Dodge Viper
The original RapidCar. It was the first exotic I fell in love with and led me to all the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, etc. The Viper was originally developed to see if Chrysler could develop new methods to lower costs of production while beating the Shelby Cobra's 0-100-0 times. It was not meant to be the production car it is today. After a great reaction when it was introduced in the 1989 Detroit Auto Show, it was decided that the Viper would actually go into production. A V8 was originally planned but Chrysler made a wise decision and went with the 8.0 liter V10.
In December 1991, the first Viper RT/10s rolled off the line available only in red. In 1996, the more refined GTS became available. Despite such options as air conditioning, the GTS actually weighed less than the previous RT/10 as 90% of its components were new.
In 1997, the race-bred GTS-R was produced which took home victories in the 97,98,99 FIA GT2/GTS championships as well as victories at Lemans in 98 and 99. The Viper had more than proven it was a worthy competitor in the world of racing. The 1999 Viper ACR was designed to be a cross between the GTS-R and normal Viper. It featured more horsepower and less weight with improved handling.
In 2003, the first major redesign occured with the introduction of the SRT-10. Horsepower and Torque were increased to 500 providing a 0-60 of 4 seconds flat and top speed nearing 200 MPH. While the performance was still there, the Viper lost some of its pure aggressive styling with the SRT-10. It no longer makes the bold statement that the previous did and stands out less in traffic.
The Viper has become an American icon over the last 10 years and should continue to for many more. Its many variants, including the 800 HP Hennesy Venom 800TT and Viper Competition Coupe, show the Viper can easily be made into one of the fastest cars in the world
Choose your viper:
