Dodge Viper to strike in Australia?

The venerable Valiant still has a place in the hearts' of many Australian's and, while Chrysler disappeared for while, the company re-entered the Australian market more recently in 1994 with the Jeep Cherokee.

Since then, the Chrysler-Jeep group has slowly added more models overs the years, such as the Grand Cherokee, Voyager and Jeep Wrangler.

Today, the automaker offers three brands in Australia, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge. Strangely, no Dodge's are yet available here, depsite the company indicating that it has opened the Dodge garage.

Chrysler in Australia has been toying with idea of bringing out the rather large two-door Dodge Viper, and if you were to ask us, we'd have to say, hypothetically, that's it's almost guaranteed to make it over here within the next 12 months.

To this end, we've decided to leave a doing a write-up on the current model Viper, and instead look at the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10, which will be on sale in the US in August.

For 2003 those living in America, or rich enough to splurge on importation and right-hand drive mods, can check out what is arguably one of the most powerful production cars ever built.

You could even call it America's own exotic sportscar, but it's about as far removed from a Ferrari as you can get. Less of scalpel and more of meat cleaver, if you will.

The outgoing model is worth some 335kW, but the upcoming 2003 model revision boosts power significantly. The new Viper creates mammoth amounts of power using a naturally aspirated engine.

The outgoing model had an 8.0-litre mill, or a 7990cc capacity, to be precise, whereas the new SRT-10 has boosted capacity to around 8.3-litres.

In old-school lingo, you'd be driving around in a five-oh-six. 506.5 cubic inches of displacement, that is. For 2003, the engine is almost all-new, and features a much improved cold air intake system.

The new intake system, plus a return to the funky-looking side-mount exhausts, make for a fairly hefty power increase. Power is up from 335kW @ 5200rpm to 373kW @ 5600rpm. If you like your vehicles dangerously fast, this is for you.

The all-aluminium (or aluminum, as Americans say it) engine comprises a V10 configuration, with pushrod actuated overhead valves, as opposed to camshafts, and has a redline of 6100rpm.

Maximum torque is simply mind-blowing: how does 680Nm of torque sound? This occurs at a very low 4600rpm, which comes in handy when you pull up to the lights and David Coulthard demands a street race after rocking up in his 600kW Mercedes-McLaren Formula One Car.

The 2002 Viper can clock the 0-100km/h sprint in about 4.2 seconds, while the 2003 serpent is expected to shave a few tenths of a second off that and complete the dash in roughly 3.9 seconds.

With 20-valves, or one intake and exhaust valve for each cylinder, the electronically fuel-injected 8275cc will complete the quarter mile in 12.0 seconds.

It has a top speed of over 310km/h (just in case you wanted to play tag with a Boeing) and although it will guzzle the fuel, it has been designed to meet America's now stringent emmissions restrictions.

Putting almost 400kW of power to the ground via the rear wheels ain't easy, and if you're Old Man was hoping for an automatic SRT-10, tell him he's dreamin'. The transmission fluid would overheat in no time, in the process destroying the gearbox, which is why the car is only available with a heavy duty Tremec T-56, six-speed manual 'box.

From engine to driveline, driveline to wheels, one of our favourite aspects of the new Viper are the fancy shoes it wears. Not so much tyres as rubber-coated alloy barrels, the 18-inch wheels up front are big: 275/35ZR18s. Think that's big? How about the gargantuan 19-inch rear wheels, shod with 345/30ZR19s. It's fatness personified.

Italian Brembo brakes sit inside all four wheels and together with a new ABS system ensure the '03 Viper can be tamed. Tosional rigidity has also been increased, as has the wheelbase, by almost 60mm. Interestingly, the new-look 2003 Viper was designed by Osamu Shikado.

This fella used to work for Toyota and came up with Corolla and Camry exteriors. The new Viper is definitely a head-turner, with the central bonnet scoop and pushed-back vents combining with the new headlight cluster to give the front end real menace.

Early reports from America-land are giving the new SRT-10 a big thumbs up, some saying it feels immeasurably more composed than its twitchy, fish-tailing precursor. It's a little bit lighter, by about 20-odd kay-gees and the interior is more roomy and more professionally finished.

And here's a tidbit for the fans: Dodge is even considering plonking the SRT-10's 680Nm, 8.3-litre donk into a Dodge Ram, essentially a 'pick-up truck'. Now that would be fun.

Will the 2003 SRT-10 Dodge Viper make its way to Australia? That's a good question, and one that hinges on whether or not Chrysler decides to bring out the 2002 model Viper in the next 12 months. To our minds, we reckon there would be a huge market for such a hugely powerful V10. The two-seater roadster goes on sale in the US in August 2002 for about $US73,000, or locally $131,000.

While Chrysler's record in the Australian auto market is patchy at best, introducing the deadly Viper would be a great way to boost interest in the brand. We'll have a full run-down on the local-spec Viper if and when it arrives.