2013 SRT Viper - 2012 New York Auto Show

Most of what we thought about the development of the new Viper has come true. And this generation snake is an even more venomous evolution. The show car displayed here is essentially the same car that Fiat CEO, Sergio Marchionne, secretly showed to dealers back in 2010 just after the Viper plant was closed. Back then we’d devoted an issue to the Viper having reached the end of the line and not surprisingly speculated on its return. At the time Dodge’s CEO Ralph Gilles, who also happens to be responsible for all product design at the Chrysler Group, talked freely of his hopes that the car would return. And if he had his druthers’ it would be an evolution of the second generation and arguably
more shapely Viper. He’s now the CEO of SRT and directly responsible for Viper. As it turns out while he was talking to us he already had a clay model of the next car in the design studio, that same car they showed to dealers. And here it is at the 2012 New York Auto Show less than two years later.

Heart of a Snake

It has retained its all aluminum 8.4-liter V-10, but with a stiffer block casting, lighter valvetrain, forged pistons and sodium filled exhaust valves. Its output is now a Corvette-ZR1-beating 640 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s also 25 lb. lighter thanks mostly to an aluminum flywheel and composite intake. That composite intake flows better and rejects heat easier. For added refinement the engine mounts are now hydraulic units and the exhaust is better insulated from the passenger compartment. The engine’s unique pushrod cam-in-cam design for variable-valve timing has been retained, as has the 6200 redline with a 6400-rpm limiter.

A Serpent’s Spine

Although the plant that built the Viper was emptied, the newest Viper will retain much of the past car’s structural design. That means the use of a steel space frame will continue. However this iteration is 40 lb. lighter, helping to bring the entire car down to roughly a 3300-lb. curb weight. That’s about 100 lb. lighter than before. And, more important, the chassis is 50 percent stiffer while retaining a 49/51 weight split front to rear.

Track Pack

As an option you can upgrade a Viper or GTS into an ACR, though without a wing. The option package is expected to save more than 40 lb. It replaces the Brembo all-steel rotors with lightweight 2-piece brake rotors from Stop Tech and incorporates a unique suspension with monotube Bilstein dampers and stiffer spring rates.

New Rubber Makes for a Happy Snake

Wider Pirelli tires replace the Michelins of the past car. Fronts are a staggering 295 width and rears are a massive 355. Rims are 18 x 10.5 front, 19 x 13 rear. Standard tires will be Pirelli P Zeros, but sticky Corsas are optional. Because of the significantly wider front tires, the front track has grown on the Viper by a half inch.

It’s What’s on the Inside that Counts

Leather and refinement abound on the new Viper. Gone is the sea of black plastic and rubber. The gauge cluster is dominated with a center tachometer that’s actually an LCD panel. A shift light in the shape of the Styker logo appears near redline. Seats sourced from Sabelt are a thin shell type and allow more headroom, as well as 1.6 in. of enhanced height adjustability. Adjustable pedals remain, as does the tilting steering wheel. From the driver’s seat the center tunnel is noticeably lower and the shift lever throws shorter. The steering wheel is a proper sporting 3-spoke job with thick grips. Choices of color and leather are abundant, and should help keep each car unique. There are no standard cup holders, but they are available as an insert into the center tunnel storage area. A removable pouch sits between the seats and is convenient storage. Navigation isn’t standard, but the 8.4-in. touch screen with backup camera is. The GTS, of course, gets most of the options standard. There are three levels of stereo with the top of the line being a 900-watt Harman-Kardon 18-speaker tour-de-force that will rival the thrumming V-10.

Exclusive: 2013 SRT Viper – Hear the SRT Viper Engine - Video