2006 Dodge Viper Coupe

Way back in 1989, when Chrysler unveiled its Dodge Viper concept roadster in the macho-muscular image of the 1960s Shelby Cobra, few believed such a car would actually reach production. Fewer still believed it would retain the concept's hulking V-10 engine even if it did.


Chrysler and its Dodge brand desperately needed an image boost at the time—but a high-priced, high-powered, low-volume sports car? Not likely, said the pundits (this one included). But as they so often are, the pundits were wrong.

Styling

The production Viper roadster debuted in 1992 to take on Chevy's Corvette and other serious sports cars of the time, and the first sensuously sculpted GTS coupe followed four years later. Like those legendary '60s Cobras after which they were loosely patterned, they were powerful and fast but noisy, crude and unrefined.


But as Dodge's Viper has been improved and refined through the years, its appeal has widened while its price has kept it fairly exclusive. An all-new and much more civilized Viper SRT-10 roadster (named for DaimlerChrysler's Street & Racing Technology team, and its cylinder count) boasting "500/500/500"—500 horsepower and 525 pound-feet of torque from its 505 cubic-inch V-10—hit the streets for 2003. And now comes the second-generation coupe, easily the best Viper yet.


The Viper roadster already has a stout structure, and the addition of a roof makes the coupe even more torsionally stiff. Its "double-bubble" roof and swoopy derriere, much like the original GTS coupe's, connects it to the Viper heritage while setting it apart from its roadster stablemate. The sloping roofline and rear spoiler increase aerodynamic downforce for high-speed stability, and the decklid has a conveniently low lift-over height. The only body parts it shares with the roadster are the front fascia, front fenders, hood and doors. The rest of the body—rear fascia, quarter panels, taillamps, windshield surround and side glass—is coupe specific.