Cadillac V-Series Academy comes to Las Vegas [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Etc., Videos, Cadillac, Luxury

General Motors has added another high-speed education course to the curriculum at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. The desert track already hosts the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School with Chevrolet Corvettes, including the ZR1, and they've just added the Cadillac V-Series Academy.

Open now, the one- and two-day performance driving school teaches "the finer points of high performance driving" using the 556-horspower instructional aids known as the CTS-V sedan, coupe and wagon. This is different than than using the CTS-V at the Monticello Motor Club on the east coast - that's part of a sponsorship deal that Cadillac has with the track. The driving course at the Motorsports Ranch is its own program that was developed by Fellows, and we have no reason to think the Cadillac edition won't be just as thorough and enjoyable as the one with Corvettes.

Unlike the 'Vette edition, however, it doesn't appear that you get an invitation to the program if you buy a CTS-V model. Classes are capped at 12 participants and run $1,295 for a single day, $2,295 for two days. There are a video and a press release below with more info.

Continue reading Cadillac V-Series Academy comes to Las Vegas [w/video]

Cadillac V-Series Academy comes to Las Vegas [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge Viper Cup Series provides swan song for Chrysler's icon

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Racing

Dodge Viper Cup Finale Weekend - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Dodge Viper roared into existence back in 1991 and quickly took over a portion of our hearts and minds. After all, it embodied raw American power - a supercar birthed on home soil.

Engineers shoved an 8.0-liter 10-cylinder engine under the hood of the original that produced a then-impressive 400 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers may sound fairly pedestrian today, but remember that the first-generation Viper only weighed 3,284 pounds and its powertrain pushed the car to a top speed of 164 miles per hour.

The fourth-and-final-for-now-generation Dodge Viper was born in 2008 with more matured looks inside and out, as well as more power underhood. Now displacing 8.4-liters, the car's iconic V10 produces 600 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque. Before it drives off into the sunset, this last-gen snake is taking one final victory lap.

That victory lap, however, is not merely figurative. Dodge created the Viper Cup Racing Series to give its supercar a proper sendoff: ten races at five courses around the country, all being contested by the Dodge Viper ACR-X. The final weekend took place in October at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and Autoblog was invited to tag along. My ears are still ringing, but my memory is clear... this wasn't about how fast a group of people could go around a track, but rather a celebration of an American icon.

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Gallery: Dodge Viper Cup Finale Weekend

Continue reading Dodge Viper Cup Series provides swan song for Chrysler's icon

Dodge Viper Cup Series provides swan song for Chrysler's icon originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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