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The Dodge Viper is a super car manufactured by Dodge from 1988 through 2017 having taken a brief hiatus from 2010-2013. Production of the two-seat sports car began at New Mack Assembly in 1988 and moved to Conner Avenue Assembly in October 1995. The Viper was initially conceived in late 1988 at Chrysler's Advanced Design Studios. 85 engineers made up "Team Viper" with development beginning in March 1989. The team asked the then-Chrysler subsidiary Lamborghini to cast a prototype aluminum block for the sports car to use in May. The production body was completed in the fall, with a chassis prototype running in December. Though a V8 engine was first used in the test mule, the V10, which the production car was meant to use, was ready in February 1990. Official approval from Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca came in May 1990. One year later, Carroll Shelby piloted a pre-production car as the pace vehicle in the Indianapolis 500 race. In November 1991, the car was released to reviewers with first retail shipments beginning in January 1992.
The centerpiece of the car was its engine. Lamborghini, then owned by Chrysler Corporation, designed the V10 for the Viper by recasting the block and heads in an aluminum alloy, and was based on the Chrysler LA V8 engine. The engine weighs 711 lb and produces 400 bhp at 4600 rpm and 465 lb·ft at 3600 rpm, and thanks to the long-gearing allowed by the engine, provides fuel economy at a United States Environmental Protection Agency-rated 12 mpg‑US 20 mpg‑US highway. The body is a tubular steel frame with resin transfer molding fiberglass panels. It has a curb weight of 3,284 lb and lacks modern driver aids such as traction control and anti-lock brakes. It completes a quarter mile in 12.6 seconds and has a maximum speed of over 150 mph (240 km/h). Its large tires allow the car to average close to one lateral g in corners, placing it among the elite cars of its day. However, the car proves tricky to drive at high speeds, particularly for the unskilled.
This first issue of the Viper was one of the most anticipated kit releases in 1994. The AMT Dyersville manufacturing facility quickly ran out of the initial production run leaving many modelers wanting and many dealers upset as they could not even ship their pre-orders. AMT produced more and eventually satisfied the market. Now you can get in on the 1994 rush at a great price with a very well engineered modern tooling model kit.
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