2013 SRT Viper Shows Its Fangs at New York Auto Show

• 2013 SRT Viper re-appears after a three-model-year hiatus.
• Supercar gains luxury features, launch control and adjustable suspension
• SRT Viper is also more powerful, and lighter, than ever before.
• Viper is rebranded as an SRT halo car.

Why the Viper Matters

• The Viper has long defined Chrysler as its high performance model.
• The move from “race car for the street” to exotic, high tech platform is a significant departure for the 2013 SRT Viper
• Chrysler has a new reason to hold it’s head high.

2013 SRT Viper Debut: Notable Features 

• Revised V-10 engine.
• 50% stiffer platform
• Electronic multi-stage traction and stability control
• Up to 100 lbs lighter than previous generation (depending on configuration)
• Bilstein DampTronic Select adjustable shock absorbers.
• Launch control system.

 2013 SRT Viper Debut: Styling

The 2013 SRT Viper unveiled at the New York Auto Show moves away from the harsher angles of the most recent edition of the two-door sports car and instead embraces the more fluid lines of the first few generations of the car – including the return of the original Viper’s clamshell hood.  In profile and from the rear the SRT Viper looks remarkably like a late-90’s Dodge Viper GTS.  The front view of the automobile bears a more than passing resemblance to the styling cues favored by Chrysler’s Italian cousins Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, but it still manages to incorporate more than enough original Viper DNA.

Inside, the changes are more far-reaching as Chrysler has elected to evolve the Viper from track-day weapon to full-on luxury supercar.  Leather-coated surfaces abound, in-car entertainment has graduated from CD to multimedia and the vehicle’s gauge display makes use of a TFT screen that even comes with a center-mounted glowing red Viper logo in place of a shift light.

2013 SRT Viper Debut: Under The Hood

The 2013 SRT Viper retains a V-10 engine, and while displacement holds at 8.4-liters the all-aluminum unit has been massaged to produce 640 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque, which is a substantial improvement over the 2010 edition of the car.  A six-speed manual transmission is the only gearbox available with the Viper, but for the very first time the Viper forgoes its rough and dangerous image to embrace federally-mandated safety technologies such as electronic stability control.

2013 SRT Viper Debut: Competition

With so many improvements made with regard to comfort and convenience the 2013 SRT Viper could finally be poised to give the Chevrolet Corvette a run for its money as a daily-drivable supercar.  Other automobiles within reach of the Viper’s fangs include the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Lamborghini Gallardo.

2013 SRT Viper Debut: Why We Like It

The SRT Viper has always been the schoolyard bully of exotics, a beast that was difficult to tame and one that would bite inexperienced drivers should they run out of talent before the end of the braking zone.  The 2013 Viper amps up its venom but also polishes its image thanks to the inclusion of a plus interior and electronic nannies to help owners charm the snake through the curves.  It also doesn’t hurt that the SRT Viper shown off at the New York Auto Show is one of the most gorgeous designs to have left Chrysler in years.