Hey Europe: No SRT Viper for You

Whatever the business reason may be, Chrysler will not be sending its V10-powered SRT Viper overseas.

Despite Chevrolet making clear it intends to launch its all-new C7 Corvette Stingray in Europe sometime in 2014, Chrysler has just announced that it has no intention of bringing itsSRT Viper overseas anytime soon. Instead, Chrysler wants to focus its efforts on the North American market. No further explanation was given as to why the new 8.4-liter V10-powered Viper won't be exported, but we're guessing the reasoning is that there simply won't be enough interest in the $97,000 (base price) car.

Yes, there are plenty of wealthy Europeans more than capable of paying that sum of money (which will be more in Euros) but the Viper was designed for American driving purists first and foremost. Chrysler figures European tastes are too refined for the US-built supercar. Another factor may be that the Viper's large size may not suite Europe's narrow streets. But still, we're somewhat surprised to learn of this because the Viper's performance is on par with that of Ferraris and other supercars but comes with a cheaper price tag. For now then it seems the SRT Viper will remain a North American commodity.

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Porsche 960 Ferrari Fighter Continues Development

Porsche's upcoming 960 Ferrari fighter will have a newly developed quad-turbo flat-eight mounted midship.

The Porsche 918 Spyder won't officially be unveiled for another couple of months, and in the meantime the German automaker is deep into the planning phase of its upcoming Ferrari fighter. Currently dubbed the 960, Automobile magazine is reporting that Porsche has recently made some changes to the car's make up, which was originally rumored to be powered by a mid-mounted 4.0-liter flat-six. With that engine ruled out, Porsche is apparently replacing it with an all-new quad-turbo 3.9-liter flat-eight.

All told, it could have an output in the neighborhood of 650 horsepower. Why did Porsche give up on the more traditional flat-six option? Sources claim that such an engine would push the car's asking price into Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and Lamborghini Aventador territory, both of which have V12s. Along with its four turbochargers, the new flat-eight will come equipped with twin intercoolers, four adjustable camshafts, a multistage intake manifold and a dual-stage exhaust system. The 960 will retain its mid-engine setup and the new engine will sit low in the chassis for a lower center of gravity.

The new chassis itself will share architecture from future VW Group performance models such as the next-gen Boxster and eventual Aventador replacement. Constructed mainly from aluminum, steel, carbon fiber, magnesium and titanium, curb weight should tip the scales at around 3,000 lbs. Production, however, isn't set to begin until 2017.

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Orange Murcielago on D2Forged Wheels

The Arancio Borealis Lamborghini Murcielago is looking superb on a set of color-matched concave alloys.

D2Forged Wheels' latest wheel series has been revealed on this stunning LamborghiniMurcielago. The US-based wheel-maker's CV2 Shallow Concave alloys have been color-coded and are looking super slick on the Arancio Borealis-finished Murci. The wheels are finished with a gloss-black center, outer lip and inner barrel with a color-matched lip stripe and hand-painted "D2" center-cap logo, and measure in at 20 inches.

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Top 5 1000-HP Supercars

Membership of the 1,000-horsepower club is highly exclusive.

Over the past couple of decades carmakers from across the world have obsessed over automotive power and today there are scores of cars that lay claim to having the power of over 1000 horses at the crank. Taking away tuner machines and kit cars, there are still at least a dozen manufacturer-built supercars on the road, and here we present our top 5. In no particular order of power or speed, the list includes the fastest car in the world as well as the fastest accelerating production car on the planet.

Following the car's unveiling at Pebble Beach during The Quail and the McCall Motorworks Revival, the Swedish-made Agera R garnered enough attention from interested parties for Koenigsegg to launch it in the US. With a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 generating 1,100 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque, the Agera R boasts one of the highest power-to-weight ratios in the business and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 245 mph.

The 2007 Zenvo ST1 is a turbocharged, supercharged 7.0-liter V8 animal that puts out 1,100hp and 1,054lb-ft of torque. Due to tire liability issues there's an electronically-limited top speed of 233mph on the ST1, which manages 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds. The Danish supercar maker also created a "50S" model for the US limited to only three units available in Mediterranean Blue, Intense Red and Crystal White. Each comes with an exclusive complimentary Swiss-made ASPEN Zenvo watch valued at $49,000. The retail price for the 50S begins at a mere $1,800,000.

The Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse is the most powerful and fastest convertible in the world, featuring a 7.9-liter W16 engine with four enlarged turbochargers. The monstrous output of 1,200hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque allow the open-top French automobile to hit a staggering 255mph. The Grand Sport Vitesse sits on a set of lightweight 20-inch bespoke wheels and features aerodynamic parts from the Super Sport. A new front spoiler, larger air intakes on the front-end and a double diffuser in the rear along with centrally-positioned dual tailpipes highlight the Grand Sport Vitesse's added attributes.

Based on the Lotus Exige, the Hennessey Venom GT is powered by a 7.0-liter Hennessey-built twin-turbo V8, and can be ordered with 800, 1000, or, 1200 horsepower. Torque comes in at 1,155lb-ft, and Hennessey claim the Venom GT can reach a top speed of 275mph. The American hypercar recently smashed the 0-300 kph world record, taking the title from the Agera R with a time of 13.63 seconds.

The SSC Ultimate Aero is a 1,287hp monster powered by a 6.3-liter twin-turbo V8. ShelbySupercars has yet to give the media a test drive in the Ultimate Aero, although all 16 models made have now been sold. For the uninitiated, the SSC Ultimate Aero is the car that, despite its modest background, set the record for the fastest car on earth when the Ultimate Aero TT hit a top speed of 255.83 mph. That's what prompted Bugatti to make the Veyron Super Sport, reclaiming the record at 268 mph. Next up for SSC is the Tuatara, which is tipped to regain the mantel of world's fastest car from Bugatti.

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Aventador LP720-4 Heading to Geneva?

If rumors are to be believed, Lamborghini will unveil a special edition Aventador LP720-4 at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

Rumors abound that Lamborghini will be heading to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a special edition Aventador to mark the company's 50th anniversary. We've known for some time that a 50th Anniversary edition model was in the pipeline, following a trend that saw a 40th anniversary Murcielago and 25th anniversary Countach. But it was unclear whether it would be a unique one-off like the Aventador J or a special series model. The latest whispers suggests the latter.

And if we're to believe the word on the street, it will be carry the LP720-4 designation - meaning it will get 720 horsepower, so an additional 20 hp over the stock Aventador - and come with a unique color combination with some interesting carbon-fiber elements. The limited edition model will likely carry a 25 percent premium, so could well be priced around the $500,000 mark.

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Top 5 1000-HP Supercars

Membership of the 1,000-horsepower club is highly exclusive.

Over the past couple of decades carmakers from across the world have obsessed over automotive power and today there are scores of cars that lay claim to having the power of over 1000 horses at the crank. Taking away tuner machines and kit cars, there are still at least a dozen manufacturer-built supercars on the road, and here we present our top 5. In no particular order of power or speed, the list includes the fastest car in the world as well as the fastest accelerating production car on the planet.

The SSC Ultimate Aero is a 1,287hp monster powered by a 6.3-liter twin-turbo V8. ShelbySupercars has yet to give the media a test drive in the Ultimate Aero, although all 16 models made have now been sold. For the uninitiated, the SSC Ultimate Aero is the car that, despite its modest background, set the record for the fastest car on earth when the Ultimate Aero TT hit a top speed of 255.83 mph. That's what prompted Bugatti to make the Veyron Super Sport, reclaiming the record at 268 mph. Next up for SSC is the Tuatara, which is tipped to regain the mantel of world's fastest car from Bugatti.

Following the car's unveiling at Pebble Beach during The Quail and the McCall Motorworks Revival, the Swedish-made Agera R garnered enough attention from interested parties for Koenigsegg to launch it in the US. With a twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 generating 1,100 horsepower and 885 lb-ft of torque, the Agera R boasts one of the highest power-to-weight ratios in the business and can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 245 mph.

The 2007 Zenvo ST1 is a turbocharged, supercharged 7.0-liter V8 animal that puts out 1,100hp and 1,054lb-ft of torque. Due to tire liability issues there's an electronically-limited top speed of 233mph on the ST1, which manages 0-62mph in 3.0 seconds. The Danish supercar maker also created a "50S" model for the US limited to only three units available in Mediterranean Blue, Intense Red and Crystal White. Each comes with an exclusive complimentary Swiss-made ASPEN Zenvo watch valued at $49,000. The retail price for the 50S begins at a mere $1,800,000.

The Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse is the most powerful and fastest convertible in the world, featuring a 7.9-liter W16 engine with four enlarged turbochargers. The monstrous output of 1,200hp and 1,106 lb-ft of torque allow the open-top French automobile to hit a staggering 255mph. The Grand Sport Vitesse sits on a set of lightweight 20-inch bespoke wheels and features aerodynamic parts from the Super Sport. A new front spoiler, larger air intakes on the front-end and a double diffuser in the rear along with centrally-positioned dual tailpipes highlight the Grand Sport Vitesse's added attributes.

Based on the Lotus Exige, the Hennessey Venom GT is powered by a 7.0-liter Hennessey-built twin-turbo V8, and can be ordered with 800, 1000, or, 1200 horsepower. Torque comes in at 1,155lb-ft, and Hennessey claim the Venom GT can reach a top speed of 275mph. The American hypercar recently smashed the 0-300 kph world record, taking the title from the Agera R with a time of 13.63 seconds.

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