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eGarage interviews a couple with 65 Vipers

Owning multiple vehicles can be a hassle worth enjoying if you're willing to spend the time and the money required to acquire and maintain them. But when it's hard to make ends meet while underused valuable hunks of metal, plastic and rubber sit happily taking up garage space, journeys into the depths of other people's well-developed automotive obsessions will either bring you and your cars closer together, or compel you to sell them off before you become one of those fanatics. A recent video by eGarage is one of those journeys, and it's not for the faint of heart: D'Ann and Wayne Rauh own 65 Dodge and SRT Vipers in a collection of automobiles that exceeds 100.
We're not sure if the couple has developed heat-resistant calves from stepping over Viper door sills made burning-hot by side-exhaust pipes, but we wouldn't be surprised if they did. We did learn that their obsession with the no-holds-barred sports car started in 2006 with a trip to a dealership to buy just one Viper, which goes to show how innocently car obsessions can start. But the Rauhs seem to be doing just fine - perhaps better - 64 more Vipers later.
Watch the video below for the full story and to see what eGarage claims is the world's largest Viper collection.

2014 Dodge Dart Blacktop hits the pavement ahead of Detroit

Dodge is getting ready to spread the Blacktop-themed love to the smallest member of its lineup. Last year, the automaker offered up Blacktop versions of the Avenger, Challenger, Charger, Durango, Grand Caravan and Journey. And now the Dart, too, gets its dark on for 2014, with the $295 package offered on Dart SXT models equipped with the Rallye Appearance Group. The Dart Blacktop will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week.
As with the other Blacktop special-edition models, the Dart Blacktop gets glossy black accents for a "sporty, sinister look." The blacked-out treatment spreads across the 18-inch wheels to the crosshair grille, grille surround and headlamp bezels. The interior sees a similar treatment, with black and light tungsten or black and ruby red cloth to go with red accent stitching on the instrument panel, center console and seat bolsters.
For the 2014 model year, all Dart SXT and Limited models receive the 2.4-liter MultiAir2 Tigershark engine with 184 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque, and since the Blacktop is based on the SXT, that's the powerplant buyers of this special-edition will get, too. Expect the 2014 Dart Blacktop to hit dealers in the first quarter, and while you're waiting, feel free to read more in the official press release below.

Detroit 3 small cars lay an egg in latest Consumer Reports reliability study

Consumer Reports has released its Annual Auto Reliability Survey and the results are, in a word, interesting. While we already covered the score-damaging effects of infotainment systems, there's another big angle to the data that's getting some attention - the utterly dismal scores of the Detroit Three's small car offerings.
The turbocharged Dodge Dart and Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the Ford Fiesta were their respective brands' lowest-scoring models, a stat that's made worse by the fact that the American automakers finished 25th, 21st and 23rd, respectively.
That's not acceptable for The Detroit Free Press' auto critic, Mark Phelan, who has penned a scathing critique of the D3's small car reliability scores, arguing that GM, Ford and Chrysler are "out of excuses."