A popular two-seat sports car, the
Dodge Viper is the most powerful mass production car made by Dodge. The Viper was originally produced at the New Mack Assembly plant starting in 1992, but was moved to the Connor Avenue Assembly in October where it continued to be produced. The Dodge Viper was modeled after the classic American muscle car, though the idea of the AC Cobra being the inspiration is untrue as the Viper is far too large and heavy to claim the Cobra as its inspiration.
The centerpiece of the first generation was its engine. The engine was originally designed as a truck engine and was based on the Chrysler LA engine. Lamborghini revamped the Dodge cast iron block V10 for the Viper by recasting it in aluminum alloy, which gave the engine a substantial boost in power. The Viper engine also included four valves per cylinder. This engine produced 400 horsepower and 450 ft pound of torque at 3600 rpm. The Viper also boasts great fuel economy at 21 miles to the gallon.
The second generation of the Viper saw an increase in engine power, improved suspension, as well as drastically reduced braking distances. The second generation of the Viper was made from 1996 until 2002 and held a 450 bhp engine that could complete the quarter mile in 0.7 faster than the first generation and there was also an increased top speed.
The coupe model of the Viper was introduced in 1996 as the GTS and featured the double bubble roof contours, which were two small humps to accommodate drivers that wear helmets for racing. The improved performance of the second generation made the Viper popular as a race vehicle; so many appreciated the small humps in the design.
In the first six years of its production the Dodge Viper sold a remarkable 10,000 of the popular car. It's worth noting that the 1999 model was the last Viper that had forged pistons that were factory standard. Beginning with the 2000 model, the Viper has cast pistons that are not nearly as strong as the previous pistons when adding nitrous.
The third generation saw a facelift for the Viper thanks to DaimlerChrysler's Street and Racing Technology group. The Viper was restyled with a very sharp and angular body style. The new engine is much bigger as the Viper now sports an 8.3 litre providing 504 horsepower. The third generation was initially released as a convertible and has been well received by consumers as the first two generations were. The popularity of the Viper has subsided a bit, but it's rumored that Dodge will release the Viper ZC in 2008 that will have an even more powerful 8.4 litre engine that will produce in excess of 700 horsepower!
Read more about the Dodge Viper History
