The next-generation Dodge Viper isn’t due for another year or two but that doesn’t mean Mopar can’t give you a taste of Viper power – if you have the cash.

Chrysler Group’s Mopar performance division has just announced the availability of a V10 crate engine at the SEMA show. It’s an impressive lump – it’s a hand built 512 cubic-inch (8.4 litre), aluminum block V-10. In terms of power it pumps out 800 horses and 941Nm of torque.

Mopar claims that the engine is designed for drag racing which may mean it has emissions issues for on-road use. There are future versions planned for off-road racing and circuit racing but don’t expect these crate engines to come cheap. (more…)

Having 470 horsepower under the bonnet means you’re going to move with some gusto but when there’s 570 rabid ponies up front, things can get wild.

Chrysler knows the difference and is planning to step things up a notch with a new top tier of SRT vehicles with upgraded powerplants. If recent rumours prove true later this year, the Dodge Charger SRT8 and Chrysler 300 SRT8 will be made available with an Eaton-sourced supercharger. This blower will boost the output of these machines to somewhere around 540-570-horsepower.

The supercharger option may be a dealer install job and will be offered on 2013 model year cars. What’s more Chrysler may fit its new eight-speed auto transmission to its four-door sports cars next year. (more…)

The Chrysler group has released a new video showing off its hardcore SRT8 range, the Charger, Challenger, 300 and even the Grand Cherokee star in this smokey clip.

There’s plenty of drifting and burnouts to break in the new stand alone SRT brand. It also gives enthusiasts the chance to hear the new 470-horsepower, 6.4-litre HEMI motor in action.

Check out the video below. (more…)

Chrysler has announced that its range of heavy-duty pickups will now be made available with brand new optional six-speed automatic transmission.

For 2012 the Ram Truck 2500 and 3500 HD models will make use of the new six-ratio auto box and it can be mated to an available 6.7-litre Cummins High Output Turbo Diesel engine. This huge diesel lump produces a crazy 1083Nm of torque at 1,500 rpm and 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm. In big daddy 3500 guise the Ram can tow up to 10,320kg when equipped with the optional ‘Max Tow’ package. Brutal.

Chrysler hasn’t been quick to announce fuel economy stats, so they remain unknown. The new box is also expected to be a pricey option but all details will be revealed closer to 2012.

If you can’t get enough of all things Mopar then why not modify your iPhone with the latest Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth wallpapers from Cool Car Pics. A pack of 35 professionally photographed and designed V8 Mopar wallpapers are now available on iTunes in this latest Cool Car Pics offering. All it takes is a quick download to your iPhone or iPod touch and you have a whole bunch of premium shots of modified Mopar machines that will make your iPhone stand out from all others.

Here are some of the V8 Mopars included:

• Dodge Charger R/T
• Plymouth ‘Cuda with over 930bhp at the wheels
• 1929 Dodge Coupe dragster
• 1971 Dodge Challenger with over 1000bhp at the wheels
• 1972 Dodge Challenger
• 1999 Dodge Viper GTS-R circuit car
• 6-second Dodge Avenger Funny Car
• 1974 Dodge Challenger convertible
• 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
• Dodge Dart
• Dodge Little Red Wagon
• 1965 Dodge Monaco
• Dodge Challenger SRT-8
• 1971 Chrysler Valiant
• 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Funny Car
• 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Fastback Pro Street
• 1972 Plymouth Road Runner
• 1963 Plymouth Belvedere
• 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda
• Plymouth ‘Cuda convertible

All cars are either show cars or racing cars shot professionally for magazines.

Our wallpapers are available for iPhone4, iPhone 3GS/3G/2G and all iPod touch versions.

All pictures are downloaded straight to your phone. No internet connection is needed once you’ve got the images on your device – simply browse through them and add the ones you want to your lock or home screen. (more…)

Not only is it beautiful to look at, this Chrysler New Yorker is also a genuine piece of automotive history.

As Chrysler’s flagship model, the New Yorker was significant. Still is. It remains the longest-running nameplate in US automotive history, having been in production for 57 years, from 1939 to 1996.

It spanned 11 model generations, though in keeping with much of what has emerged from the US car industry in the past three decades, the last five generations ” produced between 1979 and 1996 ” were pretty forgettable.

But it was during the New Yorker’s attractive second generation of models, produced between 1950 and 1954, that the marque made one of the most significant contributions to the automotive world ever, when it was offered in 1951 with Chrysler’s magnificent new FirePower Hemi V8 engine. The ’51 New Yorker was an unassuming car. It had subtle styling, with an outer layer that gave no clues to the fact that nestled snugly between its bulky flanks sat an engine which would become one of the most famous in automotive history.

The Hemi engine gets its name from the shape of its combustion chambers, which are shaped like half a sphere, or hemisphere, to best enclose its canted inlet and exhaust valves. The Hemi combustion chamber shape and valve locations, and centrally located spark plug, allow for short intake and exhaust ports and large valves. The result is smooth-running, effective valve stem and seat cooling, extended valve life, good prevention from carbon build-up, and excellent breathing, volumetric efficiency and performance. (more…)

The annual superbowl American football game over in the States is big business and not just on the field. Superbowl advertising has become staunchly competitive and crazy expensive, with juggernaut companies all pushing for TV viewers attention and ultimately money. Among these advertisers the car companies use the Superbowl as a time to show off their latest wares and show Americans what they are all about.

When the Superbowl took place last weekend it was the Green Bay Packers that won the game but Chrysler and Eminem that won the advertising war. The ad cost around $10 million USD to create and stars Eminem among scenes of his hometown – Detroit. It plays up to patriotism and emotion while also introducing a new and risky new tagline for Chrsyler – “Imported from Detroit”. Named ‘Born of Fire’ the ad is for the Chrysler 200 sedan but has generated more interest and comment than any other this year, making it a total success.

It’s a clever piece of advertising and you can view the commercial below. Also check out GM’s big budget Camaro ad beneath. (more…)

Chrysler is drumming up nostalgia in its loyal fan base with the creation of the new 426 cubic-inch Generation III Hemi crate engine. When your past is filled with some of the most momorable engines to ever push a car around a track or down a drag strip, then it makes sense to cash in on it. So with that in mind, production of the 426 crate engine has begun.

This new Mopar 426 Hemi Crate Engine is an all-aluminum job and produces a solid 540 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. It will sell with a heavy price tag of $13,675 USD in the States and made its debut at the recent Performance Racing Industry show in Florida. Chrysler is making a more steady attempt at keeping up with GM and Ford in expanding its aftermarket parts catalogue. Parts big and small, from valvetrain tie bars and cylinder head stud kits to aluminum engine blocks for the Challenger/Charger/300, are now being added to Chrysler’s stocks. It’s good news for Mopar fans the world wide.

Check out more images in the gallery below.