2005 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Copperhead Convertible (RHD)

Description

Perhaps the closest America has come to building a successor to the legendary Shelby Cobra, the Dodge Viper was a supercar developed by Chrysler with input from Carroll Shelby himself in the late 1980s. The aggressive shape certainly captured something of the Cobra's brutal beauty - from the side pipes to the huge 17-inch rims, the Viper definitely looked the part when it wowed the public as a concept at the 1989 Detroit Auto Show and little changed from the original prototype to the first production model of 1992. Joining the original RT/10 Roadster in 1996 was the second generation GTS Coupe, inspired by the Cobra Daytona Coupe and looking every inch the part in its blue and white warpaint. The third generation Viper was developed by the Street and Racing Technology (SRT) arm of DaimlerChrysler and unveiled in 2003, with sharper, more aggressive styling and an even larger version of the all-alloy V10 originally developed by Lamborghini. With displacement increased to 8.3-litres, power rose significantly from 400 of the original RT/10 to a thumping 510 bhp, with 535 lbs/ft of torque 4200 rpm. Capable of a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.8 seconds, the quarter-mile in 11.77 seconds and with a top speed of 192.6 mph, the Viper was definitely in the big league in terms of outright performance. The SRT-10 wasn't all brute power though, employing race car technology straight from the Viper racing programme - the structure was a tubular space frame, with composite body panels, suspension was full independent, with coil springs and wishbones all round and the transmission was a heavy-duty six-speed manual with a Dana 44-4 Hydra-Lok speed-sensing limited-slip differential. For the SRT-10 the chassis was both lighter and stronger and the model was again available both as a roadster and coupe (the GTS tag was dropped), the former now a full convertible and the latter with its signature ?double bubble? roof design. The second Generation Viper featured huge Brembo brakes and forged aluminium custom rims (18 x 10 at the front, 19 x 13 at the rear) on Michelin zero pressure run-flat tyres. Inside the Viper boasted creature comforts the Cobra driver could only dream of, including power steering, a leather steering wheel, premium stereo and air conditioning. Always built in limited numbers, the Dodge Viper is already regarded as a modern classic and look set to follow the original Cobra's exalted road to collector car status in the not too distant future.