Chrysler Viper Reviews

As carmakers turn to the environment as the next tool to market their wares, GM has raised the bar with their Ecologic sticker. It is a step up from the standard fuel consumption stickers seen on new cars in Australia and the US and comes after GM realised many potential buyers want information on what impact their purchase will have on the planet. All 2013 Chevrolets sold in the US will have an Ecologic sticker affixed to the rear driver side window explaining the vehicle's impact on the environment throughout its life cycle. GM North America president Mark Reuss said at last month's Washington Car Show that "customers want companies to be honest and transparent about their environmental efforts and sustainability goals, and rightly so.Putting an Ecologic label on each Chevrolet is just one more way for us to share our environmental progress." The Chevy Sonic that goes on sale in March will be the first vehicle to have the Ecologic labels applied.The sticker shows the environmental impact in three areas: Before the road - aspects related to vehicle manufacturing and assembly. On the road - fuel-saving features such as advanced engine technologies, aerodynamics, lightweight components or low-rolling resistance tyres. After the road - what percentage by weight of the vehicle can be recycled at the end of its lifespan. The data will be verified by Two Tomorrows, an independent sustainability agency that audits companies' environmental initiatives. Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt says there are "no immediate plans" to introduce the innovative label in Australia."As with all GM product and initiatives, we'll look at it to see if it's appropriate for this market and `never say never' as it's a very nice idea," he notes. 

After more than a year on the missing list, the Chrysler 300C is finally back.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. With the retro drive in the US, Chrysler is considering a plan that would see the Barracuda join its three current classic nameplates - Challenger, Charger and Avenger.  The Challenger coupe is the hero car for the brand and competes directly with the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, just as it did when the three cars first went head-to-head in the 1970s.  Early details of the Barracuda plan have just leaked in motown during the Detroit motor show, where Chrysler has just returned the Dodge Dart name to its roster with an American remake of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta mechanical package shared with the American company's Italian alliance partner, Fiat.  It's likely that the Barracuda will be based on the mechanical package of the latest 300C sedan, but it is not expected until at least 2014.  But no-one is talking yet. "I've not seen or heard anything official on a Barracuda plan," Clyde Campbell, managing director of Chrysler Jeep Australia, tells Carsguide in Detroit.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. Chrysler claims credit for originally creating the class back in the 1980s, and this time around its thinking is reflected in a concept car called the  700C.  It shares its nameline with the existing 300C and 200 passenger cars, but takes things to a whole new level.  The 700C is a giant concept car with much more radical styling than  anything currently in the class - and since the 'giant egg' Toyota Tarago - with the focus on a wedgy look with more car-like design cues than most big boxes.  It has electric sliding doors on both sides, big alloy wheels and a front-wheel drive mechanical package.  But Chrysler says nothing about the 700C, not even including the concept in its opening-day press presentation.  More information could emerge on the second day of the Detroit show, but right now its unveiling is so low-key - it was just wheeled onto the Chryler stand without any fanfare - that there is nothing in the official press package handed to journalists today.

And now Chrysler devotees Nancy Clarke and Mark Collins are partners. "I had a Chevy when I was young and it got stolen," says Collins. "I wanted a car that wouldn't get stolen so I bought a Valiant; they didn't become popular with car thieves until the '80s. I always stick up for the underdog." The 50-year-old sales rep still owns the 1974 six-pack Charger ex-cop car he's had since 17 and also owns a stunning 1967 Plymouth GTX with matching numbers on the chassis and 440 Big Block. "That's where the money is; the future is matching numbers in cars," he says. Economics forced accountant Clarke, 40, to switch from a V8 Holden to a Hemi Valiant.  "I had a Holden and had to trade it in because I couldn't afford to run the V8, so I bought the biggest six-cylinder car I could find," she says. It was a 1970 VG Valiant Regal two-door hardtop she bought in 1995 for $2900. She crashed it in 1997, spent $100,000 restoring it and now it's a successful show car that has scooped eight major awards this year. "It's not insured for enough; just $37,500," she says. "There was a lot of panel work involved. I gave $20,000 to the body shop. We had to go to Oakey to pick up one rear quarter panel which cost $1000." Clarke also owns a 2006 Chrysler 300C three-litre, V6 turbo diesel with two-tonne towing capacity to haul a horse float. "I just like Chrysler because they're are different and don't follow a trend," she says. The Chrysler fans got together in 2001 and now store their motoring treasures in a big shed on a acreage property outside Brisbane. Collins bought his GTX in May for $35,000 from Gold Coast Muscle Cars which imported it from the US. The left-hooker has 59,000 miles (94,9512km) on the clock and is in original condition. Chrysler optioned the car up and offered a choice of the two biggest engines they had: the 440 and the 426 Hemi. This one features the 7.2-litre V8 with 279kW of power. "You take this on at the traffic lights at your peril," says Collins, a founding member of the Queensland Chrysler Association since 1984. He hasn't raced it - yet - but he calculates from the power, weight and 8 3/4 Posi Traction 2.75:1 diff that it should do about 14.4 seconds in the quarter mile. One of the quirky features of the Plymouth is that the seat backs don't lock into position. But Collins says they don't rock dangerously forward when you hit the brakes. "That's because the anchors don't work very well. They're not power assisted and they're discs on the front and drums in the rear," he says. The car is one of only 12,000 made and the only one registered in Queensland. "We know this because they had to make a new category at Queensland Transport," says Collins. "She is also the only one insured with Shannons so we don't know if she is the only one on the road in Australia but it must be close." 1967 PLYMOUTH GTX Price New: $3178 Price Now: $38,000 Engine: Super Commando 440 (7.2-litre) HP2, 279kW Body: Four-door "Belvedere" sedan Transmission: 3-speed auto Did you know: Valiant and Plymouth are sub-branches of Chrysler. Plymouth began in 1928 and was axed in 2001. It was considered the cheaper, practical and more performance-oriented brand of Chrysler. Valiant was available in Australia from 1962 to 1981 and was initially a rebadged American Plymouth Valiant. Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au

Host Adam Carolla, Matt Farah and Dan Neil drive the 2010 Camaro SS, 2011 Mustang RTR and 2012 Charger SRT8 at Willow Springs Raceway.Which of the Big Three’s biggest three comes out ahead?

The souped-up version that will pace the Iveco Australian MotoGP field this weekend even managed to blow its own lights out during a test run at Calder Park. The roof-mounted light pack couldn't cope with 160km/h and parted company with the big V8 on its first flying lap. A few "technical adjustments" and it should be ready for more serious duty keeping Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo in line on Sunday. The Chrysler Group is the official supplier of vehicles for the Phillip Island event and will have 16 cars on duty - six SRT8s, three Jeep Grand Voyagers, six Grand Cherokees and a Wrangler. The regular SRT8 doesn't need much motivation - its 6.1 litre V8 produces 317kW and 569Nm. The two course cars, though, have been "Mopar-vated", with the Chrysler Group's performance arm catalogue raided to fit more than $7000 in upgrades. The kit includes a Mopar exhaust, cold-air intake, coil overs and front sway bar. Jeep spokesman Dean Bonthorne says the upgrades give the course cars the handling and the sound to head the MotoGP field. "A 300C sounds pretty good anyway but the Mopar exhaust really makes it bark. It's a must-have for the SRT8," he says. A back-to-back run in a regular car and the tricked-up version around Calder Park shows the Mopar model hangs on like a tired two-year-old. It turns in to corners at speeds the standard SRT8 wanted to go straight ahead for and then copes with more throttle coming through the corner. Power isn't hugely up on the standard car but there's enough difference to steadily gain ground on the straights. Turn the traction control off on either model, though, and it doesn't take much effort for the torque to wring the traction out the tyres. MOPAR MOJO The Mopar aftermarket parts sales are huge in the US and have a small but staunch group of supporters Down Under, especially those who import North American vehicles. Items range from interior trim upgrades and weathershields to specialist kits for drag and off-road racing. Chrysler's motorport involvement is limited to Greg Crick driving a Dodge Viper in the Australian GT Championship and Lee Bektash in the Team Mopar drag racer. Bektash watched bemused as the SRT8 ran around Calder Park, then offered some advice on how to experience the ultimate in Mopar-enhanced speed. "There's nothing like this, mate," he says, patting his carbon-fibre and alloy Dodge Avenger pro stock racer. "Zero to 100(km/h) in 0.8 (second), I'll change gears five times the first 4.3 seconds of the (quarter-mile) run and we're pulling more than 300 (km/h) at the end. I don't care what else you do - you can't beat that." Bektash set a 7.03 second pass at this year's Winternationals in Queensland.

Based on bang-for-buck impact, as well as classic muscle appeal, Shannons Insurance says it has to be the Falcon XY GTHO Phase 3 that ruled at Bathurst in the 1970s and was the world's fastest four-door sedan at the time it was introduced. A silver HO was passed in at the Brisbane Motor Show auction in 2008 at about $750,000."You wouldn't get those prices now as the bubble burst on the Aussie V8 muscle car market over 12 months ago and we haven't seen those numbers back ... yet," says Shannons spokesman Phil Ross.But Dan Bowden, whose Sunshine Coast family museum has one of the greatest collections of Aussie muscle cars, reckons the top prize goes to the Falcon XR GT which he calls "The first of the real Aussie V8s". It won Bathurst in 1967.Bathurst victory seems to be the common thread here. But what about Holdens? Ross says the number two and three cars in the price stakes are both Bathurst-winning Holdens: the 1978/79 A9X hatchback 308 V8 LX SS and the 1968 327 V8 HK Holden Monaro, "or possibly the 1970 HT 350 V8 Monaro"."Shannons Auctions sold a HK 327 Monaro for $220,000 at one of our auctions at the height of the muscle car price wars," he says.Earlier this year an A9X was passed in at a Shannons auction in Melbourne for more than $270,000. "They only made 100 of these so the Holden fans will argue it's the number one Aussie V8 of all time and the most collectable," says Ross.Road cars are one thing, but race cars attract even higher price tags. Bowden's museum has Peter Brock's 1979 A9X in which he won Bathurst by six laps, setting a record on the last lap while waving at the fans.It's insured for over $1m. Bowden says the car recently won an Auto Action poll as the most significant race car in Australia's history and won a Facebook poll among Bowden followers.Despite all that, he says the HK 327 GTS Monaro is "one of the most beautiful and a real contender", winning Bathurst in 1968.Ross says the cars that conquered Bathurst were awarded hero status by the car-buying public. "I don't think this kind of hero status for Aussie V8s will be as big with the later model cars but time may prove me wrong," he says. "I have just noticed there is a bit of a cult following starting with younger guys and the humble XD Falcon at shows."I always thought it looked more like a taxi but after looking at the Dick Johnson `Tru Blu' Falcon Group C race car at Bowden's museum I have changed my mind."Neither Ross nor Bowden mentioned any Chrysler product. "Sadly Chrysler didn't have any good V8s," says Bowden. "The ones with any real sporting pedigree were the six-cylinder versions."In the end they built the V8s in the Charger, the VJ E55 versions, but they were very toned down, marketed against the big luxury Ford Fairmont and LS Monaros, not as a sporting car."Ross says the six-cylinder E49 E49 RT Charger in the popular Vitamin C (orange) six pack "Big Tank" (extra Fuel for Bathurst) fully restored can be worth $170,000-$200.000."I once asked Leo Geogeghan if he thought a Charger could win Bathurst and he said not without a V8," he says. "He couldn't beat the V8 GT Falcons up the mountain. There was a 770 Charger released with a V8 but it never ran at Bathurst. If they had won maybe they would be worth more."Of the current batch of Aussie V8s, Bowden likes the FPV GT. "Amazing engine. The only manufacturer that hand assembles its engine in Australia," he says.Bowden also throws a monkey into the works with the rear-mounted HSV V8 engine in the Alfa Romeo Sprint made by Giocattolo Motori Pty Ltd. The Australian car company built just 15 cars from 1986 to 1989 which were capable of up to 260km/h.OTHERS TO CONSIDER* Falcon XA GTHO Phase IV, the one Ford said they never built, killed by the super car scare and only one road car ever made.* Holden L34 Torana, with Hi-Po option, our only all-Aussie-made engine.* VL HDT Group A Brock Commodore, another homologation special. "The polariser plus pack version just adds to the story," says Bowden.* Falcon XA RPO-83 option GT. A lot of those Phase IV bits went on these special cars.* Falcon XC Cobra, one of the first 30, the Bathurst special versions.

Even at a time when fuel economy is top-of-mind with a growing number of Australian drivers there is plenty of space on the roads for Commodores and Falcons with old-fashioned V8 muscle under the bonnet. They burble menacingly at idle. They are the backbone of V8 Supercar racing.Yet V8s in the 21st century are not what they were in the days when they first conquered Mount Panorama and a GTHO Falcon or a Monaro - or even a Valiant V8 - was a dream machine for a generation of Aussie youngsters.Since 1970 the crude oil price has exploded from $20 a barrel to double that amount during the Iran revolution, over $70 during the first Gulf War, broke through the $100 barrier ahead of the Global Financial Crisis and has now settled at just below $100.In Australia, petrol prices have correspondingly risen from about 8c a litre in 1970 to about 50c in 1984 and almost $1.50 today.Despite all this, and despite one attempt at a death sentence by Ford in the 1980s, the V8 has not been wiped from Australian showrooms. Holden and Ford have continued to produce large cars with a V8 alternative and continue to slog it out at Bathurst.But Australian cars, even the ones that now have American V8s imported for local use, are not the only bent-eight blasters on the road.Germans are prolific builders of V8s and produce some of the most powerful engines in the world thanks to AMG-Mercedes, BMW and Audi. English V8s are built by Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar, while the Americans provide V8s in the Chrysler 300C sold here. Even the Japanese luxury brand Lexus has a V8 in its IS F hero and its luxury saloon LS460, as well as the LandCruiser-cloned LX470.Most V8s are powerful enough breathing ordinary air, but there are many forced-induction models with either turbo or supercharging to liberate even more power. Walkinshaw Performance does the job in Australia for Holden, BMW is going down the turbo V8 road for its latest M cars and Benz had a time with a supercharged AMG V8.But V8s are not just about unrestricted power. The push for greater fuel economy has also reached V8 land and so Chrysler and Holden have V8s with multiple displacement technology which shuts down half the cylinders when the car is just cruising to improve fuel economy. Formula One racing engines now do the same thing when they are idling on a grand prix starting grid.Holden's Active Fuel Management (AFM) was introduced on the V8 Commodore and Caprice in 2008 and the red lion brand is committed to the engine - with future technology updates - despite near-record fuel prices."It is incumbent on us to keep it relevant and continue introducing new technology that delivers on our customers' needs," says Holden's Shayna Welsh.Holden has the biggest stake in V8s with more models than any other company selling in Australia. It has a total of 12 models with V8 engines across four nameplates and four body styles, including Commodore SS, SS V, Calais V, Caprice V and the recently introduced Redline range. V8s account for about one quarter of Commodore sedan sales and almost half of Ute sales."We see it as being more than just the V8 engine - it's about the entire car. It's the whole performance package that appeals to people and we want to continue making cars that people are proud to own," Welsh says."The combination of features and technology, great handling and braking and outstanding value is consistent across our V8 model range."Ford fans are also committed to V8s, according to company spokesperson Sinead McAlary, who says a recent Facebook survey was overwhelmingly positive."We asked whether they worry about petrol prices and they say 'No, it's the sound of the V8 we love and we are prepared to pay the price'," she says.Both Ford and Holden also have performance divisions where the V8 was, and still is, king. Ford's is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden's is Holden Special Vehicles (HSV).HSV marketing manager Tim Jackson says their sales are "on par" with last year."That's despite the fact that last year we had the limited edition GX-P which is an entry level product for us," he says. "We don't have that model in our range at all this year and you would expect numbers to come off, but we've been able to maintain sales volume."All of HSV's range are powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine (6200cc 317kW-325kW), while the opposition at FPV has gained the kilowatt advantage with forced induction (supercharged 5000cc 315kW-335kW).Jackson says their LS3 V8 has been "validated" by customers."We're not getting guys screaming at us to go turbocharging. The LS3 is an extraordinary unit. It's a light engine with a good power-to-weight figure. There is not a turbo engine that would do it for us at the right development cost. But I wouldn't rule it (turbo) out or rule it in."Jackson says there have been no repercussions from the rise in petrol prices."Our customers don't have other choices in their repertoire," he says. "A small car doesn't suit them and they're not into an SUV. They're of a certain level where the whole cost of running the car is easy for them to absorb."The top-selling HSV is the ClubSport R8, followed by the Maloo R8, then GTS.However, the greatest HSV in history is debatable, Jackson says.HSV engineering boss Joel Stoddart prefers the all-wheel-drive Coupe4 and sales boss Darren Bowler the SV5000."The Coupe4 is special because of its engineering but I like the W427 because it's the fastest," Jackson says.FPV boss Rod Barrett says they are also experiencing strong sales growth. He says they sold about 500 cars in the first quarter, which is up 32 per cent on the previous year. He also says sales of the F6 have slowed since the launch of the supercharged V8 engine variants late last year, as customers "opt for power". Ford no longer offers a V8 with the demise of the XR8 sedan and ute last year."Our middle name is performance so we have all the V8s," Barrett says. "When we were launching this new supercharged car all the V8s came across here."Barrett says their supercharged engine has changed people's minds about "dinosaur V8s"."The turbocharged F6 was a cult hero car in its day and people thought a V8 was a low-tech dinosaur," he says. "But when we produced a high-tech all-alloy five-litre supercharged V8 built in Australia people started to think that V8s aren't all that bad after all. I'm not seeing the demise of the V8 just yet, but for us, the future is hi-tech."The supercharged 5.0Litre V8 335kW FPV GT continues to be FPV's top-selling vehicle followed closely by the supercharged V8 5.0 litre 315kW GS sedan and GS ute.Barrett believes the current GT is the best FPV car yet with its segment-leading power, light weight and improved fuel economy."However, I think our most iconic car was the 2007 BF Mk II 302kW Cobra in white with blue stripes. That car brought back the passion of '78 with the original Cobra. If you have a look at the second-hand prices, they are still holding up very well" he says.

Holden leads with 12 models plus 10 HSVs, all of which are naturally aspirated. Ford was second, before it deleted all its XR8 models and handed the V8 exclusively keys to FPV which has nine supercharged V8s in its Falcons.So it's now - surprisingly - Mercedes-Benz that is runner-up to Holden in the muscle-car stakes, with 12 models, four different V8 capacities and three turbocharged choices.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says the number will increase with the introduction of the E 63 AMG estate with twin turbo later this year."And that's in response to customer demand," he says.McCarthy calculates that V8 sales represent about $200 million a year in AMG and $50 million in other models."A quarter of a billion dollars is a pretty sizeable chunk of our business."He says V8s account for about 10 per cent of sales in most classes, except the super-costly CL 500 which is 20 per cent."That will probably change a little when we release the CL 500 bi-turbo."McCarthy says the future looks good for V8s."The reason for that is that technology is delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy without sacrificing power," he says.The ranks of the supercars are surprisingly not dominated by V8s, but by bigger cylinder capacities. For example, all Lamborghinis are either V10 or V12. The most expensive V8 in Australia is the $526,950 Ferrari 458 Italia with a 419kW 4499cc V8. If you can still find one, the cheapest is the Falcon XR8 ute with a 290kW 5408cc V8 starting at $41,690.The most powerful is the 420kW 6208cc V8 in the Mercedes-Benz SLS ($468,820) which has just 1kW more than the 458 Italia. Least powerful V8 is the 250kW 5.7-litre HEMI in the Chrysler 300C ($46,000), although the SRT version is a healthy 317kW.