When the Dodge Viper first hit the road in the early 1990s, it was pretty much the most amazing racecar ever to be sold as a street car. With a V10 engine and more than 400 horsepower, this thing was an absolute beast under the hood, and a feast for the eyes.

In the years that followed, Dodge continued giving more muscle to this car, constantly tinkering with a vehicle that owners immediately fell in love with. Delivering both brawn and beauty, the Viper kept bulking up with more power while getting sleeker with nicer interior appointments. Oh, and Dodge also improved the safety and performance of the car. (Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to make a car like this without airbags?!)

By 2010, the Viper was on its Fourth Generation model and had evolved into a cult classic, with a relatively small but loyal following. Owners I knew loved this car like a child that was hard to handle at times, but worth the fuss. And the first time I sat in the cockpit and felt the car come to life, I understood completely.

Dodge began making its “Final Edition” Viper in February 2010, with only 50 models available. At the time, CEO Ralph Gilles announced they would be the last of the Vipers, and the last car rolled off the line on July 1.

But there’s a happy ending to this story; Chrysler has announced it’s bringing back the Viper for 2013. They’re dropping the Dodge badge and rechristening it the SRT Viper, according to Gilles. They’ve had a couple of years to think about how to pack more performance into the V-10, and the new SRT Viper will have in excess of 600 horsepower. It is rumored to possibly be making an appearance at next month’s Detroit Auto Show.

I don’t know about you, but I get weak in the knees just thinking about it.

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Earlier this week, Chrysler LLC announced its intention to have three electric vehicles in production in 2010. The electric-drive technology will arrive in each of its three brands – Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler – and will boast range-extended technology that, much like Chevrolet’s forthcoming Volt, employs a small gasoline engine to provide additional power for longer trips.

We’ll look at Chrysler’s three proposed EVs next week, but in the meantime, let’s look at their newly redesigned ”Neighborhood Electric Vehicle” - the totally electric Peapod.

The backstory on the Peapod is that Chrysler’s “electric community vehicles” have been around for a decade, but there hasn’t been much of a market for a plug-in with a range of 30 miles. Our new, greener consciousness opened the door for Chrysler to retool this four-passenger street-legal cart and tempt eco-friendly passengers with a new look, a new name and some updated features.

The Peapod brings with it all the usual jeers and complaints of short-range EVs: It feels like a glorified golf cart, and its top speed is a laughable 25 mph. But if you can get past its anti-Speed Racer persona, you’ll find that it brings some nice attributes to the mix.

Admittedly, this car is not built with luxury in mind, but it isn’t as spartan as one might think, either. The dashboard console doubles as a docking station for your iPod and also allows for hands-free operation of your iPhone. In fact, the dash kind of looks like an altar for your iPod. (And it has a cupholder … didn’t a recent study prove that cupholders were important to female consumers?)

The ergonomically crafted seats are made of recycled and recyclable materials, and the open-air mesh design of the seats lends itself to better air circulation.

For what it is designed to do, the Peapod shows a lot of potential. No, you’re not going to load it up and trek cross-country; but it’s cute and cool enough that you shouldn’t have trouble getting the kids to climb in and let your cruise through the carpool lane. Even though it remains, in many ways, a souped-up golf cart, at least it has some sleek lines and kind of looks like a smiley face on wheels. Which, frankly, is something we can all use these days.

At the time this post was published, we were unable to find the price point of the Peapod. So if any of you readers find it please be sure to let us know!

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