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Following the adage that
“racing improves the breed,” motorsports competition has
long been part of Dodge Viper heritage. Beginning in 1995,
Dodge began campaigning the Viper GTS-R, a “factory” racing
Viper. But in 2003, the newest generation of racing Viper
was unveiled—the Viper Competition Coupe.
“The Dodge Viper Comp Coupe came about as a result of
demands from our Viper community,” said John Fernandez,
Director—Dodge Motorsports Operations. “People who had
Vipers were taking them out to the Viper Racing League,
which runs about 12 events at different race tracks across
the country. These owners were spending a lot of time and
energy to make their Vipers even more competitive, and they
came to us and asked if we could develop a race car for
them.”
Making extensive use of Viper SRT-10 production pieces to
help keep the retail price at slightly more than $130,000,
the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe also makes use of
race-bred technologies including a carbon fiber-Kevlar coupe
body inspired by the Dodge Viper GTS/R concept unveiled at
the 2000 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Other enhancements for competition include a safety cage,
window net, six-point driver restraints, fire-suppression
system, differential cooler, ducted brakes and racing
slicks. A track-ready chassis based on the Viper SRT-10
convertible is also key to the Viper Competition Coupe’s
readiness for serious racing action.
Beneath the hood is a V-10 engine tuned for 520 horsepower
and 540 lb.-ft. of torque—serious power for a serious race
car.
True to its racing DNA, the Viper Competition Coupe cannot
be registered for the street. But, it is eligible to compete
in GT-class racing in venues such as the Viper Racing League
and Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) SPEED World Challenge. |
