American manufacturer Chrysler is gearing up its Mopars for the 31st annual Mile-High NHRA Nationals, which will take place on July 23–25 at the Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. For the opening gala, Chrysler is prepping the recently introduced Mopar ‘10 Challenger.

“We’re looking forward to bringing Mopar Nation to Thunder Mountain,” Pietro Gorlier, MoparCEO said in a statement. “This is a premier stop on the NHRA circuit and a great place to showcase the Mopar brand and reveal our new Mopar ’10 Challenger.”

The Mopar ’10 hides a 5.7 liter Hemi V8 powerplant under its hood and comes with several unique features to set it apart from other Dodges, like black chrome finish for the grille surround and Brilliant Black paint.

As for the technical tweaks which will make the 500 units of the ’10 stand out from the crowd, they comprise hood-venting system and a cold air intake, front strut brace with shock caps and a rear strut tower brace and twenty inch forged rims.

Aside for the ’10, Mopar will display at the event the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty, a “Moparized” Dodge Challenger, Mopar Ram Runner and the Mopar Direct Connection Test Lab Vehicle.

“Bandimere Speedway is proud and honored to have Mopar call our track home,” added John Bandimere Jr., Bandimere Speedway CEO.

“Our unique venue and the forward-thinking people at Mopar make this one of the top fan experiences on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. We are eager to have our friends return to Denver for this long-running partnership.”

CGS Motorsports is one of the leading manufacturers of High Performance Cat Back Exhaust Systems and Air Intake Systems for late model cars, trucks, & SUVs.

Besides being one of the leading manufacturers of Performance Products, CGS has also become one of the leading creators of many SEMA Show vehicles over the years and CGS has built several vehicles for the Big 3.

Once again, CGS is creating another SEMA Show vehicle for GM, which will be showcased at the 2010 SEMA Show. They will be customizing a new ’11 Chevy Camaro.

This new GM muscle car will feature custom paint, the Camaro will feature a ZR1 influenced hood, and body kit by ACS. The CGS team is also designing and building handmade chrome moldings. Custom leather from Pecca Leather, of course one of CGS’s Cat-Back Exhaust Systems, and Whipple Ind. new Camaro twin screw supercharger producing close to 500hp.

As illustrated in the rendering, 22″ wheels up front a set of 24″x15″ rear wheels by Genuine Boyds, Pirelli’s new 405/25/24″ rear tires, the rear wheels and tires will be stuffed under the back without any type fender fairing. All the rear suspension will be replaced with Chris Alston’s Fab 9 rear end with a latter bar and coil over suspension.

So be sure to check out the completed vehicle at this year SEMA show in Las Vegas, NV. www.cgsmotorsports.com

Dodge Viper Cup Series Kicks Off Inaugural Season on VERSUS

Virginia International Raceway Hosts First Two Viper Cup Races

* Ten-race spec series features new Dodge Viper ACR-X – “the” ultimate special-edition model of America’s ultimate sports car
* VERSUS to televise all 10 events in 30-minute show format
* MICHELIN signs on as official tire sponsor
* First two races of Viper Cup series celebrity driver program will feature Shaun Bailey of Road and Track magazine and Army National Guard Sergeant Mike Kohn of U.S. Olympic bobsledding fame
* Growing interest in the new series leads Dodge to produce 25 additional 2010 Viper ACR-X models

July 9, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich.

The next chapter in the racing legacy of the Dodge Viper is about to be written when 12 Dodge Viper ACR-X race cars take to the track to begin the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series season at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, Va., July 10-11, 2010.

“The Dodge Viper ACR-X is designed and built specifically for the race track,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. “Now with VERSUS on board, race fans will have the opportunity to see our untamed and unmatched road-racing machine along with some of our talented Viper owner/drivers compete on five of the best road courses in the county as part of the Dodge Viper Cup series.”

Event Coverage on VERSUS

VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the U.S. will televise each of the 10 series races in 30-minute shows approximately two to three weeks after each race. Viewers should check local listings for the 2010 Dodge Viper Cup series schedule on VERSUS. If fans miss a certain race, each 30-minute show also will re-air on VERSUS at various times throughout the season.
Click Read more for the full release

Chrysler Group LLC to Introduce Mopar® ’10 Challenger

Company Continues to Leverage, Grow Mopar Brand

- Mopar ’10 will be available in August
- Pricing starts at $38,000, which includes destination
- Five hundred special-edition cars to be built, customers may pre-order now

For the first time in its history, Chrysler Group LLC will launch a special-edition Mopar® version of one of its vehicles. The Mopar ’10, a Mopar 2010 Dodge Challenger, arrives in Dodge dealerships next month.

“Our Mopar ’10 Challenger is a collaboration of two iconic brands with tremendous heritage,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC. “Dodge put the heart into this Challenger and Mopar added the soul. The result is a unique, special-edition car that only we can offer.”

The U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for Mopar ’10 is $38,000 for an automatic transmission and $39,000 for a manual transmission. Both prices include $750 for destination. Customers may pre-order now.

After all, Bigfoot has left its Ford pickup body for a new Chevrolet Silverado one. For more than 35 years Bigfoot was associated with Ford, but no more. We all know, that for many people this news would hurt so much, but there it is – Bigfoot changes the team. There are so much news that we all would take easily, but not and this one.

Bigfoot is said to lead the monster truck public relationships, but Ford dropped its sponsorship of the team in 2007. That left Firestone tires as the main sponsor, and since the company also throws plenty of cash at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, it’s aching for some cross-promotion. Since Chevrolet also sponsors the event, Big Foot will be wearing new skin and a heart transplant. We’ll see what is going to happen now.

The muscle car war is a fact. At Cars.com are celebrating the recent success of America’s reborn muscle cars with an interactive map which show the places, color coded according to the specific car model. The bigger the circle, the larger the search disparity. However, there’s something you should know – the percentages are highest in small towns, so if you live in a big city, a substantial spike in pony car searches is unlikely. Cars.com says that the Mustang has the highest search total of the three vehicles. You should really see the map and enjoy it - http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2010/07/muscle-car-hot-spots.html

Dodge Celebrates the Ultimate Factory Customized Viper
July 1, 2010 , Auburn Hills, Mich.
Dodge Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles (right) and plant manager Shelly Brown Gordon (third from right) welcomed more than 400 hundred loyal Viper owners at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit today to present the ultimate factory customized 2010 Dodge Viper coupe to proud new owner D’Ann Rauh (second from right). Rauh and her husband Wayne from Arp, Texas, own more than 40 Dodge Vipers – the largest personal collection of Vipers in the world.

A member of the Mid-South Viper Club of America, D’Ann Rauh worked exclusively with the Dodge Design team to select the personal touches she wanted on her car. The custom bronzed gold exterior paint was supplied by House of Kolor. The custom interior features various leather appointments, which were crafted by Tony Spampinito from Venzano, who has worked with the Rauhs on previous Viper projects.

Bob Soroka, from Chrysler Group LLC’s Street and Racing Technology team, airbrushed layouts of Viper-significant race tracks into the custom-painted copper stripes applied by Prefix. The five-spoke forged-aluminum wheels are custom painted in dark graphite.

Members from both the Motor City Viper Club and the Viper Club of America participated in the celebration.

Rauh’s Viper is the last of the current-generation Vipers built at the plant. Dodge has created more special-edition Viper models for the 2010 model year than all other model years combined. Production on the Dodge Viper started in 1992.

Ford Racing has presented the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Mustang, creating a moment that will enter the company’s history. The company is determined to take this year’s trophy home, with Jamie Allison, director of Ford North America Motorsports announcing that if a Ford Driver wins Friday night’s event, he will get a 412 hp 2011 5.0 liter Mustang GT production car.

The Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series event is set to take place at Daytona International Speedway.

“Normally, when we go to a NASCAR race, the drivers are the recognized stars as far as fans are concerned. That’s not the case this week.” said Allison. “Mustang and its debut in NASCAR is undoubtedly a huge story for fans and enthusiasts, and we want to make its debut a little more special for our drivers competing in the race. With a win, they have a chance to put their name down next to some of the Mustang racing legends.”

Here’s something that is Mini .. and Maxi, as well. We all know this is a muscle cars blog, but this car nothing more than a pure hellish muscle car. We know an engine that delivers 175 hp is more than enough to make a contemporary MINI a  performance vehicle. But how about doubling the figure? You’d get a 350 hp MINI. But why limit yourself? Why not take the new power rating and multiply it by…. let’s say ten? Are you still with us?

If the answer is “yes”, then we have to tell you that we haven’t forgotten our brains in a test drive car or anything like that, we’ve just taken a look in Cummins’ garden and found out that the world’s largest diesel engine maker (the adjective can be used for both “Cummins” and “engine”) has strapped a 11 tonnes, 3,500 hp oil-burner to a classic Mini. Now, that’s the kind of MINI diesel we’d drive.

The vehicle, which will be showcased at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, features the largest engine in the company’s offer. The QSK78 powerplant, which is also the largest oil burner in the UK, uses a V18 layout, has a 78 liter displacement and uses 12 turbochargers to deliver 3,500 hp and a maximum torque of 14,800 Nm.

The engine’s everyday job is to power mining industry dump trucks that can carry up to 360 tonnes so we’re guessing it could do a pretty good job with the MINI.

“We never like to let a challenge go by unanswered so we got to thinking maybe we could fit the QSK78 into an original Austin Mini. It proved to be a bit tricky to fit under the bonnet but our engineers came up with a more creative solution. We’re certain that the Goodwood crowd will have difficulty believing what they are seeing,” said Steve Nendick, Cummins’ Communications Director.

3500 HP Mini Cooper

1979 wide-body Corvette designed by Corvette racing legend John Greenwood. Black Beauty with red interior and desirable L82. Mirror finish black paint against red leather. Loaded with options including the performance L82 motor, matching numbers and completely stock engine, transmission and interior with less than 18,200 original miles, down to the original factory AM/FM player. Motor compartment is detailed and fully serviced. The 235/60R15 BFGoodrich tires are brand new, all the rubber is brand new, and the glass and trim are very good. Additional options and accessories include glass tops, power disc brakes, power steering, aluminum wheels, polished aluminum valve covers, spoiler integrated to the body, wide fenders, side air vents, power windows, power antenna, tilt telescopic wheel, air conditioning, rear defog and cruise control.