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| The Chrysler group of companies are responsible, I think, for the proliferation of concept cars at recent motor shows. I know, concept cars have been around as long as motor shows themselves. However, Chrysler has found a new successful formula. First of all, show the public a stunning, often outrageous concept car, apparently intended as a show car only. Then, produce the thing, almost untouched!!! Madness. However, the big guys at Chrysler have seen their risk pay off. Big time. |
Photograph provided by Chrysler UK
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| The list of concept cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Eagle, etc. is longer than my two arms, but the list of concept-to-production is far from meaningless. Consider the popular (in the States) Neon - that began as a concept to show off the Orbital 2-stroke engine and soon became a mainstream vehicle. Most obviously however, has been the untainted transition from concept to reality of the Dodge Viper. The concept car wowed the Detroit Show visitors with its outageous proportions, massive wheels and obvious snake-like features. Little was changed for the production car. This car has been available even in the UK - such is the demand for an extrovert sports car. Others include the Plymouth Prowler hot-rod and the crazy PT Cruiser. Chrysler must be congratulated on their audacity! That brings me to the Car of the Week - the Viper GTS. | |
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Now, you may be surprised that I chose the coupe version of the Viper, as the original concept was a speedster. The reasons will soon become clear. First off, the GTS was also a concept car. It was created on a small budget as upper management had not really considered the idea in seriousness. Until the reaction to the show car showed just how much the world ached for something a little different to the usual Porsche or Corvette. They inevitably put it into production - unchanged. |
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Photograph provided by Chrysler UK
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The distinctive double-bubble roof, massive, polished alloy wheels, duck-tail rear spoiler and outrageous racing paintwork were all retained. However, the GTS turned out to have quite a different character to the roadster. The coupe body adds rigidity to the structure, which therefore improves on the refinement of the open-top Viper. This makes for a more mature drive, but far from boring! Adding to the ambience is standard air conditioning and a nicer interior. More importantly perhaps is the improved handling and ride combination, in comparison to the ultra-rigid roadster. This is far more than a Viper with a roof though - 90% of the car is new. |
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The awesome 8.0-litre V10 engine has been extensively modified, the result being a lighter unit, producing even more power. You may need to sit down for the figures: 282kW of power and a whopping 615Nm of tarmac-shredding torque!!! Now, think about this in a curvy coupe with a drag figure much lower than the roadster (0.39 vs 0.5) and you will begin to understand that this is a very serious supercar - not just a plaything for the rich. 0-60mph is reached in only 4.5 seconds (the McLaren F1 does in 3.5) and top speed is said to be over 170mph. Just don't try and do that without being seen!
The GTS was instantly a success, with more than 6000 sold by May 1997. The Viper is already a cult car. In the States in particular, the owners regularly meet up for Viper-days! Here in the UK, the car is sold as the Chrysler Viper, as the Dodge name can not be used. Not that that could detract from such a car. The Viper has done more for the marketing of the Chrysler brands than any ad campaign could ever achieve. You wonder then why they insist on racing the thing. That's right - GT racing is made all the more exciting by the addition of these outlandish looking machines, mixing it with McLaren F1s, Porsche 911s etc. There should be a few at Le Mans this year too. Is this another trend that Chrysler will start? Concept-to-production-to-racer. |
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