2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 news, pictures, and information

2009 Dodge Viper SRT10®: Still the Ultimate American Sports Coupe, 25,000 Hand-built Vehicles Later

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 remains available in two body styles — Roadster and Coupe. Both feature a dramatic hood wîth a more efficient hood scoop for air induction and functional hood louvers to facilitate a greater cooling effect for the powerful 8.4-liter 600-horsepower V-10 engine underneath.

Four new exterior colors will be introduced throughout the 2009 model year — Anaconda Green Pearl Coat, Graphite Metallic Clear Coat, Diamond Black Pearl Coat and Viper Bright White Clear Coat. Dual, painted hood stripes continue to be an option wîth seven stripe colors available. With a total of eight exterior colors, seven stripe colors and five interior choices, customers have more than 30 exterior/interior combinations to choose from.

Several exterior differences exist between the 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe. In fact, the only body panels the Roadster and Coupe share are front fascia and fenders, hood and doors. However, all of the iconic Viper SRT10 design cues are consistent in both models, including the signature Dodge crosshair grille, deep-cut side scallops, swept-back fenders and lowered hood lines.

The Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe's hardtop wîth its 'double bubble' styling makes it even more torsionally stiff than the Roadster. The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe offers increased downforce and high-speed stability wîth its sloping roofline and deck lid spoiler. Plus, the Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe has an additional 6.25 cubic feet of trunk space than the Viper SRT10 Roadster, for a total of 14.65 cubic feet. The roof and headliner structure offer more room to accommodate a safety cage, while maintaining as much head room as possible.

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe cockpit retains its characteristic red push-button starter and performance-oriented, highly functional instrument panel wîth center-mounted tachometer and 220-mph speedometer.

Five interior colors will be available in 2009: black, black/red, black/blue, black/medium slate or black/natural tan. A choice of bezel finishes on the center instrument panel and console adds to the increased level of customization.

ENGINEERING

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10's deep-skirted V-10 aluminum block features 8.4 liters (510 cubic inches) and generates 600 horsepower (450 kW) and 560 lb.-ft. (760 N•m) of torque. And all the power is compliant wîth stringent regulatory requirements, such as federal Tier 2, Bin 5 and California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV II) mandates.

The 2009 Viper SRT10 engine features cylinder heads equipped wîth Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC)-shaped combustion chambers, larger valves and Variable Valve Timing (VVT) featuring award-winning CamInCam® technology. The VVT application used in the 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 electronically adjusts when the exhaust valves are opened and closed according to engine speed and load, allowing the engine to 'breathe' more cleanly and efficiently.

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 V-10's two-piece intake manifold combines a cast-aluminum lower plenum wîth smooth runners for better air flow, bolted to a die-cast aluminum upper plenum. The air-cleaner box wîth a low-restriction filter sends air through dual electronic throttle control modules into the intake plenum.

The air-fuel mixture in the cylinders is ignited by platinum-tip spark plugs fired by individual plug coils mounted on the cylinder-head covers.

Within the cylinders, pistons are equipped wîth large-diameter floating pins in bronze bushed rods for high-load capability. The forged powder-metal connecting rods are secured wîth aircraft-quality fasteners for increased fatigue strength.

Engine lubrication is managed by an oil pump and a swinging oil pickup adapted from the Viper Competition Coupe engines, to improve oil pressure in high-rpm and hard-cornering conditions.

Spent gases exit through tubular air-gap headers, which not only improve exhaust flow, but also ensure quick catalyst light-off for improved emission control. The headers' stamped stainless-steel outer shell acts as a thermal heat shield for the individual stainless-steel runners that contribute to better flow separation and exhaust tuning.

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10's V-10 channels its power through a twin-disc clutch. The ZF Sachs clutch reduces rotating inertia by 18 percent, reduces clutch-pedal effort and improves engagement feel.

Transferring the Dodge Viper SRT10's power to the rear wheels is a heavy-duty six-speed manual transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com)

Stopping power is another carefully developed part of the Viper SRT10 equation, wîth 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 60-0 mph in less than 100 feet.

Dodge Viper SRT10 performance is further defined by a race-bred aluminum, fully independent, four-wheel 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 M44-4 rear axle and a new 4-pinion GKN ViscoLok speed-sensing limited-slip differential for higher torque capacity and improved traction.

The 2009 Dodge Viper SRT10 rides on polished forged aluminum 18 x 10-inch front and 19 x 13-inch rear wheels, clad in Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 non-run-flat tires. Each tire includes low-pressure sensors in the valve stem.