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Dodge Viper GTS coupe in rare form as world-class sports car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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Racing across Europe in a new iteration of the classic American sports car, my grand touring variation of Dodge's awesome Viper revealed a 10-cylinder engine capable of 450 hp and downright frightening speed.
Yet a new frame plus packaged suspension components with revised balance that loads 48 percent on the car's weight on front wheels sets up surprisingly agile road manners for charging through hilly, twisty convolutions, as verified through the 176 turns of a 14-mile course pitched across serious changes in elevation at Nurburgring, site of Germany's Grand Prix since 1927.
At the Belgium Grand Prix circuit at Spa-Francorchamps, a Viper GTS steered by Phil Hill -- America's first Formula One world champion -- demonstrated aggressive but fluid characteristics in world-class form for tackling the legendary Eau Rouge kink and Spa's broad downhill sweapers beyond Les Combes.
Then in Paris during a twirl around the Arch of Triumph at the Etoile traffic circle, where 12 grand Parisian boulevards converge in bumper-crunching mangle of Kamikazi-inspired drivers, Viper GTS showed it's also capable of behaving politely on city streets.
An informal Paris parade of 18 Vipers, each cast in American blue with twin white racing stripes ripping up those massive front hoods, became such a drop-dead statement of automotive style along the Avenue Champs Elysees that they turned every pedestrian's head.
Clearly, with its daring Viper GTS coupe Dodge has created the new American supercar.
This latest Viper variation was unwrapped last August by Chrysler President Robert Lutz at California's Pebble Beach Golf Club, where, not so coincidentally, a year earlier Ferrari's 456GT and F355 debuted.
Lutz has been credited for the original vision of a raucous roadster as image statement for Dodge.
That idea led to a Viper concept car at the 1989 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and subsequent production roadster models which emerged in the summer of 1991 with 1992 labels.
Since Dodge unleashed its serpent sportster to the public, the stark roadster with savage shape and below-belt muscle has snagged virtually all eyes it passed and captured the imagination of those who lust after heady horsepower as teamed through ten cylinders.
Viper's first hardtop model carries refinements for civility like side glass windows and -- go figure -- even such convenience concessions as exterior door latches.
John Herlitz, Chrysler's vice president for product design, addressed these comfort enhancements with this admission: "Even Bob Lutz has said maybe we went a step too far back-to-basics with the original Viper. The new coupe responds to those needs."
Herlitz defined the look of Viper's GTS coupe as a raw statement of power. "There's not a bit of flat surface on this car -- it's an evolution of the curving line, and, with that low fascia in front, a chin breaker without question."
Initially, Viper GTS will appear strictly in deep blue paint accented by two broad white racing stripes -- the same colors as worn by the 1960s Cobra Daytona Coupe. But Lutz suggests that more color variations will follow after the first year's limited production of a mere 1,750 issues.
This version -- with Lutz behind the wheel -- paced the Indy pack on May 26 at the 80th running of the Indianapolis 500. The date, ironically, marked five years since the original RT/10 performed a similar duty at the Brickyard.
The day before the race I shagged a pace car ride with Johnny Rutherford, who won at Indy three times. On the long back straight, Rutherford powered GTS to 130 mph before plunging into banked nuances of the third turn.
"Notice how steady GTS feels in this turn, even at such speed," Rutherford observed. "Dodge's engineers added a slight suspension roll, unlike the roadster's flatness, so you end up with more fluid movement through a turn."
With more power added to a package that's lighter than the roadster, the coupe feels even more precise in handling.
Its aluminum suspension components pare weight by 60 lbs, while the rear roll center was dropped with revised geometry to reduce changes in track while in motion.
Exposed side pipes of the roadster were exchanged for a new rear exhaust system which meets requirements of on-board diagnostic regulations in Europe, where Dodge hopes to build recognition for the car. The new pipes tone Viper's thunder to a respectable roar.
Then, as if a Viper needed more muscle underfoot, GTS received more juice, for a total of 450 hp, plus incredible torque which rises to 490 lbs/ft at 3700 rpm.
Viper's 8.0-liter V10 engine, with thin-wall aluminum block that's 80 lbs lighter than the RT/10 predecessor, features higher compression ratios, revised camshaft timing and port refinements to increase flow.
A sophisticated 6-speed manual gearbox, with synch shifting and reverse lockout, feels entirely malleable.
As a production-car first, new Viper has adjustable foot pedals which can move mechanically up to four inches in fore-aft range to adapt to an individual driver's legs.
The new interior fits tight like Spandex.
Twin bucket seats trimmed in comfy perforated leather contain new cushioning for more lateral support.
A new 3-spoke magnesium steering wheel, wrapped in leather, tilts and telescopes to adjust. Revised instruments include a speedometer calibrated to 200 mph.
An infusion of insulation and door seals tames the roadster's interior to create a more sedate environment.
The new windshield, more than an inch taller than before, improves outward visibility significantly.
Safety systems include dual airbags and a steel cage with side impact door beams, plus a new theft alarm.
For the future, Lutz wants to hold a tight rein on production numbers. "Viper's uniqueness lies in its rarity," he confessed at Pebble Beach, "so we intend to keep production limited to less than demand."
How fast is it? In official trials Viper runs from zero to 100 mph in far less than 15 seconds, while my unoffical speed at Germany's Nurburgring clicked to 170 mph.
1996 DODGE VIPER GTS
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1996 DODGE VIPER GTS Specs |
| Description: |
2-seat GT sports coupe |
| Model Options: |
2-seat GT sports coupe |
| Wheelbase: |
96.2 inches |
| Overall Length: |
176.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 8.0-L V10
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| Transmission: |
Manual/6 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
13/24 mpg
Retail |
| Price: |
$ 73,000 |
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