The Ultimate American Sports Car Continues to Define Outstanding Performance

OVERVIEW

Only one vehicle on the planet could serve as the flagship vehicle of “Viper Nation,” a virtual community of thousands of die-hard owners around the world: the 2005 Dodge Viper SRT-10. A blend of brutal and poised, outrageous and classic, the Dodge Viper remains the ultimate American sports car and icon of the Dodge brand.

Following the first-generation Viper RT/10 Roadster and second-generation Viper GTS Coupe, the third-generation Viper SRT-10 retains the uncompromising performance and subtle refinement that are at the heart of its character.

“It’s about passion as well as performance,” said Darryl Jackson, Vice President—Dodge Marketing. “The Dodge Viper SRT-10 continues to be developed by car nuts who want to build the ultimate car for other car nuts—the kind of enthusiasts who are passionate about what an American sports car ought to be. That’s why Viper has always offered the highest performance available—traffic-stopping looks, and a racing pedigree that’s the envy of other makes.”

Jackson added, “The Viper is not only a standard-bearer for the Dodge brand—it’s also the standard-bearer for every vehicle to wear the SRT badge.”

BOLD LOOKS, NO-NONSENSE APPOINTMENTS
Dodge Viper SRT-10 styling builds on cues from the original, with the signature crosshair grille design, deep-cut side scallops, swept-back fenders and lowered hood lines. Advanced materials such as resin injection molded (RIM) and sheet-molded composite (SMC) panels are used extensively, in the front and rear fascia, deck lid, rear quarter panels, doors, hood, front fenders, cowl panel and windshield frame. A true convertible, the Dodge Viper top is a bi-fold design with a single center latch on the windshield header.

The Viper SRT-10’s cockpit is notable for the race car-themed red push button starter to get things going under the hood. Other race-inspired characteristics are evident throughout the cockpit, which features a performance-oriented, highly functional instrument panel with center-mounted tachometer and 220-mph speedometer.

Dodge Viper SRT-10 is all about performance, and under the hood is the powerplant that helps define the Viper as the benchmark American sports car.

RACE-INSPIRED PERFORMANCE
An aluminum-block 8.3-liter (505 cu. in.) V-10 engine powers the Viper SRT-10, generating 500 horsepower (372 kW) and 525 lb.-ft. (712 N•m) of torque—90 percent of the torque available in the 1,500-to-5,600 rpm range. And with all that power comes certification as a Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV). Transferring the Viper’s power to the rear wheels is a heavy-duty six-speed manual transmission.

Stopping power is another carefully developed part of the Viper SRT-10 equation, with 14-inch brake rotors gripped by Brembo 44/40 dual opposing piston calipers in the front and Brembo 42/38 dual opposing calipers in the rear. This system results in a world-class braking performance of 60 mph to zero in less than 100 feet.

Dodge Viper SRT-10 performance is further defined by a race-bred, four-wheel independent suspension featuring lightweight, high-performance aluminum control arms and knuckles, damped by lightweight coil-over shock absorbers. Power is delivered to the pavement via a Dana 44-4 Hydra-Lok speed-sensing limited-slip differential.

Where the rubber meets the road, Viper SRT-10 rides on forged aluminum, polished 18" x 10" front and 19" x 13" rear wheels, clad in Michelin zero pressure run-flat tires. Each tire includes low-pressure sensors in the valve stems.

Altogether, the Viper SRT-10 is capable of amazing performance figures—estimated 0-60 mph time of less than four seconds, top speed of 190 mph, and completion of the signature SRT 0-100-0 mph test in less than 13 seconds.

For 2005, Viper SRT-10 is available in a new hue—Viper Race Yellow. Also available are Viper Red, Viper Black and Viper Bright Silver Metallic. Later in the year, a special color—Copperhead Orange—will be available with a special interior package that includes black leather upholstery with contrasting orange stitching and shift knob accents.

The Dodge Viper SRT-10 is built at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit, Mich.

DODGE VIPER COMPETITION COUPE
Following the adage that “racing improves the breed,” motorsports competition has long been part of Dodge Viper heritage. Beginning in 1995, Dodge began campaigning the Viper GTS-R, a “factory” racing Viper. But in 2003, the newest generation of racing Viper was unveiled—the Viper Competition Coupe.

“The Dodge Viper Comp Coupe came about as a result of demands from our Viper community,” said John Fernandez, Director—Dodge Motorsports Operations. “People who had Vipers were taking them out to the Viper Racing League, which runs about 12 events at different race tracks across the country. These owners were spending a lot of time and energy to make their Vipers even more competitive, and they came to us and asked if we could develop a race car for them.”

Making extensive use of Viper SRT-10 production pieces to help keep the retail price at slightly more than $130,000, the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe also makes use of race-bred technologies including a carbon fiber-Kevlar coupe body inspired by the Dodge Viper GTS/R concept unveiled at the 2000 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Other enhancements for competition include a safety cage, window net, six-point driver restraints, fire-suppression system, differential cooler, ducted brakes and racing slicks. A track-ready chassis based on the Viper SRT-10 convertible is also key to the Viper Competition Coupe’s readiness for serious racing action.

Beneath the hood is a V-10 engine tuned for 520 horsepower (387 kW) and 540 lb.-ft. (732 N•m) of torque—serious power for a serious race car.

True to its racing DNA, the Viper Competition Coupe cannot be registered for the street. But, it is eligible to compete in GT-class racing in venues such as the Viper Racing League and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) SPEED World Challenge.