DETROIT — The 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X, a special-edition turnkey racing car targeted at road-racing enthusiasts and priced from around $110,000, will be the centerpiece of a new Dodge Viper Cup spec series that kicks off next July. The current-generation Viper is slated to go out of production at the end of the 2010 model year.
Developed by the Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team, the ACR-X combines attributes of the Viper Competition Coupe and the Viper ACR. Powered by a special version of the production Viper's 8.4-liter V10, fitted with a low-restriction exhaust and factory headers, the ACR-X delivers 640 horsepower.
The Viper ACR-X will commence production in the spring.
Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of the Dodge brand, said, "The Dodge Viper ACR-X takes the performance attributes of Viper to an even higher level for a wide range of drivers starting with the grassroots racer all the way up to the professional."
The Viper ACR-X is 160 pounds lighter than a standard production Viper, with a track-tuned suspension and aerodynamic upgrades designed to improve high-speed stability and grip. The car is also equipped with a factory-designed roll cage, fuel cell and race seat.
The ACR-X is designed for SCCA and NASA competition events as well as the new Viper Cup, a 10-race spec series that begins on July 9 at Virginia International Raceway and ends on October 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Dodge says it will pay out more than $200,000 in contingency prize money.
Inside Line says: The last gasp of a Detroit dinosaur? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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colorado1974 says:
12:40 PM, 12/11/2009
They then pull this article off the air in less than 36 hours due to the comments here. The Viper is not dead. It is due to reappear in 2012 or 2013.
highendoflow says:
10:18 AM, 12/11/2009
Well, lookey here, yet another back-handed comment about Chrysler products via the Yellow Journalism of the famed Leinert-duo. This time it just happens to be Paul.
I cannot seem to comprehend the logic in these little one-liner comments used to sum up each article. "The last gasp of a Detroit dinosaur?" Is that truly what "Inside Line says?"
Instead of ignoring the overwhelming performance of the Viper ACR-X, why not embrace it for what it is; an absolute track monster from a car company that still has the audacity to build a vehicle like this in the face of adversity.
A better way to end the article would go something like this..."Inside Line says: Dodge builds a bona fide racecar for the most devout racing enthusiasts. Ralph Gilles and his team are determined to give the Viper a proper send off as 2010 sees the sun set on this legendary American sports car."
Bottom line: give credit where credit is due!
But if the Leinerts are determined to throw Chrysler successes to the wayside, then maybe they'll start to blaspheme about other cars in the same way.
Let me put my creative hat on and step into their shoes for a brief moment. Okay, now I am Paul/Anita Leinert and here are some fresh new comments for Inside Line...
"Inside Line says: The Toyota Prius will get you some great gas mileage, but one thing it will certainly not do is get you laid."
"Inside Line says: Chevrolet's motto is 'An American Revolution.' But now it might as well be 'An American Abortion,' as they have spit in the faces of fans everywhere with the new Camaro. What once was a revered musclecar legend has been turned into a hodgepodge of design miscues. Truly a crime against humanity."
"Inside Line says: Danica Patrick's bid to compete in NASCAR's Nationwide Series is doomed to fail just like her open-wheeled friends Sam Hornish, Jr., and Dario Franchitti. Thus, proving that women belong in the kitchen and not behind the wheel of a racecar."
Whewwwwwwwwwwwwww! Alright, I'm out of the Leinert's shoes and back to reality. Now all I need is a can of Tinactin and some Febreeze, because I've got a nasty case of athlete's foot and my feet smell like garbage.
LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEROY JENKINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNS!!!!!!!!!!
lightninmcqeen says:
09:59 PM, 12/10/2009
God, I hate what this website has become... I knew before I clicked, it was going to be more of the same vomit.
I just watched a video on the new KIA and the guy actually said, "Thankfully it had an Auto Stick instead of a SLOPPY MANUAL TRANSMISSION!!! I about fell out of my chair.
colorado1974 says:
03:28 PM, 12/10/2009
HEY PAUL, HOW'S THAT FOR A GASP?
Hmmm...truck of the year...
AND...
The most satisfying car in America as per Consumer Reports.
Gasp...
speedrcr says:
11:32 AM, 12/10/2009
Detroit Dinosaur?!?...you'll be crying for cars like this "Detroit Dinosaur" when all you have to write about is electric/hybrid autobots that sound like the Segeways you see in the malls.
colorado1974 says:
09:57 AM, 12/10/2009
Scr3w you Paul. Last gasp? Wow, every day I'm amazed at the lack of professionalism and flagrant bias in all of your articles.
Last gasp? For one of the winningest race cars in history. For the fastest production car in the world around the Ring and Laguna? For a car that eliminated a 30 year Corvette history within minutes of a production announcement in the 90's? For a car that will continue on for decades behind the newly formed Fiat-Chrysler? Fiat, a company that has forgotten more about performance cars than most manufacturers could hope to know.
Paul, I hope your Hybrid runs fine when it's cold outside and yeah, this Viper is more eco-friendly @ 20mpg than your Prius is @ 50mpg.
You're a joke Paul.
firstclass says:
09:56 AM, 12/10/2009
When will inside line talk to Paul Lienert? There's a big difference between objective reporting and just being a domestic car hater. His personal comments at the end of all his articles are like reading a racists blog.
Dodge set out to make a car that would capture the spirit of the AC Cobra not a world beater. The Viper has always been a parts bin special to keep it cost affective and authentically American. A Viper is desired with you hear not our head. They should have never tried to make it appealed to people after creature comforts. It was a roaring dinosaur from conception and now in death it's only proper that it reconnects with what it always was. Because when you get into a Viper you fear you won't always be able to control it and that's all part of the Viper experience. I'd rather own a "Dinosaur" than one of today's robotic-exotics...where the computer systems wouldn't allow you to spin out if you tried.
stingray454 says:
08:40 AM, 12/10/2009
Last gasp? Dinosaur? Well, this dinosaur will make a Lexus LF-A look like a Pinto on a race track. This dinosaur spits fire and eats meat. It finds imports particularly tasty. It snacks on rice, bratwurts, and italian sausage.
madmaxz06 says:
07:57 AM, 12/10/2009
Is it street legal?
- Max