Mopar to Trick Out New 2013 SRT Viper and Wrangler Hemi V8 4x4 for SEMA

The performance crew over at Mopar may have revealed a selection of customized cars such as the V10-powered Dodge Charger Juiced, the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser and the Urban Ram concepts in the flesh and in advance of the SEMA Show on October 30, but the Chrysler Group's tuning arm is keeping several more projects under wraps.

Among the dozen or so SEMA show-bound Chrysler cars that have no yet been unveiled in the flesh are the "Moparized" 2013 SRT Viper and the Jeep Wrangler Sand Trooper, both of which were teased through renderings.

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Custom Urban Ram with 392 HEMI V8 Heading to SEMA Show

For the upcoming SEMA show in Las Vegas, the Chrysler Group's Mopar division has prepared the Urban Ram study based on the revised 2013 Ram 1500.

Chrysler's in-house tuner dropped a 392 (6.4-liter) HEMI V8 engine into the Ram but it didn't stop there performing a series of go-fast and styling upgrades to the customized pickup truck.

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Mopar Drops the SRT Viper's V10 Into the Dodge Charger Juiced Concept

If there's one thing Mopar's people like doing to Chrysler Group cars more than anything else, it is to shoehorn the brand's gargantuan V10 powerplant under their hoods.

For this year's SEMA Show, they had the opportunity to do it again, this time with the latest iteration of the Dodge Charger sports sedan that gets a Viper 8.4-liter V10 Mopar crate engine, good enough for 650-horsepower, or 10hp more than the new 2013 SRT Viper sports coupe.

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Mopar Shows the Darker Side of the 2013 Dodge Dart with SEMA Study

With the aftermarket party that is the SEMA Show in Las Vegas approaching our way, the Chrysler Group wanted to give us an early look at some of the cars its Mopar division has prepared for the event.

Following the unveiling of the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser Concept earlier today, the automaker continued the presentations with the 2013 Dodge Dart Carbon Fire prototype.

The charcoal grey colored Dart sedan has been dressed up appropriately for SEMA with a selection of production and prototype Mopar parts, highlighted by a full carbon fiber hood with a hood scoop that is said to offer significant weight savings, but which is not yet commercially available.

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Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser Concept Unveiled Ahead of SEMA Show Debut

About a month ago, the Chrysler Group announced plans to display more than 20 Mopar-prepped Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and SRT brand concept vehicles and project cars at the 2012 SEMA aftermarket show, which takes place from October 30 through November 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Today, we get our first glimpse of one of those models and in particular, the Fiat 500 Beach Cruiser that was revealed during a special event at Mopar’s Accessory and Performance Lab in Michigan.

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European Economic Crisis May Lead to Delay of Bentley and Lamborghini SUVs

The ongoing European debt crisis was bound to touch even Germany's finest in one way or another. While Europe's biggest carmaker, the Volkswagen Group, doesn't have a problem yet, the company's decision makers believe it's wise to prepare for the worst and save some cash aside by putting on hold certain projects.

Inside sources told Autonews and Reuters that VW officials might delay the introductions of two new SUVs from Bentley and Lamborghini, among other vehicles.

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Suzuki to Bring New Pocket-Rocket Swift Sport Concept to the Sydney Motor Show

Even though Suzuki has already presented a spicy concept of the Swift Sport at the 2011 Geneva Salon, as well as the toned-down, final production model powered by a 1.6-liter petrol engine delivering 134hp (100kW / 136PS), the Japanese marque has prepared another study for the 2012 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney next week (October 19 to 28).

Suzuki tells us that the Swift Sport is a one-off concept designed by the brand's chief engineer Naoyuki Takeuchi.

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To the Batmobile: Kia Presents Batman-Themed Optima Sedan, More to Come

What does the Dark Knight have in common with Kia? Not much really, but the South Korean carmaker is wearing its Batman cape to support DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" campaign, which is a relief effort to battle hunger in the Horn of Africa.

The Batman-themed Optima is the first of a series of eight customized Kia cars that will be released over the next 10 months, with each model representing a character from DC's Justice League.

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Honda Sports Ute Concept by Daniel Pearson is so Wrong that it Could be Right

In most places around the world, the words "sports" and "utility vehicle" don't make much sense together.

However, there are some exceptions, notably Australia, which through Ford's local division gave birth to the coupe utility category in the early 1930s and continues to be represented to this day by the Ford and Holden Utes, and of course, North America, with its most famous model being the Chevrolet El Camino.

To put it simple, a Coupe Utility vehicle is a passenger car model with two doors and an open cargo bed, the purpose being to bond (...or compromise) two different worlds into one automobile.

A Coupe Utility is what Daniel Pearson, a third year design student from the UK, had in mind for his Honda project aptly named the "Sports Ute". The two seater study was designed to be 4.7 meters long (185 inches) riding on a lengthy 3,025mm (119.1 inches) wheelbase, all while looking like it belongs to the same family of cars as the NSX.

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Gundam Style 2013 Toyota Auris Hatchback Looks Kinda Cool

In case you read that wrong, it's 'Gundam style' as in the Japanese animated television series about giant robots, and not 'Gangnam Style' as in the music video by South Korean rapper PSY.

The new 2013 Toyota Auris was selected for a cosmetic tune dedicated to the anime cartoon, with the Japanese automaker's in-house tuning arm Modellista taking responsibility for the transformation.

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Audi Reportedly Kills Quattro Sports Car in Favor of an Evoque-like Coupe Crossover

Audi's automobiles have long been praised for their immaculate interior quality and ultra-safe road manners, but they have also been labeled as too clinical.

The R8 supercar changed all that mixing everyday usability with supercar-like performance and entertaining driving dynamics, but it is far too expensive for most buyers.

Having celebrated the original Quattro rally car’s 30th anniversary at the 2010 Paris Auto Show with the Quattro Concept, Audi fans hoped that a production version of the prototype would eventually hit the streets.

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Lamborghini Perdigón Design Concept by Ondrej Jirec is Razor Sharp, But is it Too Much?

Ever since Lamborghini unleashed the limited-run Reventon Coupe and Roadster specials back in 2008 and 2009 respectively, the famed Italian automaker turned a fresh page on the styling front using razor sharp lines inspired by jet fighters for its production and concept models such as the Aventador and the Sesto Elemento.

Many design students have adopted the same design philosophy when it comes to creating their own concept drawings for future Lamborghini models, including Ondrej Jirec, a final year Transport Design student at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

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Listen to the Sounds of BMW's New 1.5-liter Twin-Turbo 3-Cylinder Gasoline Engine on a 1-Series

We have heard the claims repeatedly from BMW's people ever since they announced the development of their brand new series of 1.5-liter TwinPower three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines: these new powerplants will be strong, fuel-efficient and equally important, sound the part.

At the recent Paris Motor Show, BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson told reporters that the new three-cylinder engine “behaves like a six-cylinder, is half-of a six-cylinder and has the noise of a six-cylinder”.

Want more? Here is another quote from BMW regarding the gasoline version of the 1.5-liter twin-turbocharged unit that will be offered in outputs ranging from 120Hp to 220Hp:

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Nissan Confirms “Dramatic” New Concept Car for the 2012 Sao Paulo Motor Show

At the forthcoming Sao Paolo Motor Show that takes place in Brazil from October 24 to November 4, Nissan Design Chief Shiro Nakamura will personally lift the covers off a “dramatic” (sic) concept car, the Japanese automaker announced.

The as-of-yet unnamed prototype was created under the direction of Nakamura by Nissan Design America in California.

The Japanese automaker makes no effort to hide the fact that the concept will enter production in some form or another, and says that this is its first ever model created specifically for the country, by cooperation with Brazilian designers and built in Brazil.

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Toyota Smart INSECT Concept Recognizes Owner, Connects to Home, Still Won't Make Coffee [w/Video]

This odd-looking single-passenger electric vehicle (EV) is the Toyota Smart INSECT concept and it made its world premiere today at the CEATEC Japan 2012 advanced technologies exhibition, which runs from October 2 to October 6, in Chiba City, Japan.

The Smart INSECT is a conceptual development of the "COMS" EV produced by the brand's subsidiary Toyota Auto Body Co., and it was designed to display next-generation communications-linked services. The name is an acronym for "Information Network Social Electric City Transporter".

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Carscoop’s A to Z Guide to the 2012 Paris Motor Show [Updated]

The European car market may be in trouble because of the financial crisis that’s been dragging on for a long time now, but carmakers are gearing up to display their latest models in the City of Light.

From September 29 until October 14, the Paris Expo at the Porte de Versailles will host some of this year’s most important world premieres.

French automakers have chosen the 2012 Paris Auto Show to launch models like the new Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 GTi and Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

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Cosworth Boosts Hyundai Genesis Coupe to 389-Horses for 2012 SEMA Show

Famed British engineering design and manufacturer Cosworth has collaborated with Hyundai to develop the "ultimate" Genesis Coupe in the form of the Cosworth Genesis Racing Series (CGRS) Concept, to be displayed for the first time ever at the upcoming 2012 SEMA show at the end of October.

As with any other Cosworth-prepped model, the highlight of the Genesis Racing Series study is the power lurking under the hood.

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BMW X1 Concept K2 Power Ride and X1 Power Ride Special Edition to Debut at LA Auto Show

At the same time the new X1 compact crossover begins to arrive in U.S. showrooms, BMW announced the development of two special variants named the Concept K2 Power Ride and X1 Power Ride Edition, both of which will receive their world premiere at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of November.

The X1-based Concept K2 Powder Ride was created by BMW in collaboration with winter sport equipment supplier K2 in celebration of their partnership that began in 2009. It blends bespoke exterior and interior features with an exclusive roof structure.

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Chrysler Group Preparing More Than 20 Mopar Concepts for SEMA Show

There is no other better place in the world for Chrysler's official tuning arm Mopar to display its goods than the automotive aftermarket bonanza that is the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

At this year's event, which runs from October 30 to November 2, the company plans to bring more than 20 new Moparized Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and SRT vehicles.

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Smart Forstars [get it?] at the Paris Motor Show, Comes with its Own Movie Projector

The car hiding behind that face with a human-like expression and eyebrow accents is Smart's newest concept model, which made its world premiere at the 2012 Paris Salon.

Smart tells us that it named the concept study Forstars as a reference to the glass dome above the passengers that "gives a clear view of the starry sky". The oddities continue with a video projector located in the front bonnet scoop that allows users to turn any wall into their own private drive-in theater.

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