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Here's the last Dodge Viper

The last Dodge Viper has rolled off the line. Ralph Gilles, FCA's Head of Design since April 2015, posted a photo gallery on Instagram with the caption "So long... #Viper." The gallery includes multiple photos of the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, where the Dodge Viper has been built since 1995. In the gallery, we see a yellow unit with black stripes coming down the line, and Gilles is posing in front of it with Dodge/SRT Head of Design Mark Trostle. The yellow Viper is followed by a red car, with nothing else behind it on the line. That red Viper is "the ultimate last one," according to Gilles, adding that the automaker will be holding onto that unit for the company's heritage collection. You can click through the gallery here: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. When asked in the comments if the Viper was discontinued because of low sales, Gilles replied, "Not really as it sold well over the last couple of years at a great mix of mostly ACRs in the last 15 months. It has more to do with a new ejection mitigation regulation airbag that simply won't fit in our package." Despite the solemnity of the post, Gilles is upbeat about the Viper in general, saying "The Gen5 had a great 5 model year run and the Viper platform which has not changed that much over the years had a great 25 year run!" He says he has great memories with the car, and that "they are relatively robust so they will be around making memories for generations to come!" Still, we hope to see something that lives up to the Viper's wild, raw spirit come from FCA in the near future. Related Video: Related Gallery Roadkill Nights Dodge Vipers 2017 View 40 Photos News Source: Instagram: @ralphgilles Plants/Manufacturing Dodge Automotive History Coupe Performance Supercars FCA viper

Dodge Durango gets performance Mopar options for R/T, SRT

Fiat Chrysler is showing new performance add-ons for the 2018 Dodge Durango R/T and SRT models at the Chicago Auto Show, including the familiar Dodge dual center stripes and a new Mopar exhaust system. The 475-horsepower SRT model, which is powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, will also offer a lowering spring kit and a carbon-fiber instrument panel. The signature two-stripe treatment blankets the three-row SUV from the front to rear fascia and is tailored to the signature NACA duct-hood vent. It'll come in five different colors — bright blue, flame red, gunmetal low gloss (metallic finish), low-gloss black and sterling silver — and retail for $1,195 starting in March. View 7 Photos Mopar developed its new bolt-on performance exhaust systems with Dodge SRT engineers and designers to improve flow and achieve that sweet sound. It features a chromium 304 stainless steel construction to make it more resistant to corrosion, with stainless steel band-style clamps and welded and polished 4-inch tips. It costs $1,595 for the Durango R/T and is available now. On the SRT, the price goes up to $1,850, with the package available in the second quarter. New Mopar springs improve the Durango SRT's high-speed cornering stability and consistency by lowering the SUV an average of 15 millimeters, or 0.6 inches. They were developed with proprietary Dodge SRT data not available to the aftermarket to tune the lowering springs to the factory dampers, giving the vehicle less rear-end squat during acceleration, less nose dive while braking and reduced body roll on corners. MSRP on the package, which is available now, is $325. For just under $2,500 you can get the SRT Interior Appearance Group package, which adds a premium-wrapped carbon-fiber instrument panel and door bezels, Dinamica soft-touch headliner and accent paint on speaker trim rings. The Chicago Auto Show is open to the public Feb. 10-19. Related Gallery 2018 Dodge Durango R/T, SRT Mopar performance options Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Chicago Auto Show Dodge SUV Performance tuning sport utility vehicle

What does Jeep have cooking with this stretched Cherokee?

Chrysler has been spotted testing what appears to be a stretched Jeep Cherokee prototype. Which seems odd, considering that Jeep already makes a Grand Cherokee, and that's an entirely different model. The question then is just what the company has in the works here. We don't know for sure – but we do have some ideas. We're anticipating a new Grand Wagoneer to serve as the brand's flagship model, but stretching the Cherokee's wheelbase to leapfrog the Grand Cherokee's would take more than eight inches – and stretching a "compact" platform to get there wouldn't seem to make a lot of sense. Alternatively Jeep could be looking to wedge a new model into its lineup in between the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, potentially offering a third row of seats and wearing the Wagoneer name - sans the "Grand" - as part of a new range of seven-seaters. Just what the point would be, however, when the Dodge Durango already offers three rows based on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, is a bit of a mystery. Another possibility is that it's not a Jeep at all, but rather a Dodge. The brand is in need of a replacement for the current Journey, and we're also waiting to see what FCA does to replace the Grand Cherokee since it unveiled the Chrysler Pacifica to replace the Town and Country. More of a crossover approach could take the Cherokee's Compact US Wide (CUSW) platform as its starting point, but stretched like this prototype to offer more space. Whatever it is, we're sure this won't be the last we'll have seen of it, so watch this space. Related Video: