Dodge Viper GTS The Viper team had five goals in common while developing the Dodge Viper GTS. Reduce weight, which they did, removing a hefty 69 pounds. Improve weight distribution. Improve on the car's aerodynamics. Increase power and performance. And most of all, meet the 1997 safety standards. The Viper team had quite a task in front of them -- converting one of the wildest production sports cars on the planet into coupe form. The GTS is rendered in the same resin-transfer-molded plastic as the roadster, the coupe's twin-humped roof, rear-spoiler ducktail, and aluminum fuel-filler cap are intended to evoke memories of the mid-1960s Cobra Daytona Coupe. Despite any visual similarities between the 1996 RT/10 roadster and the GTS coupe, the two cars share few body pieces. Although the GTS bulges with cartoon-like musculature, the coupe's coefficient of drag was reduced from the RT/10's brick-like 0.55 to the now aerodynamic 0.35 of the GTS coupe. The front to rear weight proportion is still a 49/51 percent distribution. Powering the GTS coupe is an aluminum 8.0-liter, pushrod V-10 engine. This monster has a redline of 6000 rpm. Maximum horsepower is 450 bhp at 5200 rpm. There is 490 pound-feet of torque at 3700 rpm. The GTS's engine provides rear-wheel drive, while it is front-mounted. For safety reasons, Michelin concurred with the Viper team that a bit more understeer was necessary in the coupe and designed the custom Pilot MXX3s accordingly. Indeed, in a constant-radius corner, where the GTS can generate 0.96 g of grip, it's understeer city. But tail-out antics are still just a quick prod of the throttle (or brakes) away, and the transitions are smooth and controllable. The Viper GTS is the fastest production car that is legal in the US, with a top speed of 177 mph. The GTS will complete the standing quarter mile in a brief 12.3 seconds at 115 mph. Zero to sixty miles per hour is a breezy 4.0 seconds. Breaking from 70 mph to zero takes a distant 172 feet. The EPA projects that in the city the Viper GTS will get 13 mpg and out on the highway it should get 21 mpg. For the GTS's $72,830 base price, air conditioning, power door locks with remote entry and alarm, and an Alpine AM/FM-stereo/cassette/CD player are standard. But forget about automatic climate control, cruise control, power seats, or even a remote hatch release, and don't think about an automatic transmission or anti-lock brakes. There simply aren't any options. How much of a monster is the Dodge Viper GTS? Well, how many cars do you know that have a 96 inch wheel base.
