Dodge Viper will remain a key part of the Chrysler product line-up

The Dodge Viper will remain a key part of the Chrysler product line-up and there are opportunities for NZ motor racers to purchase this fully race-prepared version. Photo supplied.

The legendary Dodge Viper will live on as part of the new Chrysler organisation.

Plans to shut down assembly or sell off the iconic American muscle car have been shelved and the Chrysler Group Conner Avenue Assembly Plant – the exclusive home of Dodge Viper production since 1995 – will continue to build the V-10 powered sports car.

And that’s good news for New Zealand motorsport participants, who will still be able to purchase a specially prepared Dodge Viper SRT10 for track racing.

“It’s great to hear the Dodge Viper will continue in production within Chrysler – it represents the very essence of the Dodge brand and it has a huge following around the world, including here in New Zealand,” says David Smith, General Manager of Chrysler New Zealand.

“Although we won’t be able to offer Viper road-going vehicles to the public, because they are only made in left-hand-drive, Chrysler New Zealand can assist racing drivers who wish to obtain an SRT-prepared version for the race track.”

SRT is the performance wing of Chrysler, building and supplying special parts for enthusiasts and racers, alike – potential owners can have a Viper racer built to their specifications, but they must prove their bona fide race credentials before they can purchase. Vipers are popular with racers in the United States, where a Viper Racing League has been established. They also take part in various sports car race events around the world.

A special, non-street legal Viper SRT-10 Competition Coupe has been available from Dodge for race car drivers, for the past six years. The vehicle is stripped of anything not essential for racing, such as the interior body panels, carpet, instrumentation, air conditioning, and stereo systems which lightened the car by 170kg and the power and torque ratings are lifted. The Competition Coupe comes equipped with a full roll cage, a racing fuel cell, and other racing-related equipment. It is not sold through dealers and is purchased from Dodge directly, priced from around US$140,000. The Viper Competition Coupe sees action in the highly competitive SCCA Speed GT World Challenge.

An American Club Racing (ACR) model was added to the Viper line up last year. Its upgrades including street legal racing tyres, two piece brake rotors, adjustable suspension and significant aerodynamic revision. No engine modifications were made, so figures remain at 600hp (450kW) and 560lb/ft (760Nm) as in the base car. The ACR gives an advantage of being street legal. Weight is also decreased by as much as 36kg by way of the “Hardcore Package” which deletes radio, speakers, amplifier, trunk carpet, hood pad and tire inflator. Its aerodynamic upgrades produce 4.4 kN of down-force at 240km/h, or roughly ten times the down-force the base Viper SRT-10 can produce at the same speed.

Introduced as a concept car in 1989 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Dodge Viper was designed and engineered to test public reaction to the concept of a back-to-basics, high-performance, limited production sports car.

The reaction was so overwhelming that customer orders began to flow in even before the auto show was over. Chrysler Corporation immediately decided to determine the production feasibility on transforming the crowd-pleasing Dodge Viper show car into a limited-production sports car in no more than three years.

In May 1990, after months of intensive study and testing, Chrysler Corporation announced that the Dodge Viper, powered by an aluminium V-10 was given the green light.

Dodge Viper production began in May 1992 at the New Mack Assembly Plant and was moved to Conner Avenue in October 1995. Viper V-10 engine production transferred from Mound Road Engine to Conner Avenue Assembly in May 2001. In 2008, Dodge introduced the all-new, fourth generation Dodge Viper SRT10. With more horsepower, more torque and more than 30 exterior and interior colour combinations, the latest Viper gives enthusiasts the performance they expect on the track and off, with more factory customisation options than before.

For 2009, the Dodge Viper SRT10 offers outrageous power, with an 8.4-litre, 600-horsepower (450 kW) V-10 engine contributing to blistering acceleration (0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, 0-100 mph in 7.6 seconds), setting an American sports car benchmark. To date, more than 25,000 Dodge Vipers have been built. A small number of brand new Vipers were assembled in right-hand drive eight years ago and sold in New Zealand and these are now attaining collector status.