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"Testing: 2013 Dodge Viper &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;    What we have here are two Dodge Viper development mules undergoing extreme temperature testing near Death Valley. Why else do manufacturers go to the desert in July? Visually these two cars look like 2010 models, but some detailed photos show a collection of electronics inside. Specifically, there appear to be active cruise control buttons on the steering wheels of both cars, plus a Bilstein Adaptive Damping Suspension button on the center tunnel of the black car. Each car was sufficiently loaded with electronics to make it clear that the testing is ongoing. Don&amp;#039;t expect any of what you see to truly represent production, but it does give us an insight into what Dodge is working on for the 2013 Viper.           The Bilstein ADS dampers are an electronically controlled dual-mode damper. They&amp;#039;re featured on all the other 2012 SRT performance cars\u2014the Chrysler 300C SRT8, the Dodge Charger SRT8 and Challenger SRT8, and even the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. The addition of ADS means we can expect the ride quality to be better in the 2013 Viper, a hyper sports car that will be crisper and tighter when in sport mode.   Don&amp;#039;t expect those buttons on the steering wheel to actually be Active Cruise Control; we couldn&amp;#039;t see any radar sensors for that technology on the front of the cars. What&amp;#039;s more, the logic of including ACC on a Viper seems preposterous. We could be wrong, but we suspect those buttons will be used for controlling the varying traction control of the next Viper, as well as changing other characteristics. Think of it as Dodge&amp;#039;s manettino, Ferrari&amp;#039;s steering-wheel-mounted knob that allows the driver to choose snow, traction, sport, race and CST Off settings.           We suspect that this new Viper will have an evolution of the current car&amp;#039;s steel-frame chassis, but now fitted with a transaxle. Rear photos show a mess of wiring behind the rear bumper, so it&amp;#039;s hard to tell, but something&amp;#039;s different back there. The transaxle may have been developed in conjunction with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG&amp;#039;s, back when the two cars were destined to share components. And now, with Chrysler&amp;#039;s link to Ferrari, we might see an active differential or even a twin-clutch transaxle incorporated in this new Viper.   Die-hards shouldn&amp;#039;t worry about the car. Long-time Viper enthusiast Ralph Gilles has moved from CEO of Dodge to the boss at SRT, which puts him at the forefront of Viper development. The next Viper won&amp;#039;t be softer, or mellowed in any way. Gilles will instill the car with equal parts passion and speed. We can expect a more driver-centric Viper. With stability control fully disabled, it will surpass the previous Viper on the track. With all nanny modes on, the 2013 Dodge Viper will offer better comfort, driveability and safety than the past car. But don&amp;#039;t expect any cupholders!          "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/videos/a17440/spied-2013-dodge-viper/>