The Dodge Viper died a quick and ignominious death shortly after Fiat partnered with Chrysler, though even then there was talk that the car would be revived for 2012. With production at the car’s Conner Avenue assembly plant finally coming to an end earlier this year, all eyes have shifted towards the launch of the next iteration of the car and the man who will make it happen, Dodge boss Ralph Gilles.

Previously, Gilles boasted that the Viper would be back in 2012, infused with Fiat Group DNA–think Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Ferrari–and most likely a lighter chassis and more fuel efficient powertrain. Gilles has now gone a step further, confirming that the Dodge Viper will return in the summer of 2012 as a 2013 model.
Speaking with The Detroit News, Gilles explained that the new Viper “is not based on anything else,” quashing speculation that the car will share its underpinnings with a Ferrari model or the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

“Where the cabin is, relative to the wheels, is unique,” said Gilles who is also head of design. “The Viper cabin is very rearward and the hood is very long. Few cars in the industry are designed with those proportions anymore.”

One thing’s for certain, the 640 horsepower 8.4-liter V-10 of the current model will be replaced with a new engine. “There won’t be a part of the car that’s untouched,” Gilles said. There’s no official word on what this new engine will be but there’s rumor that it will be a variation of Chrysler’s new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 but with some form of forced induction.

The other major change is that the new Viper will be a softer and more forgiving beast. “I want the new Viper to be a more forgiving car to drive and accessible to more people. We’ve never had stability control on a high-performance car, which is about to happen on the new car,” Gilles revealed.

We’ll keep you updated on news of the 2013 Dodge Viper as it breaks.
Pictured above is the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X that was unveiled back at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Built specifically with road courses in mind, the ACR-X offers the best of the Viper ACR with some of the performance enhancements of the Viper Competition Coupe and some extra safety gear.
[The Detroit News]

Yes, the prototype shown here sliding through snow banks is little more than a 2011 model, but Chrysler’s own release notes its engineering teams currently developing the car, which includes sorting and testing an electronic stability control system (which explains the frozen power slide shown above). Vipers have previously been devoid of such an electronic nanny thus far, but will need it in order to meet a federal mandate requiring ESP beginning in 2012.

We expect the revived Viper to be labeled as a 2013 model, although its launch could come months before the new year. Chrysler’s own release indicates the new serpentine super car will debut and launch in “late 2012.” For Viper lovers, that day can’t come soon enough.

In the meantime, the previous car continues to delight owners and racer alike. In fact, a 2010 Viper ACR recently set a record lap of the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. With road racer Kuno Wittmer behind the wheel, the street-legal ACR lapped the 3.048-mile course in 1:59.995, besting the previous production car lap record — set by Jan Magnussen in a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 — by four seconds.

Running on Miller’s 3.048 mile outer course; Wittmer crossed the finish line in just 1 minute 59.995 seconds; pulverizing the previous lap record set by Jan Magnussen in a Corvette ZR1 (Magnussen’s best was 2.03.86 – almost a full four seconds slower!).

Although having already spent much time driving Viper ACRs; Montreal native Wittmer continues to be impressed by the car’s capability. After his record-setting escapade, he remarked, “the [Viper ACR] is such a blast to drive at the limit and I can honestly say I didn’t leave an inch out there on the track and was barely braking in the corners!”

Wittmer’s latest record, joins a growing list of accomplishments for the Viper ACR, which so far include track records at Laguna Seca and the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife (since surpassed), where Dutch driver Tom Coronel piloted one to a lap time of just 7 minutes 22 seconds!

Dodge boss Ralph Gilles made an interesting comment at the Chicago auto show. Dressed in a black blazer and a “made in Detroit” T-shirt, he cracked, “My Dodge Viper is in training for the supercar Olympics. It’s gone for a couple of years.”

That’s more than a glib comment. And Chrysler again confirmed on Friday that the Viper will return late next year. A press release said testing is under way, “for the supercar Olympics,” and a 2010 chassis is being used for development purposes.

But purists may cringe at this nugget of news: Chrysler said stability control will be used for the first time on the next generation of the Viper.

The Viper went out of production last year after an 18-year run during which it was largely unchanged. But it remained a favorite of enthusiasts with its racing-bred styling and 600-hp V10.

The next car is expected to include Italian flair with American chutzpah. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne closed a dealer presentation last fall with the reveal of a concept Viper, which several sources told AutoWeek carried an Italian theme.

Our Viper SRT10 ACR has set lap records from the rolling hills of California’s Laguna Seca to the infamous Nürburgring nestled near the majestic Eifel Mountains in Germany. The ACR package is a finely tuned machine and makes for a great track car that you can drive home.

“It’s amazing to come to this world-class track and shatter the production car lap record by almost 4 seconds,” said our Bryan Viger who heads up Dodge Motor sports. “We brought our street-legal Viper ACR to see what Kuno could do behind the wheel, and on his second lap he’d already gone faster than the single lap record.”

A veteran behind the wheel of the Viper on and off the track, Wittmer continues to be impressed by the performance of the Dodge Viper ACR. “Wow, what an awesome super car!” the Montreal native said after he climbed out of the cockpit. “The Viper ACR is such a blast to drive at the limit, and I can honestly say that I didn’t leave an inch out there on the track and was barely braking in the corners.”

The Viper plant may be idle for now, but the legacy of the vehicles that rolled off its line is still rewriting the record books at race tracks around the world.

http://youtu.be/11bKVQwNtmk

Driver Kuno Wittmer breaks the lap record at Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele Valley, Utah in a Dodge Viper ACR. Wittmer piloted a street legal 2010 Dodge Viper ACR to a record lap of 1:59.995 (91.444 MPH average) on Monday, April 11, 2011, breaking the 2-minute mark for the first time in a production car on the 3.048-mile Outer Course configuration. The Viper ACR shattered the previous production car lap record of 2:03.86, held by Jan Magnussen in a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 by close to 4 full seconds.

TheForumWars.tv is the only series with enough huevos to engage two competitors from two rival forums in a full throttle, tire smoking track smackdown. This season the forums nominated their reps and they met on the track at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, TX. One person walks away victorious and the other a loser. It’s not just the competitor’s pride on the line; each represents hoards of enthusiasts loyal to their marque. Man vs. man, car vs. car, and forum vs. forum.

• Specially prepared Dodge Challenger and Dodge Viper SRT10 are set for new season of drift competition
• Samuel Hübinette Racing welcomes European ProDrift champ Dean Kearney as second driver
• 2011 Formula DRIFT season kicks off at the Streets of Long Beach (Calif.) April 8-9
• Hübinette and his Dodge Challenger drift machine will be available for demo rides from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, at the Sixth Annual Spring Festival at Orange County Great Park (ex El Toro Marine base)

March 25, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Two-time champion Samuel Hubinette is set to unleash a one-two Dodge punch on the Formula DRIFT (FD) Series in 2011.

The “Crazy Swede,” who returns for a second year of dual owner and driver roles, will drive his own Samuel Hubinette Racing (SHR) Dodge Motorsports Dodge Challenger, while new teammate, European ProDrift champ Dean Kearney will pilot the SHR Dodge Viper SRT10, sponsored by V-LEDS-Federal.

Dodge Motorsports will again serve as primary sponsor for Hubinette’s Challenger. V-LEDS will take the primary sponsorship role on Kearney’s Dodge Viper SRT10, while veteran Brad Manka will return as crew chief for both SHR machines.

“We’re very excited about the upcoming season and can’t wait to get to Long Beach,” said Hubinette, who earned two FD championships in his first three seasons, including the series’ inaugural year in 2004. “The SHR Dodge Challenger should be even more formidable with a year of competition under our belt, and Dean Kearney is a talented, young driver who will surely be competitive right out of the gate in the SHR Dodge Viper SRT10.

“I’m also very grateful to continue important relationships in 2011 with sponsors such as Dodge, BFGoodrich, and welcome in new sponsors, including Discount Tire and V-LEDS. We intend to repay their support by putting on the best drift show we can and by bringing home some victories and competing for a championship,” Hubinette added.

Kearney is more than ready to join Hubinette in the SHR spotlight. The 22-year-old native of Waterford, Ireland, nicknamed “Karnage” is an accomplished driver, having captured the 2009 European Pro Drift Championship.

“This is a perfect fit for me, and I feel right at home with Samuel and the whole SHR family,” Kearney said. “With driver nicknames ‘Crazy Swede’ and ‘Karnage,’ fans are going to quickly see SHR as one of the most exciting teams in all of drifting this season.”

Dodge is looking forward to another successful season of drift competition. “Samuel brings a ton of passion and experience to everything he does for Dodge, so we’re excited to be back with Samuel Hubinette Racing in 2011 and look forward to the arrival of a second champion, Dean Kearney in the SHR Dodge Viper,” said Bryan Viger, Head of Dodge Motorsports. “We can’t ask for a better team to represent Dodge and Dodge Motorsports in the Formula DRIFT Series.”

Jake York, president and CEO of new team sponsor V-LEDS, one of the largest automotive LED replacement bulb retailers in the world, shares the enthusiasm as the 2011 season opener approaches. “We can’t wait to see our logo on the SHR Dodge Viper SRT10,” York said. “Dean is sure to quickly let loose on the Streets of Long Beach and we look forward to the start of the season and developing a long-term relationship with SHR.”

Hubinette, Kearney and SHR kick off their season in the 2011 FD Round One event on the Streets of Long Beach, Calif. on April 8-9. The season continues at Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga., May 6-7; Palm Beach International Raceway, Palm Beach, Fla., June 3-4; Wall Speedway, Wall, N.J., June 17-18; Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash., July 22-23; Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Aug. 26-27; and Irwindale, Calif., Oct. 7-8.

About Samuel Hubinette
A native of Jokkmokk, Sweden, Samuel Hubinette is a two-time drifting champion and also a Rally Cross X Games bronze medalist. He has competed in various offroad races including the Baja 1000 and also has a history in road racing. When he isn’t competing professionally, Hubinette rides motorcycles and works as a stunt driver in car commercials and in Hollywood productions.

Hubinette developed a taste for speed in his native Sweden, where he earned a reputation for pushing snowmobiles, motorcycles and cars to their limits. He competed in Touring Car with Volvo from 1997 through 2000 and worked for Volvo Cars for nine years as a test driver in product development. He has also worked as a performance driving instructor including a three-year stint at the Skip Barber Racing School, where he was a member of the elite Special Product Group.

Hubinette and his wife Stina recently welcomed baby daughter Stella into their household in Newport Beach, Calif.

Follow Hubinette, Kearney and SHR on: www.samuelhubinette.com, www.facebook.com/samuelhubinette, www.twitter.com/samuelhubinette, www.dodgemotorsports.com, www.hubinetteracing.com, www.deankearney.com, www.twitter.com/deankarnage, www.facebook.com/deankarnage and www.formulad.com

About the Dodge Brand
Dodge is a full line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs that are agile, daring, sensible and inventive. The brand is on a tear for the 2011 model year, redefining itself with six all-new or significantly redesigned new vehicles, introducing new lifestyle packages designed to better meet the needs of its customers, launching catchy new ads that have started conversations with owners and potential owners, actively participating in new events and sponsorships and developing relationships with its long-loyal enthusiast base, as well as reaching out to customers who want cars that leave them wanting more.

For the 2011 model year, the Dodge brand is filling dealer showrooms with a vast array of new and updated products. The Dodge product line includes the all-new Dodge Durango and Dodge Charger, significantly revamped Grand Caravan, Journey, Avenger and Challenger, and the Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro.

Follow Dodge and Chrysler Group LLC news and video on:
Chrysler Connect blog: http://blog.chryslergroupllc.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chrysler
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pentastarvideo
Streetfire: http://members.streetfire.net/profile/ChryslerVideo.htm