Show stolen.
The much-anticipated 2013 Viper from Chrysler’s newly formed SRT high-performance division made its debut at the New York Auto Show today and lived up to months of hype surrounding the car since it was announced last year.
The made-in-Detroit supercar takes the classic looks of the two generations of Dodge Vipers it succeeds and pushes them to new levels of sexy enhanced by an injection of modern technology.
The long hood, short deck, double-bubble roof remains along with a massive hood scoop, twin air extractors, fender vents and side exhausts servicing the big V10 engine underneath the deeply drawn curves of the lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum body.
The massive 8.4-liter motor sends a 640 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. An automatic is not available.
Unlike previous Vipers, this time around the power is tempered by traction and stability control, with a steering wheel-mounted launch control feature, but it can all be defeated for drivers looking for the ultimate thrills.
Inside, it gets a cabin treatment worthy of its place at the top of Chrysler's food chain, with improved materials, an LCD performance monitor, infotainment system and a grab handle for frightened passengers.
And just because you needed proof of the car’s mettle, SRT also announced that it will be campaigning the new Viper in the American Le Mans Series against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911 and its corporate cousin Ferrari 458 Italia starting this year.