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The last thing on Chrysler's mind is putting a stronger focus on motorsports, but Swedish design firm Vizualtech has created some renderings of what a potential Challenger GT car could look like. While Vizualtech is only a design firm, not a manufacturer, we still wouldn't mind seeing one of these show up in future GT competitions.

This whole package looks pretty menacing, and we like the idea of a retro-racer for the GT circuit. Side-mounted exhaust pipes, a beefy rear diffuser, rear wheel-well arches, and a front spoiler definitely give the Challenger a menacing appearance and would do great things for the car's overall handling, as well.

Be sure to click through the gallery to see the Challenger's GT livery in all its different iterations.

+ Motor Authority: Vizualtech renderings of Dodge Challenger GT racer

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Each year, a jury of well-seasoned automotive personnel give out the International Car of the Year awards in a big ceremony to kick off the North American International Auto Show festivities. This year will be no different, and the final nominees have officially been announced. The Dodge Challenger, Ford Flex, and Nissan GT-R will do battle for the International Car of the Year title, while the Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F-150, and Subaru Forester duke it out for the International Truck of the Year honors.

In addition, the jury will be presenting their first-ever Earth, Wind & Power awards, showcasing cars that help to reduce global warming and promote a cleaner environment. For this new award, the BMW 335d, Volkswagen Jetta TDI, and Jetta SportWagen TDI are the nominees for Car of the Year, and the BMW X5 35d, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec are in the runnings for Truck of the Year.

Which cars will reign supreme? We'll have to wait until the official awards ceremony set to take place on January 10 at Detroit's MGM Grand casino. In the meantime, click through the above gallery to see all of the nominees and stay tuned for the winners.

+ ICOTY

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The reports of a Chrysler/General Motors merger have slowed a bit without going away, as have indications that the Dodge is searching for a partner willing to buy the rights to build one of America’s true supercars, the Viper. That Viper brand isn’t without value if recent reports can be believed, with Chrysler vice chairman Jim Press saying that the track-focused Viper SRT10 ACR is “essentially sold out.”

The Viper’s success is said to be due in part to a target audience that feels the ACR version of the car will be an excellent investment as the apogee of performance for the marque thus far. Sales of the sports car remain strong in large part because it’s buyer demographic—a high income cross section of the market that have been mostly insulated from the nation’s recent economic woes.
 
The $105,000 Viper ACR is also somewhat of a performance bargain, holding the unofficial lap record for factory stock, street legal cars at the Nürburgring—despite competing for that title with car’s selling for many multiples of its asking price.

+ Motor Authority: Chrysler: Dodge Viper ACR 'sold out'

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Caption:

ACURA TL

Last Generation: 2004 - 2008
Current Generation: 2009

A lot of controversy has been stirred over the contrasting chevron grille that Acura has put on most of its new models, and while the last-gen TL wasn't necessarily a huge step forward in sporty expression, we prefer its cleaner lines and less-contrived aesthetic.

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Most of the time, when an automaker completely overhauls one of their models, it's a good step forward for not only the car, but for the brand it represents. However, there are other times where the design teams make some questionable decisions and the new products end up looking worse than their predecessors.

Thus, we present our list of ten cars that, from a design standpoint, we think looked better in their previous generation. Scroll through our gallery to see all of the contenders, and leave a comment with any cars that you think we may have missed, and/or maligned.

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With Dodge Challenger models SE, R/T, and SRT8 already out on the market, another model, perhaps intended solely for Canada, is in development.
 
For the V-6 version, the SXT trim package is currently being researched by Chrysler of Canada. The company recently displayed a mock-up of what the car should look like at the Georgian College Auto show in Barrie, Ontario for the public to assess. Chrysler surveyed Canadians, asking whether or not the SXT would have a racing stripe, and also gave onlookers a choice of an 18-inch Mopar rim, or a set of chrome clad aluminum wheels.

+ Autoblog: Dodge developing Challenger SXT, could be Canada only

After going on hiatus for a couple of months, today marks the triumphant return of our Ask It segment, where we give our readers a chance to ask specific questions about one of the many vehicles in our test fleet.

To mark this occasion, we're offering up the newest addition into the muscle car segment, the all-American Dodge Challenger. Our test car, the SE V-6 model, might not be as highly-desired as the SRT8, but is still a worthy competitor to all the V-6 Mustangs out there.

So, what do you want to know about the 2009 Challenger SE? Leave your questions in the comments section and stay tuned for our video response next week.

Just after the new Corvette ZR1 lapped the Nürburgring in a record-setting 7:26.4, the Dodge Viper ACR has now been videotaped beating the Corvette's time by just over four seconds at 7:22.1.

Our friends at Motor Trend captured the whole thing on video, and while the time isn't one hundred percent official yet, it's hard not to believe when watching the ACR race 'round the 'Ring.

+ YouTube
+ Motor Trend

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When word leaked yesterday that Chrysler LLC had been approached by interested parties to buy the Dodge Viper brand , we winced. Not only do we have a long-standing love affair with the V-10 sports car, but we considered the impending black cloud of hate that would likely develop between the Viper’s small but vocal group of owners and the company’s Cerberus-backed management team. Expecting the worst, we took a lap of various Viper internet forums, prepared for the worst.

We’ve heard of manufacturers offering some pretty hefty discounts during the end of a vehicle’s model year, but this just seems ridiculous. Dodge is offering some pretty serious savings for the 2008 Ram and Durango in hopes that this will move some extra vehicles off of dealer lots, but in a market where $4.00 gasoline is the deciding factor for a lot of consumer’s choices, pickups and SUVs are no longer of highest priority.

Dodge is advertising savings of up to 40 percent off the base MSRP of the Ram 1500 pickup, which translates to just over $9000 from the base Ram’s sticker price. Additionally, the Durango can be had with a 28 percent discount, or almost $7900 in savings. Combined with other, lesser discounts on other Dodge vehicles, we’re wondering how long it will take before we start seeing advertisements that read, “Buy a Ram, Get a Free Caliber!”

What do you think? Is a 40 or 28 percent discount enough incentive to head to your local Dodge dealership and pick up one of these vehicles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.