2013 SRT Viper takes its first hot laps: Motoramic Dash

This is the Motoramic Dash, a daily roundup of the most interesting news in the automotive world.

The new 2013 SRT Viper won't start rolling from the factory in Detroit for a few months yet, but Chrysler engineers have been sweating for months to hit another deadline -- building the GTS-R version for a racing debut in the American Le Mans Series this year. Hear the first turn on the track of the reborn Viper below.

The drive earlier this month in South Carolina was meant to simply shakedown the car's components, ensuring everything worked as expected before harder tests later this month. Vipers dominated global GT racing a decade ago, and a Viper still holds the production car record lap for the Nürburgring. The ALMS GT class today typically features a two-way fight between Corvettes and BMWs, with Ferrari 458 Italias and Porsche 911s close behind. There's no way to know how well the Viper will match up from the start, but the expectations from history say it should lead the pack quickly.

Other stories from around the automotive world this morning: