Auto News - Viper GTS-R will debut at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4

Auto News - Viper GTS-R will debut at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4. SRT has confirmed that the Viper GTS-R will make its competition debut in the American Le Mans Series at Mid-Ohio on August 4. While development of the car has continued in earnest, SRT Motorsports, along with partner Riley Technologies, has only been able to perform three test sessions since its debut in April – one at Carolina Motorsports Park in South Carolina, another time at Virginia International Raceway, and most recently at Mid-Ohio over the July 4 holiday. Says Gary Johnson, Road Racing Manager for SRT Motorsports, "Each test has met and more often exceeded our expectations, so we'll see how things go at Mid-Ohio and then make a decision about the rest of the 2012 season." While the rest of the 2012 season may be up in the air until after the GTS-R's debut at Mid-Ohio, the team is planning to campaign the entire 2013 ALMS season.

SRT Motorsports will be fielding two Viper GTS-Rs on race day at Mid-Ohio. The drivers include Dominik Farnbacher of Germany, who set a claimed production car lap record at the Nürburgring last year in a Viper ACR, Marc Goossens from Belgium and Kuno Wittmer from Canada, with American-born Ryan Hunter-Reay from Dallas, Texas joining the team for longer endurance races than Mid-Ohio's three-hour jaunt. The cars will compete in the production-based GT class of ALMS, which means on race day they'll be rubbing fenders with the Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M3 GT, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, Ferrari 458 Italia, Lotus Evora and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

PRESS RELEASE

2013 SRT Viper GTS-R Set to Return to American Le Mans Series Competition at Mid-Ohio

New Street and Racing Technology (SRT) Motorsports team features two identical SRT Viper GTS-Rs in the production-based GT class

July 13, 2012 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The 2013 SRT Viper GTS-R will make its first on-track race appearance Aug. 4 at the Mid-Ohio (Lexington, Ohio) Sports Car Course, SRT Motorsports officials announced today.

"We're thrilled to return to the world-class competition in the American Le Mans Series with our flagship American supercar," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – SRT Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC. "The new SRT Viper GTS-R represents a rebirth for us on the race track. It epitomizes the best of what our new SRT performance brand represents and showcases the Viper's natural affinity for road courses. Now the time has finally come to go head-to-head with the best sports car teams from around the world."

SRT Motorsports has partnered with Riley Technologies, based in Mooresville, N.C., on the design-and-build process of the new SRT Viper GTS-R race cars. The team will compete in the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, a three-hour American Le Mans Series (ALMS) endurance race presented by Tequila Patron.

"Racing has been a significant part of the illustrious history of Viper," said Beth Paretta, Director of Marketing and Operations – SRT Brand and Motorsports. "Wins on the track, and continued development of our street cars along with our new 2013 SRT Viper models are proof of those lessons learned. Now with our new race team and the launch of the GTS-R, we're excited and proud to begin writing more chapters in the racing history of the Viper beginning at Mid-Ohio."

Scott Atherton, President and CEO of the American Le Mans Series, hailed the return of the SRT Viper to the series as one of 2012's top announcements.

"I don't think it's possible to overstate the significance of the SRT Viper returning to the top level of professional sports car racing," Atherton said. "The Chrysler Group has a long, storied and very successful history of competing with the American Le Mans Series. The fact that they're coming back concurrently with the introduction of the new production car and doing it simultaneously, we would be hard-pressed to come up with a better-case scenario. What a great way for the SRT Viper to come back to racing."

Two identical SRT Viper GTS-R cars will compete in the production-based GT class in the series. The GT class consists of production-based, moderately modified two-wheel-drive race cars. The SRT Viper GTS-R cars will be competing against the Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M3 GT, Corvette C6.R, Ferrari F458 Italia, Lotus Evora and Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The GT class cars share many styling similarities to their showroom brands and by series' rules must have a minimum weight of 2,745 pounds. The cars produce between 450-500 horsepower with top speeds of up to 180 mph.

More than 30 SRT Motorsports team members were on hand for the most recent track test at Mid-Ohio.

"The decision to make our debut at Mid-Ohio is a result of the progress made with our testing program," said Gary Johnson, Road Racing Manager – SRT Motorsports. "The car has shown steady performance. Each test has met and more often exceeded our expectations, so we'll see how things go at Mid-Ohio and then make a decision about the rest of the 2012 season."

Following the limited schedule this season, the SRT Motorsports team will compete full time in the series in 2013.

Three full-time drivers currently are signed to drive including Dominik Farnbacher, from Ansbach, Germany; Marc Goossens from Geel, Belgium; and Kuno Wittmer from Montreal. Ryan Hunter-Reay from Dallas will join the team for the longer endurance races. Additional driver and team announcements will be forthcoming.

Viper racing heritage
The Viper has enjoyed a successful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the first Dodge Viper racing entry, the original GTS-R, which earned five international GT championships and the 1997-1999 FIA GT championships. It also posted an amazing overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2000 – the first for a production-based American car.

Viper finished one-two at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTS class in three consecutive years – 1998–2000 – and captured GTS class and driver's championships in the American Le Mans Series in 1999 along with the Series' class, manufacturer's and driver's championships in 2000 before retiring from the series.

The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, introduced in 2003, delivered the next chapter of that history with its coupe-shaped carbon/Kevlar body and a track-ready chassis, based on the Dodge Viper SRT10. The Viper Competition Coupe continued the on-track prowess by capturing the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge GT title, championships in Formula D Drifting series in 2004 and 2006 and the British GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.

In 2010, the Dodge Viper Cup Series was founded using the limited-edition Dodge Viper ACR-X spec series cars. Now in its third year, the series has been renamed the SRT Viper Cup Series.

About SRT Motorsports
The engineering expertise within SRT extends well beyond our street vehicles. It is a little known fact, but technical support for the Chrysler Group's motorsports program is provided by the astute engineers at SRT. Lessons learned on the track directly translate to improved vehicles for our customers. SRT Motorsports is expanding its racing presence this year and look for more news from pit lane.

About SRT
The Chrysler Group's Street and Racing Technology (SRT) brand uses a successful product development formula featuring five proven hallmarks: awe-inspiring powertrains; outstanding ride, handling and capability; benchmark braking; aggressive and functional exteriors and race-inspired and high-performance interiors to remain true to its performance roots.

The expansion of the SRT vehicle lineup in the 2012 model year features four new products that are world-class performance contenders and bring the latest in safety technologies and creature comforts. These products include the Chrysler 300 SRT8, Dodge Challenger SRT8 392, Dodge Charger SRT8 and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

Making its highly anticipated return to the high-performance sports car market in late 2012 is the new 2013 SRT Viper and SRT Viper GTS. The SRT flagship performance machines arrive with more power and performance, superior craftsmanship, new technologies and creature comforts.

You're reading: Auto News - Viper GTS-R will debut at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4. Share the article: Auto News - Viper GTS-R will debut at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4 by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - Sen Grassley asks if Toyota got off easy with unintended acceleration debacle

Auto News - Sen Grassley asks if Toyota got off easy with unintended acceleration debacle. Toyota is facing further fallout from its recent unintended acceleration debacle, with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reopen its investigation into the situation that led Toyota to recall some eight million vehicles. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, Grassley has written a letter to NHTSA director David Strickland, stating in part, "Key questions about the cause of unintended acceleration remain unanswered."

Grassley's contention is that because neither of the two independent investigations into the issue produced a definitive cause or explanation, further digging is necessary. Most of the unintended acceleration incidents in the NASA and National Academy of Sciences reports not attributed to trapped floormats or other problems with accelerator pedals were blamed on driver error, according to the report, but both studies concluded that other unknown issues could be at play.

According to Automotive News, Grassley is particularly concerned about the "tin whiskers" phenomenon, in which tiny threads of conductive crystal can grow on circuit boards.

Toyota has responded to the Grassley letter, issuing a statement that reads, in part, "There is no problem with the electronic throttle control systems in Toyota vehicles – and all the scientific evidence confirms it. So-called 'tin whiskers' are not a new phenomenon and do not represent a mysterious or undetectable problem in a vehicle's electronics.

You're reading: Auto News - Sen Grassley asks if Toyota got off easy with unintended acceleration debacle. Share the article: Auto News - Sen Grassley asks if Toyota got off easy with unintended acceleration debacle by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - 2013 SRT Viper (re)earns its stripes

Auto News - 2013 SRT Viper (re)earns its stripes. While this really doesn't qualify as "news," the above photo still has us excited enough to share. It's the first official image of the new 2013 SRT Viper with stripes. You see, we were a bit nonplussed when the Viper debuted at the New York Auto Show without its trademark livery. Perhaps it was to better focus attention on the sheetmetal's new curves, but we still missed seeing the lines down the middle on the show stand.

Chrysler has rectified that as shown in this single image of a red example on SRT's Facebook page. According to the caption, the example seen here is an engineering prototype undergoing dry-track stability control testing, an evaluation it apparently passed "with flying colors."

We're also reminded of a little tidbit that Chrysler design boss and SRT brand manager Ralph Gilles recently shared with us that he's quite proud about: The 2013 Viper's stripes will be worn underneath the clearcoat, not above. That's a change from the past model, and should result in both a better appearance and improved wear. The new stripes will be available in white as shown, but also in black and gunmetal pearl as cost options.

We're looking forward to seeing this car in GTS Blue Pearl with white stripes, as not only was the blue/white combo borderline iconic on previous GTS iterations, it also did a striking job of representing America's international racing colors.

You're reading: Auto News - 2013 SRT Viper (re)earns its stripes. Share the article: Auto News - 2013 SRT Viper (re)earns its stripes by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - Watchdog says White House needs exit strategy for GM, Ally

Auto News - Watchdog says White House needs exit strategy for GM, Ally. Christy Romero, a special inspector general examining the corporate bailouts that came in the wake of 2008's financial crisis, has some advice for the U.S. government: "Treasury should develop a concrete exit plan for GM and Ally." She is referring, of course, to the 30-percent stake that the government still holds in General Motors and the 74-percent stake it holds in Ally Financial, formerly known as GMAC when the Treasury pumped $17 billion into it.

For its part, the government says it already has an exit plan and Romero doesn't offer any further advice to guide that plan in some other direction. With the calls for Treasury to divest coming even more frequently during the U.S. Presidential race, Treasury has repeatedly stated the same thing: it is waiting for the right time to maximize its return, thereby minimizing the loss to the U.S. taxpayer.

With 500 million GM shares in its portfolio, the government needs those shares at $52-per in order to recoup the remainder of its initial $50 billion investment. Shares are right around $20, which would mean a highly unpalatable Greek haircut if the government gave up its position. Recent GM moves have also led the Treasury to believe that there is unlocked value in the company that the market simply hasn't reacted to yet; however, that sentiment was voiced two months ago and the stock price still hasn't budged.

Ally Financial is a different conundrum, one that the Treasury seems to be much more eager to divest itself of. The financial firm has paid back $5.4 billion of its TARP loan and filed IPO paperwork a year ago, but there's still not even a potential date for an offering, and no one seems to have any idea when it will pay off the rest of the funds. While plans are debated for an offering or a breakup of the company, Treasury has suggested that GM buy back Ally, but GM hasn't indicated any desire to do so.

So in effect, nothing has really changed, but at least now we have more figures in the government suggesting that the government get out of GM.

You're reading: Auto News - Watchdog says White House needs exit strategy for GM, Ally. Share the article: Auto News - Watchdog says White House needs exit strategy for GM, Ally by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter

Auto News - Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter. Nissan is reportedly hard at work on its next-generation Z. According to Inside Line, designers are already churning away on a concept version of the 2015 Z that may bow at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. The report notes that Shiro Nakamura, head of design for Nissan, says the new Z will be both smaller and lighter than the current 370Z. 

The model will also be geared toward a wider audience, and Nissan may be investigating the possibility of ditching the tried-and-true 3.7-liter VQ V6 for a turbocharged four-cylinder, a move that would almost certainly help fuel efficiency. The current Z is saddled with a lackluster 26 mpg highway, and strong early sales of cars like the Scion FR-S certainly indicate certain buyers are willing to drop a few ponies for a machine that's engaging to drive and at least somewhat fuel efficient.

Blasphemy? Maybe, but the thought of an engaging, lightweight turbo four sports car is the stuff dreams are made of – it's the "wider audience" part of the discussion that has us concerned as enthusiasts. A smaller Z would likely mean abandoning the Z's FM platform which also underpins machines like the Infiniti G Coupe and Sedan as well as the FX softroader. Inside Line says Nissan may turn to its corporate partner Daimler for some help in the chassis department.

You're reading: Auto News - Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter. Share the article: Auto News - Next Nissan Z will be smaller, lighter by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - Peugeot stock jumps on word it could shed 10,000 jobs

Auto News - Peugeot stock jumps on word it could shed 10,000 jobs. Peugeot's recent announcement about job cuts has caused a number of different reactions. When the French firm previously attempted to shed 6,000 jobs, company CEO Philippe Varin was called to Elysées Palace – the French White House – and then-president Nicolas Sarkozy suggested to him, in one of those ways that Varin couldn't refuse, that Peugeot reconsider, which it did. But there's a new president in the big house now, and Peugeot's position has gotten more dire, which has led the carmaker to reportedly raise its retrenchment level to 8,000-10,000.

Peugeot stock rose almost four percent on the announcement. But that only demonstrates the power of words, because actually getting rid of those 10,000 workers will be far more difficult. French workers are, of course, unhappy about the news and have been demonstrating outside company headquarters (as shown above). An outside analyst said the plan only makes the situation at Peugeot appear worse, and wonders how the firm can get rid of twice the number of jobs it couldn't shed when there was a more conservative government in power.

That conservative government gave both Peugeot-Citroën and Renault billions of euros in loans to weather the financial crisis, the bargain being that neither automaker would close French factories. The tribulations of both firms continue, and they haven't 'paid back' their debts; meanwhile, the government voted in with new president François Gérard Georges Nicolas Hollande is staunchly socialist, and there's almost no way the new president will quietly let 10,000 workers be added to the unemployment rolls after he campaigned on a platform of saving jobs.

As with the continually fluctuating headlines and fortunes of Greece, Spain and Italy, everyone knows the problems but no one seems to know where things will actually end up. The truths of economic possibilities, prudent fiscal policy, the profit motive and political maneuvering are swirling into an end-game that no one wants to face with their eyes open. During the holding game, Peugeot's factory overcapacity is closing in on 25 percent, its sales are falling and its debts are climbing. The tieup with General Motors will help a bit, but there are pressing near-term issue, and as with the situation in Europe overall, this is a long way from being over.

You're reading: Auto News - Peugeot stock jumps on word it could shed 10,000 jobs. Share the article: Auto News - Peugeot stock jumps on word it could shed 10,000 jobs by clicking the share button below

Read More >>

Auto News - Ford Shelby GT500 and Chevy Camaro ZL1 compared by Chris Harris

Auto News - Ford Shelby GT500 and Chevy Camaro ZL1 compared by Chris Harris. International man of mystery Chris Harris recently abandoned his duties in the UK for a trip to the States. Why? Because of two very important pieces of machinery: the 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500. Harris took charge of both cars in Manhattan to evaluate their on-road manners before heading to the track for a little showdown. What did he find? On the street, the Camaro is actually easier to live with than its Ford rival thanks to a more comfortable seating position, friendly clutch and easy torque curve.

And on the track? The ZL1 took top honors there, as well, beating the GT500 around Monticello by a full two seconds even though it has less power. Despite all this, Harris says if he had to choose one to be his very own, it would be a set of Ford keys in his pocket. The hoon of hoons says that in this world, bad is good, and the Mustang is properly scary, where the Camaro is simply too drivable. Check out the video below to see for yourself.

You're reading: Auto News - Ford Shelby GT500 and Chevy Camaro ZL1 compared by Chris Harris. Share the article: Auto News - Ford Shelby GT500 and Chevy Camaro ZL1 compared by Chris Harris by clicking the share button below

Read More >>