refresh in the coming months. While the main focus will be on upgraded interiors, the minivans are also getting new powertrains with the fresh Pentastar V6 replacing the tired old 3.8- and 4.0-liter V6s.

However, putting a V8 into the Grand Caravan seems like a stretch at best. Chrysler’s own 4.7- and 5.7-liter V8s almost certainly won’t fit in the vans, which are designed around 60-degree V6 engines. That leaves an engine out of the Fiat lineup as the only option. Unfortunately, the only V8s at Fiat reside under the hoods ofMaseratis and Ferraris (along with the late Alfa Romeo 8C). Aside from the fact that these probably wouldn’t fit either, none have ever been configured for a transverse application and they would all be enormously expensive.

As intriguing as the idea of a 400+hp Ferrari-powered Grand Caravan might be, it makes about as much sense as a Bentley-powered Volkswagen Golf. Wait a second…

Officially Official: Dodge keeps Durango nameplate for 2011

Only days after our readers stumbled upon Dodge’s test site for the 2011 Durango, the official word has been given from Chrysler that its new unibody SUV/crossover will, in fact, wear the Durango nameplate. As you’ll recall, this new Dodge sport-ute was rumored to serve as a rebirth for the Magnum moniker, but it appears that those plans – if indeed they ever existed – have been scrapped.

The 2011 Durango shares the vast majority of its architecture from the new Jeep Grand Cherokee (which isn’t a bad point to work from), and we expect both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 to be available underhood. Curiously, Dodge refers to the new Durango as a “three-row performance SUV” in its press release, which leads us to believe that Chrysler might have another trick or two up its sleeve. Durango SRT8? Makes sense, especially since the new 6.4-liter Hemi is slated for use in the Grand Cherokee. We also note that Dodge doesn’t appear to be playing up the Durango as an off-road model, either, at least where badging is concerned – instead of proclaiming the new model available with four-wheel drive, they’ve added an all-wheel drive badge (as seen above).

For now, you can see plenty of teaser images of the 2011 Durango in the gallery below, and Chrysler has even provided a slideshow of images for your viewing pleasure after the jump. Expect the full details on the new Durango to be released in the next few weeks.

Dodge Targets Enthusiasts with Race-Ready 2010 Viper SRT10 ACR-X Special

Dodge unveiled the third limited, special-edition version of the soon-to-be-discontinued Viper SRT10 sports car, dubbed ACR-X. Based largely upon the Viper SRT10 ACR, the new model is a turn-key, non-street legal, racer that’s powered by a tweaked version of the standard Viper’s 8.4-liter V10 that gains new headers and a low-restriction exhaust system, increasing output by 40HP to 640 horsepower.

The Viper SRT10 ACR-X’s suspension has been upgraded and tuned specifically for track usage, while the sport car’s weight is lightened by 160 pounds (73 kg) over the standard production model.

Dodge said that the car also features additional aerodynamic upgrades to improve downforce as well as to enhance stability and grip in high-speed cornering.

As a track racer, the Viper ACR-X comes with all the usual factory-installed safety equipment such as a factory-designed roll cage, fuel cell and race seat.

Dodge said that during a testing session of the ACR-X at Laguna Seca raceway last month, professional driver Kuno Wittmer from the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship series, was able to run consistent 1:31.00 lap times around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn course.

This means that Wittmer’s lap times were more than 3 seconds faster than the street-legal Viper SRT10 ACR which holds the production car track record at Laguna Seca raceway.

“The Dodge Viper ACR-X is incredible,” said Wittmer. “After a short warm up, I was running lap times as quick as exotic GT race cars. I was blown away by the power and acceleration, and even more surprised at how the ACR-X navigated the challenging Laguna Seca corners and how friendly it was to drive at the limit.”

The limited production 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X will go on sale in the States in Spring 2010 with prices starting from around $110,000.

VIDEO: 2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X Racer Driving and Development Footage

Dodge is determined to let the Viper go out with a bang as the company is planning to introduced several limited edition versions of the sports car before production comes to an end in 2010. The third special Viper SRT10 is the ACR-X, a track ready racer boasting a modified V10 with 640 ponies, suspension and aerodynamic improvements as well as all a bevy of safety equipment. Hit the break to watch the video and don’t forget to turn up the volume of your speakers to get a taste of the wonderful sounds of Dodge’s new limited run 2010 Viper ACR-X.

Rendered Speculation: 2012 Dodge Durango… err, Magnum

Chrysler may be working hard to get its new crop of Fiat-infused small car offerings to market, but we must not forget that a great bulk of the automaker’s sales will be made up of crossovers and SUVs, spearheaded by vehicles like the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the upcoming Dodge Durango replacement (possibly called Magnum) in 2012. We’ve seen spy shots and patent filings of the reworked Dodge crossover, butCheers and Gears forum member Andrew Currie has spent some time creating renderings of what the all-new CUV could look like. Very believable, if we do say so ourselves.

Details are still slim about the next-generation Durango-Magnum, but one thing’s for sure – it’s going to look a whole lot better than the aging Durango that currently sits on dealer lots. And if Chrysler can make good on its promise to offer better interior refinement, the new CUV should be a worthy competitor for GM’s Lambda quadruplets and the upcoming new Ford Explorer. Still, we’ll have to wait and see what Chrysler has in store, and we won’t be surprised if the production model makes its debut later this year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, or even early next year in Detroit.

Chrysler recalls 285k 2008-2009 minivans over fire risk

For the second time in 2010, Chrysler minivans have landed on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website for a major recall. Back in February, over 312,000 2005 and 2006 model-year Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans were recalled for an airbag issue. The latest recall involves 284,831 2008 and 2009 model year vehicles that “may contain an improperly routed wire harness may have a condition where the sliding door hinge bracket can make contact and wear through the wire insulation.” If the wiring insulation wears down enough, a short circuit could occur inside the door, overheating the latch and possibly causing a fire.

Owners of affected vans manufactured between February and September 2007 can take them to the nearest Chrysler dealer for a free repair. Hit the jump to read over NHTSA’s press release.

Report: Chrysler prepping manlier minivan

Is a “macho” minivan even possible? Toyota’s exploring the ”Swagger Wagon” angle with the Sienna SE, andDodge is apparently going to try and find out with a new variant of the Grand Caravan. Minivans are generallynot aspirational vehicles; people buy them because they need the utility. Of course, that’s not a bad thing – people haulers were created for a reason.

However, Dodge is going to try and spread the appeal beyond kiddie-schlepping moms to attract more men into the fold. A “sportier-looking” front end paired with a black-and-grey interior doesn’t seem like it’d be enough to swing much of the male demographic. After all, how sporty can you make a big box without a total redesign?

The new model will reportedly draw from the Caravan R/T concept that was quietly displayed at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and it could debut within a few months. The Chrysler minivans have a lot to offer in terms of packaging, but their interiors leave much to be desired. If Chrysler substantially upgrades the look and feel there, its vans could land a few body blows in the battle against the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey. But adding a hood scoop and big wheels? Not the answer.

2010 Dodge Viper ACR to Debut at LA Show, Breaks Lap Record at Laguna Seca [with VIDEO]

The subtly revised 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, which is set to make its world premiere at next month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, has set a new lap record at the Laguna Seca with a time of 1:33.915 as recorded by Motech in-vehicle data recorder (1:33.944” as unofficially recorded by trackside clock) breaking the previous lap record of 1.35.117 set by a Devon GTX this past August. The 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was piloted by SRT vehicle dynamics engineer, Chris Winkler.

“It was definitely exciting but a somewhat uneventful lap overall from behind the steering wheel,” said Winkler. “The Dodge Viper ACR has amazing power and handles like a dream, so following my first practice here last month, I came away pretty confident that we’d be able to set a new record.”

In the final year of the Viper’s production, the hardcore ACR, (first introduced in 2008), receives a series of upgrades including a shorter fifth gear ratio that changes from 0.74 to 0.80 for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speed, a new short-throw shifter and a redesigned rear wing to further optimize aerodynamics and improve rear yaw downforce.

Dodge says that these improvements result in an increase in top speed of 4 mph, to 184 mph (296 km/h) for the 2010 model.

There are no other changes for the Viper ACR that is powered by an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque, for a 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration in under 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat.

Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand and Senior Vice President, Product Design Office, Chrysler Group LLC, said that the company plans to release several special edition models during the last year of the Viper including a Laguna Seca edition to commemorate the record lap. All in all, around 500 Vipers will be produced in 2010.