The Dodge Viper is an American sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer Chrysler. First showcased in 1989 at the North American International Auto Show as a interpretative concept car of a modern-era AC Cobra, production of the two-seat sports car later began at New Mack Assembly Plant in 1991 and moved to Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in October 1995. Five generations of the Viper were developed from 1991 until 2017, with a brief hiatus in 2007 and between 2011 and 2012.
Early in its production, the Viper gained a reputation for being an intimidating car to drive, producing high amounts of power and torque with no driver aids. Subsequent introductions of electronic assists and safety features allowed the car to become more accessible over time while simultaneously gaining performance, gradually moving upmarket into the supercar class. In 2014, the Viper was named number 10 on Cars.com's "American-Made Index" list, meaning 75% or more of its parts are manufactured in the United States. The Viper was discontinued in 2017 after approximately 32,000 were produced over 26 years of production.
Development The Viper was initially conceived in late 1988 at Chrysler's Advanced Design Studios. The following February, Chrysler president Bob Lutz suggested to Tom Gale at Chrysler Design Center that the company should consider producing a modern Cobra, and a clay model was presented to Lutz a few months later. Produced in sheet metal by Metalcrafters, the car appeared as a concept at the North American International Auto Show in 1989. Public reaction was so enthusiastic that chief engineer Roy Sjoberg was directed to develop it as a standard production vehicle. But then Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca delayed approving the $70 million needed to put the sports car into production, saying it was a lot to spend without assurance of financial return.
Sjoberg selected 85 engineers to be "Team Viper", with development beginning in March 1989. The team asked the then-Chrysler subsidiary LamborghiniHow Lamborghini Influenced the Legendary Dodge Viper V10, slashgear.com, Alex Hevsey, February 8, 2023 to cast a prototype aluminum block for the sports car to use in May. The production body was completed in Fall 1989, with a chassis prototype running in December. Though a V8 engine was first used in the test mule called White Mule, the V10 engine, which the production car was meant to use, was ready in February 1990. Official approval from Iacocca came in May 1990. By auto industry standards $70 million was not a lot of money but the potential in improved image was fantastic. One year later, Carroll Shelby piloted a pre-production car as the pace vehicle in the Indianapolis 500 race. In November 1991, the car was released to reviewers with the first retail shipments beginning in January 1992.
The powerful two-seater, which sold for $52,000, sparked immediate interest in the Dodge brand among enthusiasts and the automotive press. Lutz hoped it would raise the spirits of the designers and engineers who were discouraged by the homely, unpopular cars that they had been commanded to produce. The popularity of the Viper overshadowed the recent failure of Iacocca's pet car, the TC, which had cost five times as much to develop.
First generation (SR I; 1992–1995)
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Dodge Stealth, because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January 1992 as the RT/10 Roadster. Lamborghini (then owned by Chrysler Corporation) helped with the design of the V10 engine for the Viper, which was based on the Chrysler's LA V8 engine. A major contributor to the Viper since the beginning was Dick Winkles, the chief power engineer, who had spent time in Italy overseeing the development of the engine.
Originally engineered to be a performance car, the Viper had no exterior-mounted door handles or key cylinders and no air conditioning (however, this was added as an option for the 1994-95 models, and climate controls featured a "snowflake" icon, which indicated a potential setting for the A/C). The roof was made from canvas, and the windows were made from vinyl using zippers to open and close, much like the Jeep Wrangler. However, the Viper was still equipped with some domestic features, including manually-adjustable leather-trimmed sport bucket seats with lumbar support, an AM/FM stereo cassette player with clock and high fidelity sound system, and interior carpeting. Aluminum alloy wheels were larger in diameter due to the larger brakes. A lightweight fiberglass hard roof option on later models was also available to cover the canvas soft roof, and was shipped with each new car. There were also no airbags, in the interest of weight reduction. Adjustable performance suspension was also an available option for most Vipers.
The engine weighs and is rated at at 4,600 rpm and of torque at 3,600 rpm. Due to the long-gearing allowed by the engine, it provides fuel economy at a United States Environmental Protection Agency-rated in the city and on the highway. The body is a tubular steel frame with resin transfer molding (RTM) fiberglass panels. The car has a curb weight of and lacks modern driver aids such as traction control and anti-lock brakes. The SR I can accelerate from in 4.2 seconds, in 9.2 seconds, can complete the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at the speed of and has a maximum speed of approximately . Its large tires allow the car to average close to one lateral g in corners. However, the car proves tricky to drive at high speeds, particularly for the unskilled driver.
Second generation (SR II; 1996–2002)
The second-iteration Viper, codenamed "SR II" was introduced in 1996. The exposed side exhaust pipes on the RT/10 roadster were relocated to a single muffler at the rear exiting via two large central tailpipes during the middle of the model year, which reduced back pressure, and therefore increased the power to . Torque would also increase by to . A removable hardtop became available along with a sliding glass window. Some steel suspension components were replaced by aluminum, resulting in a weight reduction.
Later in the 1996 model year, Dodge introduced the Viper GTS, a new coupé version of the Viper RT/10. Dubbed the “double bubble”, the roof featured slightly raised sections that looked like bubbles to accommodate the usage of helmets and taking design cues from the Shelby Daytona designed by Pete Brock. More than 90% of the GTS was new in comparison to the RT/10 despite similar looks. The GTS would come with the same V10 engine but power would be increased to at 5,200 rpm and of torque at 3,700 rpm. The 1996 GTS would be the first Viper to be equipped with airbags and also included air conditioning, power windows and power door locks as standard equipment. The Viper GTS would be chosen as the pace car for the 1996 Indianapolis 500.
Minor updates would continue in 1997 and 1998. In 1997, the RT/10 would receive a power increase to 450 hp along with airbags and power windows. In 1998, both of the versions of the Viper were equipped with second-generation airbags, revised exhaust manifolds (saving over the previous cast iron components) along with a revised camshaft.
In 2000, the engine was updated to use lighter hypereutectic pistons and the car received factory frame improvements. While the hypereutectic pistons provided less expansion, the forged pistons were preferred by customers for the supercharged and turbocharged aftermarket packages. TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) recalls (998 and 999) were done at local dealerships to repair the 1996 to 1999 Viper frames by adding gussets with rivets near the steering box. The 2001 models saw the addition of an anti-lock braking system.
The RT/10 was replaced by the SRT-10 roadster in 2003, and the GTS was replaced in 2006 by the SRT-10 coupe.
Third generation (ZB I, 2003–2007)
The Dodge Viper underwent a major redesign in 2002, courtesy of DaimlerChrysler's Street and Racing Technology group, taking cues from the Dodge Viper GTS-R concept presented in 2000. The new Viper SRT-10, which replaced both the GTS and the RT/10, was heavily restyled with sharp, angled bodywork. The engine's displacement was increased to , which, with other upgrades, increased the maximum power output to at 5,600 rpm and of torque at 4,200 rpm. Despite the power increase, the engine weight was reduced to about . The chassis was also improved, becoming more rigid and weighing approximately less than the previous model.
An even lighter and stronger aluminum space frame chassis was in development for the next generation model, but the project was shelved because of parent company Chrysler's financial crisis. The stillborn project, created by Mercedes in the first place, was used as a basis by Daimler for the development of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The initial model introduced was a convertible. In 2004, Dodge introduced a limited-edition Mamba package; Mamba-edition cars featured black interiors, with red stitching and trim, price increased by about $3,000. 200 cars with the Mamba package were produced.
The Viper SRT-10 Coupe was introduced at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show as a 2006 model. It shares many of its body panels with the convertible, but borrows its side and rear styling from the Competition Coupé concept. The coupé looks much like the previous Viper GTS and retains the "double-bubble" roof shape of the original along with the original GTS' tail lights, as well as retaining the original GTS Blue with white stripes paint scheme on the initial run of First Edition cars like the original Viper coupé. The engine is SAE-certified to be rated a maximum power output of at 5,600 rpm and of torque at 4,200 rpm. Unlike the original coupé, the chassis was not modified.
No cars were produced for the 2007 model year; instead, Chrysler extended production of the 2006 model while preparing the updated 2008 model.
Fourth generation (ZB II; 2008–2010)
In 2008, with the introduction of the V10 engine, the power output was raised from to at 6,100 rpm and of torque at 5,000 rpm. The engine also received better flowing heads with larger valves, Megadyne cam-in-cam variable valve timing on the exhaust cam lobes, and dual electronic throttle bodies. The rev limit could be increased by 300 rpm due to the improved valvetrain stability from both the new camshaft profiles and valve springs. The engine was developed with some external assistance from McLaren Automotive and Ricardo Consulting Engineers. Electronic engine control was developed by Continental AG; the controller can monitor the crankshaft and cylinder position up to six times during each firing and has 10 times more processing power than the previous unit.
Changes outside of the engine were less extreme, but a distinction between the third and fourth generation of the Viper is the vented engine cover. The Tremec T56 transmission was replaced with a new Tremec TR6060 with triple first-gear synchronizers and doubles for higher gears. The Dana M44-4 rear axle from the 2003–2006 model featured a GKN ViscoLok speed-sensing limited-slip differential that greatly helps the tires in getting grip under acceleration. Another performance upgrade was the removal of run-flat tires; the new Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires increased grip and driver feedback and, along with revised suspension (springs, anti-roll bars, and shock valving), made the Viper more neutral in cornering.