While we weren’t able to catch up with him ourselves (what with battling the heatstroke and whatnot), we’ve been told that amongst the attendees at the All-Chrysler Nationals this year were Bernie & Robert Schwarzli. We would have loved the chance to press palms with one of the most inspirational owners in the industry, but time just wasn’t on our side. Fortunately, we know a few people that did get a chance to meet Robert (and his dad): the camera crews at this year’s Viper Invades Niagara Falls. On hand to document the exciting event, the crew met up with the Schwarzli’s and got a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what drives this infamous Mopar Boy – both literally and figuratively.

Hailing from Ontario, Canada, this father-son duo is well known throughout the Mopar community thanks to 24-year-old Robert’s unfailing love for the Dodge Viper. According to Robert, the Viper first bit at the tender age of 12 when he decided that one day, he would own one. Today, he’s one of the youngest “self-made” Viper owners on the planet and he and his father, Bernie, have become fixtures at all the Mopar meet-ups. Check out the video above to hear the story for yourself, and be sure to keep an eye on the 1:03 mark.

A few weeks ago, the most vigilant among you may have caught wind of the new Mopar 10 Challenger. Today, the first official images of what this magnificent beast will look like in the flesh have finally hit the web. Only 500 of these limited edition models will be made available and can be ordered through your local dealer. $38,000 will snag you an automatic while an extra grand will get you a manual – both prices include the $750 big ones required for shipping/handling.

Hit the jump for more images

This will be a limited production run, so please contact your local dealership for more information.

Every year, the Texas Auto Writers Association gathers for their annual Spring Challenge to evaluate the newest vehicles on the market. This year, TAWA threw a change-up with the addition of the performance car category. Hosted on May 3rd at the infamous Texas Motor Speedway, TAWA’s Spring Challenge put the Viper ACR through the ringer on a 1-mile infield road course. Pitted against a handful of the biggest, baddest beasts in the industry, the Viper ACR deftly navigated the grueling course and smashed the competition. Once the smoke had cleared and the votes were tallied, the Viper ACR was declared the winner and crowned TAWA’s Performance Car of Texas.

“The Dodge Viper ACR is the worthy recipient of our first Performance Car of Texas award,” said Michael Herzing, President – Texas Auto Writers Association and publisher of LetsTalkWheels.com. “By topping some of the toughest competitors in today’s performance car marketplace, we feel this award is a real testament to the Dodge Viper’s superior level of overall performance.”

“It is a great honor to see the Texas Auto Writers Association recognize the Dodge Viper ACR for this significant award,” said Ralph Gilles – President and CEO, Dodge Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “At Dodge, we’re extremely proud of what the Viper represents within the performance car market, and this award helps us continue to tell the story of America’s ultimate, street-legal sports car.”

Our friends at the Chrysler LLC Blog, Ed Garsten and Scott Anderson, were lucky enough to be on hand this week as the first of 25 Viper ACR-X models began production, and they’re sharing their exclusive footage with us.

This non-street legal, spec-series racer featured in the video above (and the pictures here) is powered by a 640-horsepower track-bred beast – the infamous SRT-developed 8.4-liter V-10 engine. Currently, only 25 units of the ACR-X have been authorized for production, but that could change depending on consumer demand. The Viper ACR-X will make its on-track debut in the newly formed Dodge Viper Cup series in July.

For the full story, check out “How to Build an American Icon: The Viper ACR-X.”

Last week at the Conner Avenue factory, production began on Dodge Viper serial number ACR-X001. The ACR-X001, however, is not just any ordinary car or even ordinary Viper, as it’s poised to continue Viper’s storied racing history.

To celebrate this, Red Letter Dodge is giving our loyal readers an insider peak courtesy of the Viper team. Over the past few days, they were on hand at Conner Avenue, snapping rare behind-the-scenes footage of the assembly process – replete with some kickass video footage of the ACR-X001 up on the rolls.

On Monday, our friend Ed Garsten from the Chrysler LLC Blog, will be onsite with even more coverage of the entire Viper operation, including an exclusive interview with Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles. We’ll have all of Ed’s gold right here on Red Letter Dodge, so be sure to check back next week for the updates. In the meantime, enjoy the sneak preview!

Prior to the late 1950′s, police departments across the country were purchasing stock Chrysler vehicles straight from dealer lots and personally outfitting them for police duty. Recognizing the growing demand for a vehicle tailored exclusively to the needs of law enforcement, in 1956 Dodge released the Coronet police package, the first Dodge purposely built for police work. Unlike the Coronet readily available to consumers, the Coronet police car featured a heavy duty suspension, more powerful brakes, and a pursuit-ready HEMI® engine.

Since then, Dodge vehicles have remained a favorite of police departments across the country and the Dodge Charger PPV is currently one of the fastest, most capable Police Pursuit Vehicles in the industry.

After a long winter of rain and snow, Mother Nature has been helpful lately with sunshine and green grass returning to many parts of the US and Canada. This change in weather is just in time for the 5th Annual Spring Festival of LXs almost 700 LX-platform vehicles descend upon southern California for an unforgettable weekend of sights and sounds. Touted as the largest gathering of LX/LC owners anywhere, the Spring Festival is four days of LX excitement as some of the most highly-modified and cleanest 300s, Magnums, Challengers and Chargers are displayed under the California sun. In addition to all the gleaming metal, SF5 will also present a rare opportunity for forum members who regularly exchange quips and tips on the web to meet each other face-to-face. “It’s all about bringing the virtual world to reality,” explained Spring Fest organizer John Fortuno, “This [SF5] is where you see it all.”

As with previous Spring Festival of LXs events, a number of limited edition and motorsports vehicles will be making an appearance along with official representatives from both the Chrysler and Dodge brands. The Red Letter Dodge team will also be in attendance with live coverage of the event on Facebook, Twitter and of course, right here on Red Letter Dodge.

For more information on the event, please visit SoCalLX.com or the dedicated Spring Festival discussion at LX Forums.

In Brazos Valley, Texas, our own Ralph Gilles struck terror in the hearts of every wannabe racer within earshot when he took the limited edition Dodge Viper ACR-X – and all 640 of its horses – thundering around the Texas World Speedway. Purportedly prepping the beast for its limited production run, Gilles enthusiastically spoke to local reporters about the test laps, generating some excitement (on our ends, too) for the ACR-X’s impending launch.

Of course (even at the risk of sounding like Lavar Burton) don’t take our word for it. Hit the jump to check out video footage of our CEO in action, ripping up some Texas asphalt.

Source: KBTX

Not all of us are lucky enough to own a track-spec Viper. So, while our hearts (and our right feet) may pine for a screaming V10 pumping out enough horsepower to peel the skin off our faces, our rational minds know better. As much as we may wish it otherwise, a high-res screensaver is the closest we’re likely to come to experiencing the track-pounding fury of the Dodge Viper ACR-X, which means we’re forced to live vicariously through the lucky stiffs over at Viper Headquarters. Fortunately, the folks at Viper HQ are only too happy to feed our insatiable appetite for all things fast and loud, which means we’re never short on exclusive Viper vids.

If you share our need for speed (sorry, couldn’t resist) and have a few minutes to kill, check out exclusive footage of the ACR-X laying some rubber at the Winterfest Sebring Event.

For a full gallery and more Viper updates than you can shake a dipstick at, hit up ViperHeadquarters.com.