Dodge Viper (SR II)
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The Dodge Viper (SR II) is the second-generation
Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by Street & Racing Technology, SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer Chrysler from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2011 to 20 ...
sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...
, manufactured by American automobile manufacturer
Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
. Two versions of the Viper were produced during the second generation. The RT/10, which had many parts carried over from the previous generation during the initial year of production and a new coupe named the GTS which was introduced in mid-1996.


Production and specification history

The 1996 model year marked as the start of production for the second-generation Viper, codenamed the SR II. The car was essentially an updated version of the first-generation Viper, since most of its parts were carried over to this generation. The second-generation RT/10 received minor changes, the biggest change being the exhaust position. The side-exiting exhaust pipes were now enclosed and relocated to exit the rear of the vehicle via a single muffler, exiting through two large centrally-positioned tail pipes. This reduced back pressure which increased the power to and the torque to . A removable hardtop was now available along with a sliding glass window. A few steel suspension components were replaced by
aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...
, which resulted in of weight reduction. In late 1996, a new model of the Viper was introduced. Known as the GTS, the car was a coupé version of the RT/10 and offered more power than the RT/10 upon release. Dubbed the “double bubble”, the roof of the car featured slightly raised sections over the driver and passenger seats that looked like bubbles to accommodate additional head room for helmets during track days. This look was retained for all of the subsequent generations of Viper coupes following the SR II. Over 90% of the GTS contained new parts compared to the RT/10 despite similar looks, and the 8.0-liter
V10 engine A V10 engine is a ten- cylinder piston engine where two banks of five cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V10 engines are much less common than V8 and V12 engines. Several V10 diesel engines have been pro ...
received a power increase, with the engine now producing a maximum power output of . The GTS was also the first Viper to receive airbags. In 1997 and 1998 model years the Viper would continue to receive minor updates. The GTS would get second-generation airbags, revised exhaust manifolds, and a revised camshaft for 1997, and the RT/10 would gain a power increase up to for 1998. Lighter hypereutectic pistons and factory frame improvements were made for the Viper in 2000, as well as another camshaft revision. The lighter pistons, being of cast construction, are not able to safely withstand high levels of
forced induction In an internal combustion engine, forced induction is where turbocharging or supercharging is used to increase the density of the intake air. Engines without forced induction are classified as naturally aspirated. Operating principle Ove ...
compared to the earlier forged pistons. This difference has led to enthusiasts sometimes referring to the 2000-02 model years as "creampuff cars". In 2001, the Viper was equipped with an
anti-lock braking system An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a Automotive safety, safety anti-Skid (automobile), skid Brake, braking system used on aircraft and on land motor vehicle, vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing t ...
as well as revised front brakes. Colors would vary throughout the second generation. Dodge would offer three or four colors per model year. Some colors such as steel gray were only offered for one model year (MY2000) while other colors such as red were offered during the entire second generation. Interior colors and wheel options would also vary throughout the second generation. The 1999 model year introduced the
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"Cognac" interior option. The cobalt blue color of the Dodge Viper GTS seen in the
Viper (TV series) ''Viper'' is an American action-adventure television series about a special United States task force set up by the federal government to fight crime in the fictional city of Metro City, California, that is perpetually under siege from one crime ...
was exclusively available to the series. Stripes would be an option beginning in 1996. The GTS stripes were larger, fuller stripes than the stripes offered on the 1996 RT/10. The GTS had twin stripes (8 inches wide with a 4-inch gap in between) that ran from the front bumper all the way through the rear bumper. 1996 was the only model year in which the stripes would run through the rear license plate area. Stripes on later models would run from front to rear but did not run through the rear license plate area.


Performance testing

''
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'' test results in December 1997: *0-: 1.6 sec *0-: 4.3 sec *0-: 6.6 sec *0-: 9.1 sec *0-: 13.5 sec *0-: 12.4 sec @ 115.0 mph *: 11.9 sec


Special editions


ACR

The Viper ACR was introduced in 1999, as an optional performance package. The package included a revised air intake, deletion of the air conditioning and
Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...
audio system, adjustable suspension, and a supplemental five-point restraint system. The car also included unique one-piece forged-aluminum 18-inch BBS wheels along with interior updates and power windows. Air conditioning and an audio system could be added as part of the optional Comfort Group package. Power output of 460 hp (343 kW; 466 PS) and 500 lb⋅ft (678 N⋅m) for all ACR models.


GT2 Champion Edition

In order to commemorate the car's
1997 FIA GT Championship The 1997 FIA GT Championship was the inaugural season of FIA GT Championship, an auto racing series endorsed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). The FIA GT Championshi ...
GT2 class win, Dodge built the Viper GT2 Champion Edition (also incorrectly referred as GTS-R due to adapting many of the race car's visual features), a special edition taking the name of its racing counterpart's class. The V10 engine in the GT2 model was rated at a power output of and . The bodywork was made similar to that of the
Chrysler Viper GTS-R The Chrysler Viper GTS-R (also known as the Dodge Viper GTS-R when raced in North America) was a successful race car, racing variant of the Dodge Viper developed in conjunction with Chrysler of North America, Oreca of France and Reynard Motorsp ...
, including the colors, aerodynamics package, and visual design in order to publicize the Viper's motorsport achievement. 100 cars were produced. Contrary to popular belief, the car was not built to meet any homologation requirements, as the race car came first.


Motorsport

In 1996, Dodge constructed a race car along with
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racing team
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and
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racing team
Oreca ORECA (Organisation Exploitation Compétition Automobiles) is a French auto racing, racing team and race car constructor, founded in 1973 and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives, AGS. Or ...
for GT class in LeMans called the Viper GTS-R. The result would end up in a race car that would race 12 years in motorsport with 163 wins in 262 races completed. The car was unveiled in the same year at the
IMSA GT Championship IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada. History The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill ...
, with racing team Canaska Southwind. Competing in the GTS-1 class (the highest of classes at the time), its first race was at the
24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...
, with a finish at the 29th position. It would fare much better in the following races, finishing at 12th position at the
12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race for Sports car racing, sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in S ...
. The team would switch to GTS-2 afterwards however, after achieving no further improvements. Oreca and Canaska Southwind entered the
24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...
, with three of the four entrants finishing the race, the Canaska Southwind car performing the best at the 10th place. Both teams would return to their respective series, Oreca concluding the year with an eighth place at
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in West Kingsdown, Kent, England, United Kingdom. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently hosts ...
, ninth at
Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
, and sixth at
Nogaro Nogaro (; Gascon: ''Nogaròu'') is a commune in the Gers department, Southwestern France. It is the site of a distillery of Armagnac brandy. Geography The commune is bordered by six other communes: Caupenne-d'Armagnac to the northwest, ...
in the
BPR Global GT Series The BPR Global GT Series (sometimes referred to as the BPR Global GT Endurance Series or simply abbreviated as BPR) was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997. The ...
, and Canaska Southwind concluding their season second in class at
Mosport Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport Park and Mosport International Raceway) is a multi- track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville in Clarington, Ontario, Canada, approximately 75 kilometers (47 miles) east of Toronto. The ...
and sixth overall. For 1999 and 2000, Oreca expanded greatly, racing in both the
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and
FIA GT Championship The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...
series respectively, earning them nine wins, one of them won by a racing team ran by
Paul Belmondo Paul Alexandre Belmondo (born 23 April 1963) is a French actor and racing driver who raced in Formula One for the March and Pacific Racing teams. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, the son of actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and grand ...
. Oreca would win the championships. Meanwhile, at the FIA GT Championship, a team named Chamberlain had improved to finish second overall. Oreca would go on to win their second consecutive win later at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the top six positions in every class being taken by various GTS-Rs driven by Oreca and other teams. Oreca would leave the series in 1999, in favour of the ALMS, leaving the privateers to race there. The remaining Viper racing teams were still competitive with four race wins, but they would lose to the Lister racing teams, and their
Lister Storm The Lister Storm was a homologated GT racing car manufactured by British low-volume automobile manufacturer Lister Cars with production beginning in 1993. Road car The Storm used the largest V12 engine fitted to a production road car since ...
race cars, with them winning five races. The GTS-R would make its first appearance in the
FFSA GT Championship The FFSA GT Championship (''Championnat de France FFSA GT'') is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is the main event of the ''Championnat de France des Circuits'' (formerly called ''Super Série FFSA'' an ...
, and would see the first overall win for
Zakspeed Zakspeed () is a motor racing team from Germany, founded in 1968 by Erich Zakowski and then run by his son Peter Zakowski. It is based in Niederzissen, Rhineland-Palatinate, around from the Nürburgring circuit. The team was, together with th ...
in the
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. The three other teams DDO, ART, and MMI teams would win a total of eight victories. In 2003, the winning ways of the GTS-R would fade away, as the dominance of the
Prodrive Prodrive is an England, English motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. History Prodrive was founded in 1984 by Ian Parry and David Richards (motorsport executive), David Richards. Prodrive sold its 51% s ...
-built Ferrari 550 GTS race cars would rise. 2004 oversaw the Viper GTS-R begin to phase out, and the car would eventually diminish entirely from competition by 2007 and 2008. A modified Dodge Viper GTS-ACR driven by Greg Crick under the team Crickcars.com entered the 2006 Australian GT Championship and won the series, with 713 points in total.


Gallery

File:Dodge Viper GTS - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (2).jpg, Rear view (GTS) File:Dodge Viper 2002 GTS Engine LakeMirrorClassic 17Oct09 (14413963389).jpg, 8.0-liter V10 engine File:ViperGTS-R STT Schrey HH2010.JPG, Chrysler Viper GTS-R


References

{{Dodge timeline 1980 to date Viper SR II Sports cars Cars introduced in 1995 Cars discontinued in 2002