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Dodge idles Viper production again at Conner Avenue

You've got to hand it to Dodge for having the gumption to put the original Viper into production in the first place. It was, after all, much more of an emotional decision than a practical one, and a move which saw the first production V10 engine placed in a road car - long before the advent of the Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi R8, Porsche Carrera GT or Lexus LFA, not to mention the other Ford, BMW and Volkswagen Group models that used such engines.
It's now been 22 years since the first Viper entered production and the Viper still rolls on several generations later, but we're sad to say that courageous decision has not always been met with overwhelming sales success. In fact parent Chrysler was forced to idle the Conner Avenue plant where the Viper is made back in April due to slow sales. And while production resumed again as planned on June 23, it apparently didn't do the trick.
As a result, Chrysler corporate communications chief Shawn Morgan revealed to Autoblog that the assembly line has been shut down again for another two weeks. The line was up and running for nearly two full work weeks from June 23 until the holiday weekend that started on Thursday, July 3. But instead of coming back online today as planned, it's been idled again for the weeks of July 7 and 14. That means it will be July 21, at the earliest, before the serpentine supercars start slithering down the assembly line at Conner Avenue again. Once it does, however, production is set to resume at the same pace it was before the shutdown.

Dodge and Jeep recalling 895k SUVs for possibility of headliner fires

Dodge and Jeep are announcing recalls of a total of 895,000 Durango and Grand Cherokee models worldwide from the 2011 through 2014 model years. There's a possibility that the wiring in the sun visor can short circuit and cause a fire. It specifically affects vehicles built between January 5, 2010, and December 11, 2013, and there are approximately 651,000 of them in the US, 45,700 in Canada, 23,000 in Mexico and 175,000 outside of North America.
Screws that fasten the sunvisor to the headliner may pierce wires in the visor, if the part has been removed or serviced, potentially causing a fire risk. If the wires short circuit, they could overheat and potentially combust. The automakers report three injuries caused by this defect, and according to the investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "there may be a total of 52 unique fire incidents."
To fix the problem, Dodge and Jeep will inspect the vehicles for suspect wiring, and all of the models, whether damaged or not, will get a new sun visor spacer with a wire guide to stop the possibility of short circuits. According to the automakers' announcement, "this condition is not present in vehicles which have not had the headliner or vanity mirror serviced." They will notify affected owners, and repairs will begin in August.

GTC deliveries take Rauh collection up to 79 Vipers [w/video]

How many Vipers is enough? One of the ten-cylinder supercars might be too much machine for most drivers to handle, but not for Wayne and D'Ann Rauh. The Texas couple already own 77 of Dodge's flagship model. And now they've taken delivery of two more. At the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit on Friday, the Rauhs received the keys to a pair of Dodge Viper GTCs, customized through the automaker's "1 of 1" customization program. The program allows owners to spec their Viper just the way they want it, with 50 million unique combinations. For their 78th and 79th additions, the Rauhs ordered one decked out in brown with black stripes for Wayne, the other in purple with white for D'Ann, to whom the majority of the collection belongs. Of course, both come equipped with an 8.4-liter V10 driving 645 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The couple will add the pair to their collection in Arp, TX, a town on the outskirts of Tyler, located between Dallas and Shreveport. The Rauh's garage already includes the last of the previous-generation Vipers decked out in two-tone gold finish. eGarage profiled the couple two years ago when their collection numbered "only" 65, and we have no doubt that number will only continue to grow as long as Dodge keeps building the legendary super-snake. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Texas Dodge Viper Enthusiasts Receive Keys to Two New Customized '1 of 1' Dodge Viper GTC Models, Now Owners of 79 Vipers Total July 24, 2015 , Detroit - Dodge Viper owners Wayne and D'Ann Rauh elevate Viper Nation enthusiasm to a whole new level. On Friday, July 24, the couple visited the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit to receive keys to not one, but two new customized "1 of 1" Dodge Viper GTC models, making them proud owners of a total of 79 Dodge Vipers. Through the new Viper "1 of 1" customization program, owners can create their very own one-of-a-kind Snake. No two customers can order the same configuration, including color, in the same model year. With the introduction of matte-finish exterior paint, the 2016 Viper is now offered in more than 50 million unique build configurations, made up from the more than 16,000 unique paint color options and more than 48,000 unique stripe combinations.