The Viper is being consigned to the history books this year, Dodge showing all the final models at the recent LA show. It would be remiss of us not to mention it here though, as Dodge has been decent enough to bring a Viper SRT10 ACR 1.33 and a SRT10 ACR-X model to the Detroit show.
What's all the fuss about?
Bowing out disgracefully, the Viper SRT10 gets a host of revisions for the last 500 to come off the production line. There are more stripes than a zebra family Christmas get-together and more ponies under the bonnet from the massive 8.4-litre V10 engine.
The Viper SRT on show in Detroit's Cobo Center is one of the last ACR 1.33 Editions that celebrates the car's lap time around Laguna Seca raceway. The Viper SRT-10 ACR-X is a non-street legal racer that gets even more power and some race bits like track tuned suspension, a fuel cell, racing seat, roll cage and Momo steering wheel.
Any new technology?
Not really, Dodge isn't going to invest a whole lot of dollars in a car reaching the end of its lifecycle. That's not to say that it's not a tempting proposition, the V10 engine developing 600bhp, allowing a 0-60mph time of less than four seconds, a quarter mile sprint time in the mid 11-second range and a top speed in excess of 200mph.
All 2010 models feature a revised fifth gear ratio to improve acceleration, the Viper's 0-200mph time improving by 14 seconds as a result. The track-only ACR-X gets an extra 40bhp thanks to some engine revisions, all of which is likely to make it even scarier than before.
When can I buy one?
Never, at least in the UK through official channels. However, if you like the sound of a last-of-the-line Viper SRT10 then you could personally import one. Expect to pay no less than around £80,000-£100,000 if you do, which actually looks pretty good value in comparison to some of the exotica on offer from European manufacturers. The track-only ACR-X is another proposition altogether, though if you really wanted one we've no doubt someone could arrange getting one over the Atlantic for some V10-powered track scariness.
There are no comments yet