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 It began as a design exercise by Chrysler’s Advance Design Studios in 1988, and would have ended there if not for Bob Lutz’s crazy idea to build a Shelby Cobra for the modern age. Put into production for the 1992 model year, the Dodge (and later SRT) Viper soldiered on, gaining a coupe and adding horsepower, until its first execution in July of 2010. Reborn for the 2013 model year, the much-improved Viper failed to charm consumers, and a quarter-century after its debut, Dodge has once again announced the end of Viper production, this time in 2017.
The Viper has long been proof that “because you can” can sometimes be sufficient justification for building a halo sports car. From its very inception, the Viper was a single-digit salute to the automotive norm, featuring styling and colors as outlandish as the performance served up by its 8.0-liter V-10 engine. In 1992, when a base Corvette served up 300 horsepower and the ZR1 made 375 horsepower, the Viper rounded up to 400 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel the roadster from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 165 MPH. Though not specifically built for drag racing, the Viper was no slouch here, either, getting through the quarter-mile in the high 12s at a trap speed approaching 114 MPH.
The Viper leaves behind an underrated legacy.
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Re: After 25 Years, Dodge Pulls the Plug (a Second Time) on the Viper
