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New Viper debuts with SRT nameplate. What happened to the Dodge Viper?

Posted by: | April 8, 2012 | 2 Comments |

Photo by Jeremy Eley

The all new 2013 SRT Viper topped the list of debuts at this year’s New York Auto Show. It has since been attracting all the right attention, but fans of the new snake have been asking one thing. What happened to the Dodge name?
Well, Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology(SRT) President and CEO Ralph Gilles says the brand has never really bothered Viper customers.
“People usually refer to it as the Viper. Just the Viper. It’s become iconic that way. I’m not too worried about it.”
SRT has been building Chrysler Group’s sporting identity since the introduction of the SRT10 Viper and Ram in 2002. More recently, however, the brand has spread to Chrysler’s other brands, including Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler itself. Gilles has seen many of these models through the development process, but says the resurrection of the Viper has been his priority.
The 2013 Viper boasts a stout 8.4 Liter 640-horsepower V10, and claims number one spot in the battle over naturally aspirated torque. SRT has also added stability control to the line as a standard feature. No previous Viper came with such safeties in mind. More refinement has been added in way of the interior of the car. The same manufacturer that produces the leather used by Ferrari has been contracted to tame the snake’s more brutal demeanor.
The 2013 Viper has an interesting look. It resembles the original GTS of the ’90s, yet it’s better. But wait, if this model looks like the natural replacement for the original, what should the models of the 2000s pay their respects to?
It was simply a case of the millennium bug, and unfortunately the Viper was bitten rather hard. The ‘demand’ for futuristic and stylized aerodynamics was the main culprit. Thankfully then, SRT has given Viper fans unforgivingly intoxicating experience they never forgot.
under: Comm361: Jeremy Eley - Personal Entries
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