A Short History Of The Dodge Viper
It would be hard to name a production car from the Nineties that has made as much of an impact on people as the Viper.
When Dodge set out to create the New Viper, they knew from the beginning it was going to be a monster.
Once the initial idea of Viper had been accepted, it was decided that a
platform team would develop the car. This team would exist independently inside
Chrysler Corporation, make its own rules, and create its own supplier base.
The
team leader sifted through scores of engineers, designers and mavericks to
assemble a team of true believers, the car fanatics who would do whatever it took
to create an ultra-high-performance two-seater.
Then Team Viper began three years of work, often around-the-clock.
Their activities spanned the world ... from Italy, where the aluminum engine block was created, to the race tracks of Nelson Ledges and Road Atlanta, where they fine-tuned Viper's high-performance chassis and power train.
Team members worked with major automotive suppliers to develop components that could withstand the stresses of high-performance driving. Chassis prototypes, called "mules," were developed to study vehicle dynamics. Within a year of Viper RT/10's auto show appearance, a V8-powered mule was being tested. A few months later, a cast iron V10 was being tested.
In May 1990, after months of exhaustive work, Chrysler Corporation announced that the Viper, now
powered by the aluminum V10, was a "go." One year later, the Viper RT/10 led the field at the 1991 Indianapolis 500 as the Official Pace Car.
Then, in January 1992, the first Vipers were scheduled for delivery -- exactly three years after the concept car's 1989 auto show triumph.
Production numbers have increased each year since 1992, and the Viper's only option, air conditioning, was introduced in 1994. The RT/10 is available in four colors, red, black, yellow, and green. The car comes standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, a multipoint fuel injection system, and an aluminum V-10 powerplant. Estimated gas mileage is 14 MPG City, and 22 MPG Highway.
