Probably the most teased, and awaited, car of this year’s New York Auto Show has been officially unveiled. The 2013 SRT Viper, as it will be known from now on, was launched earlier today at the Big Apple in two flavors: “plain vanilla” Viper and Viper GTS.
After production stopped in 2010, there were reports that the Viper would not be resurrected, which the group later dismissed. Nevertheless, for a while its future was shaky, a fact acknowledged by the company’s executives.
“Beyond being the flagship for the new SRT brand, the launch of the 2013 Viper proves that we simply would not let the performance icon of the Chrysler Group die”, said SRT boss Ralph Gilles.
“Willed to live on by a very special group of performance enthusiasts inside the company and across Viper Nation, this SRT team under our new leadership was challenged to not just continue the legendary Viper, but to create a world-class supercar that would showcase the very best we have to offer.”
Chrysler’s supercar has evolved quite a bit since its first iteration that shook the automotive world two decades ago. The hood, roof and decklid of the 2013 model are made out of carbon fiber, while the doors are aluminum.
Yet the basic recipe remains the same: a large displacement V10 with tarmac-shredding power and torque placed up front driving the rear wheels. It may not have been the most sophisticated supercar in the world, but it sure means business.
The new iteration of the Viper is powered by an all-aluminum 8.4-liter V10 that puts out 640HP and 600 lb-ft (812.6 Nm) of torque – with the latter being the highest figure for any normally aspirated engine in the world.
The latest V10 features lightweight composite high-flow intake manifold, high-strength forged pistons, sodium-filled exhaust valves, an aluminum flywheel and new, back-pressure-reducing catalysts.
Power is directed to the rear wheels via a six-speed Tremec TR6060 manual gearbox with a short throw shifter and closer gear and final drive ratios, which enables it to achieve top speed in sixth gear at the 6,200 rpm redline.
As the saying goes, power is nothing without control. The chassis, which offers a 50 percent increase in torsional stiffness, features an X-shaped brace that ties the front suspension pickup points to the magnesium cowl. Many areas of the chassis have been redesigned; not only to increase rigidity, but also to reduce weight by nearly 100 pounds (45kg) and the rear suspension has also been tweaked, with the toe link now being in front of the axle improving stability.
The snakeskin bodywork sports a lower 0.364 drag coefficient. Moreover, standard equipment includes electronic traction and stability control, four-channel ABS and 352mm disc brakes with four-piston Brembo aluminum calipers all around.
The iconic supercar will be available in two flavors: SRT Viper and SRT Viper GTS. Both are identical as far as the design is concerned, retaining the extra-long hood, the huge air-vents (or “gills”) behind the front wheels and the side-exiting exhausts of the original.
Chrysler claims that one area where all previous generations have received criticism, namely the interior, has been taken care of. This has been achieved by using premium materials and additional padding in all major surfaces, with the GTS cabin being fully covered in leather.
The Viper now sports a standard 8.4-inch console-mounted touch screen, touch screen buttons and a choice of infotainment systems with applications. Of more importance to driving-oriented customers, however, is the newly added launch control.
The lightweight Kevlar/fiberglass Sabelt seats are positioned 20mm lower and have their travel extended by 90mm, which along with the ability to adjust their height by 40mm, results in the most spacious cabin ever in a Viper, according to the automaker.
We’ve left the exterior design for last because the 2013 model somewhat strays from its predecessors. Namely, the front bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and turn signals are completely different, the grille is much smaller in size and, if we dare say so, quite a few details remind us more of Modena than Detroit.
The five-spoke, forged-aluminum “Rattler” wheels on the 2013 Viper model are available with fully polished, fully painted Hyper Black or fully painted low-gloss black finishes.
The Viper GTS gets split six-spoke forged-aluminum “Venom” rims with three available finishes: polished face with graphite-painted pockets (standard), fully painted Hyper Black and fully painted low-gloss black. In addition, the GTS gets more technologically advanced solutions, like the two-mode active suspension featuring Bilstein DampTronic Select shock absorbers with both street and track settings.
43 Comments:
Im loving this car it looks like a modern version of the original viper, it looks a bit like a TVR but i love those to lol so im loving this car....
Were they able to reduce the overall scale of the car? Still appears bloody huge!
Taillights from Maserati?
The interior looks great. The Corvette guys should be taking notes.
That said, the exterior looks so old. Not cool and retro, just old....like it was designed in 1994. The headlights are modern but the rest actually looks older than the last (current) generation.
My main gripe is the way the bubble roof towers above the windshield and the nearly vertical A-pillar. Those together create a curved line that intersects perfectly/unfortunately with the descending aft section of the front fender. It all gives the illusion of the car being bent. I'd feel the need to inspect for frame damage! lol
Also, carbon-fiber as trim is so played out. The rear tail light surround would be much nicer painted.
Dallas
Second that. Kind of reminds me of the Sagaris, and that's more than okay.
Love this car!! That is one bad mutha - shut your mouth - wow, what presence. This beast is going to elicit such great speeds with its 8.4-liter V10 that puts out 640HP and 600 lb-ft (812.6 Nm) of torque – the latter being the highest figure for any normally aspirated engine in the world- incredible. Go SRT!
agreed, i always wished they would sell TVR cars here they always looked like concept cars inside and out.
Kudos to Dodge and the people of Detroit. I still have a little reservation about the black paneling between the rear tail lights but overall I think everything else looks good. It doesn't appear that the fans will have room to complain about the cheap looking plastics that accompanied the drab interior of the outgoing version. Now if they can bring the pricing down to where the corvette is starting out at then we can really say we have a blockbuster hit.
640HP!!! No doubt it's going to bend time and space and the interior looks awesome...however the exterior begs the question, is ugly the new black?
So out of date it beggars belief....TVR were doing this in the 90's
looks like something from the late 90,s,
Looks like a modified vette, I was expecting a little more then that.
is there any chance they make a baby Viper, may be a bit shorter, I think that will look even better.
'90s retro? Well, maybe but I love that they brought back that upwardly-curving fender vent and rounded deck spoiler. This new Viper is what it is and that's a good thing, indeed. Ralph Gilles and his team manged to rival the beauty of the F12 and the aggression of the Aventador in the same car while staying true to the Viper ethos. Bravo!
Absolutely stunning well at least for me ! Don't really like that carbon fiber trim around the tail lights i hope that's a just a option, But overall there is a lot to like about the car and the interior seems respectable. Can't wait to see the road tests and track results for this car.
As much a original Viper was cool, different and exciting, this car's fairly bland and almost has kit car appearance...that and that Corvettish front...not a good design at all...
Wow, that front end makes it look very much like a kit car. Terrible.
thank god for ralph gilles, a true chrysler veteran 20 plus years and doing a great job.
my mind went happy time the moment i saw this..... COME TO DADDEY!!!!
One thing I don't care for, otherwise it looks fantastic, is the rear spoiler/trunk lid. The line is broken up with the recess where the carbon fiber and lid corner meet. Just have it go straight across. Makes it look like a last minute change or mistake in the carbon fiber mold?
The one minor quibble; why did they not go straight across with the rear deck lid? There is a slight recess along the carbon fiber. I first thought the fit and finish was bad, but it looks designed that way...otherwise, very nice, if a bit dated looking.
I agree its an awsome sports car but I think Chrysler is making a mistake refering to it as a "SRT Viper" instead of a "Dodge Viper". I also thought it was a mistake last year dropping the Dodge name from the Ram truck. This does nothing but confuse the average consumer and further diluting the brand identity.
All in all great car, but the Lights, reminds me too much Maserati GT or some newer Ferraris, and grille like Alfa Romeo - that's bad idea, because this sexy machine lost it personality, like poised snake without teeth!
Digital Dials - don't like it, unnecessary hype solution - driving such a beast should be as simple as looking quick on your actual speed and there's too much on candies on it!
Great engine sound!
and as reliable as one lol
looks SLS AMG
The new Viper has an easter egg!
Check image 65. There's a Nurburgring in the armrest.
I think Dodge is trying to tell us something.
Just found Laguna Seca in image 78!
I bet there is more on this car.
Best looking viper yet, that said just a bit underwhelming. The best feature to my eye is the hood, very speed racer, but the dome and the glass are sweet as well. And that X brace under the good is the tits, yeah baby, all business. Of course every time a mechanic opens the hood to do something he got a snatch that bitch off to be able to reach anything, but the Corvette is already filled with that kind of crap going back 20 years.
Not bad, not bad at all, somebody toss me keys and let's go kill something! :-)
One thing always piss me off, when they say how much weight they've reduced, but don't tell you how much it actually weighs. I never did like doing math, so if you're not ashamed of how overweight is, give us a number. It better not be over 3400lbs, it should be 3200lbs or below, remember we're not talking about a Nissan GT-R that can violate the laws of mass, power to weight ratio and physics at will, were talking about a Chrysler here kids.
Saw them but didn't know what the heck they were. Good eye.
oh man that is sexy! loving the small details around the front and rear. its a highly polished evolution and i think it this case i have absolutely no problem with that.
far out!
And headlights from the Agera?
Best attribute ........keeps rednecks out of Corvettes.
They did it, they ruined the icon ...!!! however, the interior looks great !..., but the exterior ... seriously apart from the headlights, that makes it look modern i think it's lost that agressive axe murderer look. And they could leave those 2 wide stripes instead of a carbon fiber all over the car.
I don't hate it or anything but i think it looks too soft as for a modern viper.
And whoever designed it's front could've done much more better job than this.
Still I hope they didn't ruined the way it goes....
And i still like the predecessor better than this "modern" viper.
Driver's sports cars seem to come from America nowadays and not Italy anymore, great car! But italian sports cars are great to look at and best for posing.
No Multiair? Could this be brand politics to keep a distance to the Ferrari F12?
That makes much more sense. When I first saw it, I thougt the one one 78 looks like a animal, maybe the RAM or something, and I could't imagine what the one on 65 was at all.
Reminds me of my little brother waiting for three weeks in anticiption to open his Christmas present and tne look on his face when he opened the huge box and there was a hula hoop.
They got the looks right ... best looking American car on the market. And I hate all American cars (except the Corvette). Hope it goes as well as it looks. If it does, it will be a big success.
I am glad the old profile is still intack. I am not loving that front end as much. It's a little to Ferrari/Alfa for my taste. I like refinement in vehicle designs, but this leave me wishing for more of an American muscle look.The front grille reminds me more of Alfa than a Dodge. Love the interior...in which so many American cars were lacking in design and quality.
Design looks old with modern cues and more a bit more hp, hopefully it handles way better than previous, the carbon fiber they have showing is not enough, it needs more to actually look decent on it, I agree with wonderdallas on 1 thing, paint it all body color BUT carbon fiber is NEVER played out, just needs to be applied right to stand out better and this car doesn't really need it showing, now if it had black carbon fiber double stripes the whole way down the car? the carbon fiber would make sense with black wheels IMO.
I am not a fan of american cars either... but come on the Cadillac CTS-V and the Chevy Colorado deserve some merit (by the way this is not sarcasim)
Photos cannot do this car enough justice, it looked absolutely gorgeous in real life.
Couple of extra photos in the link by my name.
I was pretty disappointed seeing the pictures, and still disappointed when I went to the NY Auto Show. Design is not too bad, except for the the roof line. It should look better as a convertible. I felt they could have done better. Looks good on the race track, but not on the streets.
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