NEW YORK SHOW: SRT VIPER REVEALED
Big moment for SRT, this. There was a time when Dodge's Street and Racing Technology division - which recently became a standalone brand - didn't think it would ever build a Viper again. The enormous crowd that turned out to see the brand new car unveiled on the New York show stand certainly seemed glad that it did.
Interior now less 'kit car' - officially!The crowd was so big it was literally about three-quarters of an hour after the end of the press conference before enough people left and we could actually get a good look at the car. Clearly a descendent of the previous generations, it also speaks of TVR boldness, and perhaps, slightly, of prancing horses.
This last bit is interesting, SRT President and CEO Ralph Gilles revealing in his speech that they did look at some platforms "from Italy." What with SRT parent company Chrysler being part of the Fiat Group now it would presumably be rude not to. But apparently none of them fit the Viper's proportions, so it's bespoke and engineered from scratch - 50 per cent more rigid and up to 70kg lighter than before.
Ferrari and Maserati have been helping out improving the low volume build process, however - in particular the interior. The Viper was always a bit 'kit car' inside previously (Gilles' words, not ours), and at least superficially the new one is a massive improvement.
Voluptuous lines have maturedBut that's mere tinsel. This is really all about the performance - and there's plenty of engineering here to suggest SRT is speaking our language. For example, in a world obsessed with fuel economy and emissions, the new Viper has closer gear ratios and a lower final drive. Which means it now hits top speed at its 6,200rpm peak in sixth gear.
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=25479
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