2005 Dodge Viper SRT-10

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.

Source - Dodge

Since its introduction as a concept car at the 1989 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Dodge Viper has captured the hearts and imagination of enthusiasts around the globe. It has also captured its share of trophies on the track as a three-time FIA GT2 and Le Mans class champion.

The next chapter of Dodge Viper continues to set the definition of extreme, yet features greater levels of refinement and finish. In other words, Viper retains its essence - its 'Viperness' - while taking natural steps forward.

Those who have never driven or ridden in a Dodge Viper can scarcely understand the way the car translates torque into forward momentum, nor can they fully appreciate the turning and braking capabilities of its massive tires and disc brakes.

The new Viper SRT-10 takes that unbelievable rush of performance to an entirely new level - beyond even that of the current American performance car standard. If one ride doesn't thrill, exhilarate, energize or excite you more than any other car on the road, check your pulse.

Convertible Top Opens the Possibilities for New Redesign
Engineers at Dodge, who had grown fond of their RT/10 Roadster and GTS Coupe and proud of the cars' performance capabilities, were fully aware of the wide tiretracks they would have to fill when the decision was made to create a new, true convertible version of America's ultimate sports car.

What began as a simple plan to alter the RT/10's roofline quickly grew to a 'blue-sky' redesign when designers and engineers discovered that the accompanying 2.6-inch lengthening of the wheelbase would change more than 50 percent of the car's body panels and many chassis components. Vehicle synthesis engineers, never ones to sit idly by, set to work immediately using the stretch as their opportunity to find incremental ways to update and improve the car. And quicker than you can say 'hasta la vista,' the teams found out that with a little bit of tweaking here and an upgraded assembly there, they would have an entirely new car to build.

While the Chrysler Group's famously creative design office staged an internal search for the best new Viper design sketch, performance-minded engineers at then Team Viper began to analyze the opportunities that a redesign could offer on the performance front.

About the same time, combined marketing, engineering and communications teams from Dodge began polling key constituencies on what the next Viper should be - and as important, what it shouldn't be.

Among one of the most vocal and enthusiastic opinion groups - the owners AKA Dodge's Viper Nation - the replies consistently demanded...

More horsepower
Bigger brakes
Lighter weight
A new convertible top mechanism
A dead pedal
Greater interior comfort

Owners were also asked what they didn't want:

Digital instrumentation
Cruise control
Cup holders
A 'bow-tie' lookalike

It was universally agreed that no matter the degree of change, certain Viper attributes - the car's legacy and signature to the world - must remain.

The message was loud and clear - Viper must be a front-engined, two-seat, rear-wheel-drive sports car. It must have a V-10 making at least as much power as the current 450 hp versions. That a six-speed manual transmission be the only choice. That it be devoid of cupholders, cruise control and traction control. Viper would be a driver's package, and never a luxury boat posing as a sports car.
Viper Remains True to the Original Mission

Dodge took its directives and built a mission statement for the new car. When Dodge laid out the mission for its new 2003 Viper SRT-10 Convertible, it started with five vision statements:

Build a true convertible version of the original Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster
Refine the original caricature without losing its outrageous design
Raise the benchmark for unmatched performance
Maintain the back-to-basics approach from the original Viper
Preserve the American sports car heritage

The 2003 Viper SRT-10 once again underscores the core philosophies of the Dodge brand by being the ultimate automotive icon for extreme performance and extreme attitude.

'Back in 1992, the purpose was to re-orient what the Dodge brand was all about,' said Jim Julow, Vice President - Dodge Motorsports and SRT Marketing. 'We had just come out of a lot of years without any significant performance-oriented products. We needed to send a message that we had a new concept - a very historically accurate concept - but one which had not been seen in America for a long time. We wanted to come up with something that was so outrageous, so cutting edge, so purpose built that it said we still had a lot of car nuts around here; people with the know-how to put the most outrageous street car ever on the road.

'The continuation of the Viper allows us to hatch a whole new line of performance cars that go across more vehicle types than just two-door roadsters,' continued Julow. 'This whole SRT line of vehicles will aspire to be the Viper of their category.'

Improving on a Legend

In creating the next chapter of Dodge Viper, the goal was also to enhance its unfiltered blend of performance.

As part of the Dodge Viper's complete redesign, more than 100 changes and improvements have been made to the chassis, brakes, suspension, tires, engine, transmission, cockpit, electronics and more than a dozen body panels.

Yet Viper retains a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout with a six-speed manual transmission. The commitment was made early on to use a racing-style chassis including fully independent four-wheel suspension, wide tires and wheels for maximum grip and massive brakes for stopping power.

A race-derived two-seat cockpit looks over a highly functional instrument panel with center-mounted tachometer and a 220 mile-per-hour speedometer. A traditional push-button starter reinforces the purposeful layout and race-car inspirations.

A new version of the Viper's four-wheel anti-lock disc brake system, originally introduced for the 2001 model year, is enhanced for this next-generation car.

With a new bored and stroked aluminum engine block that increases the Viper's displacement from 488 to 505 cu. in. and pushes its V-10 power output to 500 horsepower and 525 lb.-ft. of torque, Viper has no equal on the road.

'For a brand like Dodge, maintaining best-in-class performance claims are absolutely the most important thing we can do,' said Julow. 'As a brand, we must differentiate ourselves based on performance and driveability in creating a true enthusiast car. We need these proof points because frankly, not everyone wants to have a 500-horsepower, two-door convertible. Not everyone necessarily wants to have a turbocharged, manual transmission small car. Not everybody's looking for an aluminum block full-size truck.

But they're looking for a brand that's willing to put a little bit extra into everything it builds, and the proof points for that are the SRT (Street and Racing Technology) line, which pushes the envelope as far as we can.'

On the Outside

With styling cues derived from the Dodge Viper GTS/R concept car first shown at the 2000 North American International Auto Show, the all-new 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 convertible packs an outrageous new design into a low-slung roadster shell.

Lowered hood lines, swept-back fenders and deep-cut side scallops take their cues from the classic original, yet bring the Viper into the 21st century. Improved aerodynamics and a partial undertray add functional performance enhancements.

Viper's visceral lines speak volumes of the passion that Dodge designers bring to their craft. The new Viper gives enthusiasts an American sports car that remains true to the credo of pure performance.

The new Viper has a new roofline profile with an easy-to-operate drop top. The Dodge Viper was initially introduced with a full-width sport bar that brought open-air motoring to the Dodge lineup. The second chapter of Viper history was written when the GTS Coupe was added in 1996, and added classic gran tourismo styling to match the car's prodigious performance capabilities.

The new Viper's bi-fold clamshell top with single center latch now makes it a true convertible, harking back to a time when sports cars delivered serious performance capabilities and stood for untamed freedom.

For drivers seeking the farthest edge of the performance envelope, Viper remains nothing less than a streetable supercar - sophisticated yet brutal.

Source - DaimlerChrysler Press