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Dodge Viper plant will close for good Aug. 31

It has been a long time coming, an end rumored since at least 2015, but after 25 years, the Dodge Viper's demise is nigh. Production of the $90,000 bespoke sports car is ending. Therefore, FCA will be shutting down its Conner Assembly Plant on Aug. 31. Automotive News reports that the Detroit plant will be shutting down. The car has been hand-built there since 1995, save for a hiatus in 2010-13 (production began at FCA's Mack Plant in 1992). The Prowler was built there, too, from 1997 to 2002. More than 80 workers currently build the Viper, making Conner FCA's smallest assembly facility. But not many Vipers are sold - 630 last year - despite an enthusiastic following. And of course FCA's own 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats and new 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon can't help matters. But the last straw is the fact the Viper can't comply with new safety requirements going into effect. On the bright side, the UAW has seen the plant closure coming since 2015, and FCA has told the state of Michigan that it expects to find positions at other plants for the Viper crew. FCA has been celebrating the Viper valedictory for a couple of years now, offering serialized special editions, including the $121,000 Viper ACR, and touting the ability to build unique Vipers with its "1 of 1" customization program, with a choice of 16,000 unique paint colors and 48,000 unique stripe combinations. Related Video:

PGA golfer Kevin Na won a '73 Dodge Challenger, gave it to his caddie

PGA Golfer Kevin Na had one of the best Memorial Day weekends on the planet, as he took home more than $1.3 million from winning the Charles Schwab Challenge. But his caddie Kenny Harms' weekend wasn't too far behind. In addition to the monetary purse, Na won a restomodded 1973 Dodge Challenger, which he then immediately gifted to Harms. Plus, as a sponsor of the event, Lexus gave Harms a free one-year lease on a new UX F Sport. In 15 events so far in 2019, 35-year-old Na has three times finished in the top 10, but his victory at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Texas was his first tournament win of the year. Na, who has been a pro since 2001, was awarded a restored '73 Challenger as part of his winnings. His caddie had been ogling the ride all week, and even predicted the car would be his: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. As soon as Na won the tournament, turned to Harms and yelled, "that's your car!" This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. After the event, Na joked that he wasn't sure how Harms convinced him to give the car away. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. According to a PGA.com report, Harms had told Na he wanted the car, which commemorates the year Charles Schwab was founded, when they heard about the prize months before. Coincidentally, Harms first car was a crummy 1973 Chevrolet Camaro. Steve Strope and his Cali-based shop Pure Vision handled the Challenger customization. Aside from the suggestion of blue paint, Schwab let Strope work his magic. He took the car down to the bare metal before building it back up as an impressive restomod. Because Dodge started downgrading power in the '73 Challengers, Strope swapped in a modern 6.4-liter Hemi crate motor that's rated at 485 horsepower. Several other special touches were added, including tartan interior accents that nod to the famous tartan jacket that is awarded to the tournament's winner. The video above details some of the work. Something tells us the Lexus UX might get a little more use but a little less love than the Challenger. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Auto News Dodge Coupe Classics lexus ux PGA

UAW papers reveal release dates for new Dodge, Jeep and Ram models

Documents published by the United Auto Workers union reveal key information about some of the products Dodge, Jeep and Ram will release during the early 2020s. All three brands will try to capitalize on the growing demand for trucks and SUVs in the United States. The agreement between the UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) outlines what the period between 2019 and 2023 will look like from an employee's vantage point. The $4.5 billion factory the automaker is building in Detroit will begin manufacturing a three-row Jeep model in 2020, and it will add the next-generation Grand Cherokee to its roster the following year, according to CarScoops. The new Grand Cherokee will also roll out of the Jefferson North facility that makes the current model scheduled to retire shortly before its successor arrives. The Dodge Durango will continue to be built there, and the UAW papers mention a mild-hybrid variant of the SUV due out before the end of 2020. Two body-on-frame Jeep models tentatively scheduled to revive the heritage-laced Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates will break cover in 2021. They will be built alongside Ram pickups at the Warren Truck plant, and odds are the three models will share several components under the sheetmetal. Adding the two Jeep models is expected to create 1,400 jobs, FCA predicted. Speaking of Ram, the high-performance TRX model (pictured) aimed at the Ford F-150 Raptor's jugular is penciled in for a 2020 launch. The concept that previewed the model made its debut in 2016, so it's reasonable to assume it will have changed considerably by the time it reaches showrooms. It will be based on the newest variant of the 1500, not on the last-generation model still sold as the Classic. What won't change is the supercharged, 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 between its fenders. The plug-in hybrid Wrangler remains on track for a 2020 launch. The Cherokee will continue to come out of Belvedere Assembly in Illinois, but the UAW's documents mention "fresh models / features" off of its unibody platform. Whether that means new trim levels or additional body styles remains to be seen, but it sounds like something new and Cherokee-related is around the corner. The ancient Dodge Journey shares at least one thing with the beater you drove in high school: a four-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox is finally on its way out, according to the UAW, and the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that powers the entry-level model isn't long for this world, either.