2008 - 2009 Dodge Viper cars: up to 600 horsepower

For 2008, the Dodge Viper SRT will use an 8.4-liter aluminum V-10 engine that produces a full 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque. 0-60 times are under four seconds, 0-100-0 in under 12 seconds, and braking 60-0 comes in less than 100 feet. See how Dodge Vipers are built! ... See the new ACR model!

For “extended 2009” models (no 2010 Viper was in the press book), there will be four new exterior colors, will be used: GTS Blue Clear Coat, Snakeskin Green Pearl Coat, Viper Race Yellow Clear Coat, VOI X Edition Silver Clear Coat. New features include Premium Tan Interior Package, Nappa leather seats with perforated centers, black and tan two-tone trim, and a tan canvas convertible top (roadster only).

oh20 reported that the 2008 Viper Coupe and Convertible both averaged over 200 mph around the Transportation Research Center’s 7.5 mile oval test track in Ohio. The convertible even averaged 197 mph with the top down. Both have similar drag (aerodynamic) numbers, according to representatives of the SRT team.

The invoice price on the 2009 Viper SRT10 Coupe was $82,989 for the base car, which had an MSRP of $89,340; Customer Preferred Package 21B added $12,060 (MSRP $13,550). The gas guzzler tax adds $1,751 to the cost but Chrysler seems to subsidize that, charging owners a rounded-down $1,700. The destination charge of $930 is the same for the dealer and the buyer.

SRT powertrain engineers had to not only increase performance, but also comply with regulatory requirements such as federal Tier 2, Bin 5 and California’s Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) 2 mandates. Working with specialists from McLaren Performance Technologies and Ricardo, Inc., SRT engineers began by following the racer’s basic formula for more power: bigger displacement, more efficient breathing and higher engine speed.

The new Dodge Viper SRT10’s deep-skirted V-10 aluminum engine block was bored out 1 mm, raising the displacement to 8.4 liters from 8.3 liters. With strengthened bulkheads and improved water jackets for better cooling, the block includes pressed-in iron cylinder liners and cross-bolted main bearing caps for strength and durability.

Horsepower didn't come only from the engine, the use of a plastic hood allowed engineers to increase the airflow through the hood scoop; openings along each side are not just for show, but to circulate air within the engine compartment, to keep power going with a warm engine. It also lowered weight and helped keep the Viper costs down. Other body panels are also plastic, and carbon fiber is used for some structural parts to keep weight down.

The Viper SRT10’s 8.4-liter engine breathes through new cylinder heads equipped with Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC)-shaped combustion chambers, larger valves and Variable Valve Timing (VVT). VVT electronically adjusts when the exhaust valves are open and closed according to engine speed and load, allowing the engine to “breathe” cleaner and more efficiently.

The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 V-10’s two-piece intake manifold combines a cast aluminum lower with smooth runners for better air flow, bolted to a die-cast aluminum upper plenum. A revised air-cleaner box with a low-restriction filter sends air through a dual electronic throttle control into the intake module.

The air-fuel mixture is ignited by platinum-tip spark plugs fired by individual plug coils mounted on the cylinder-head covers. The pistons themselves are equipped with larger-diameter floating pins with bronze bushings for higher loads. Forged powder-metal connecting rods are secured with aircraft-quality fasteners for increased fatigue strength.

Engine lubrication is managed by a larger oil pump and a swinging oil pickup adapted from Viper competition engines, to improve oil pressure in high-rpm and hard-cornering conditions.

Spent gases exit through tubular air-gap headers, which improve exhaust flow and ensure quick catalyst light-off. The headers’ stamped stainless-steel outer shell acts as a thermal heat shield for the individual stainless-steel runners that contribute to better flow separation and exhaust tuning.

The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10’s V-10 channels its power through a new, smaller-diameter, twin-disc clutch (a change from the larger-diameter, single-disc setup). The new clutch reduces rotating inertia by 18 percent, resulting in reduced clutch-pedal effort and improved engagement feel.

The TR6060 transmission is the latest evolution of the Tremec T56 six-speed manual. It features 10% wider gears for higher torque capacity, and a new synchronizer package. A new shifter system results in reduced shifter travel. There is also now a provision for adding an external transmission cooler.

2008 Viper braking, ride, and handling

14-inch brake rotors are gripped by Brembo 44/40 dual opposing piston calipers in the front and by Brembo 42/38 dual opposing calipers in the rear. Anti-lock braking (ABS) prevents lockup during hard braking. This system results in a benchmark braking performance of 60-to-0 mph in less than 100 feet.

The ride and handling of the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is defined by a race-bred, fully independent, four-wheel suspension featuring lightweight, high-performance aluminum control arms and knuckles, damped by lightweight coil-over shock absorbers. SRT engineers retained the tried-and-true Dana M44-4 rear axle and outfitted it with a new GKN Visco-Lok speed-sensing limited-slip differential for improved traction.

The Dodge Viper SRT10 rides on polished, forged aluminum, 18 x 10-inch front and 19 x 13-inch rear wheels now available in three styles: the five-spoke, the H-spoke and the all-new Razor wheel with five U-shaped spokes. The wheels are clad in Michelin® Pilot® Sport PS2 tires. The four-groove tread-design tires provide maximum grip, reduced road noise and superior handling in both wet and dry conditions.

2008 Dodge Viper styling and bodies

The new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 will arrive in North America this summer with four new interior color combinations, and a new wheel design. Buyers can now choose the bezel finishes on the center instrument panel and console.

The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is still available in Roadster and Coupe forms. Both feature a new hood with a larger, more efficient hood scoop for air induction and larger, functional hood louvers to cool the 600-horsepower V-10 engine underneath.

Eight exterior colors will be introduced throughout the model year – five of which are new - including Venom Red, Snakeskin Green, Viper Violet, Viper Orange and Bright Blue. Racing stripes continue to be an option with six dual painted stripe colors available: white, black, silver, graphite, blue and red.

In fact, the only body panels shared by the two Vipers are front fascia and fenders, hood and doors. However, the iconic Viper SRT10 design cues have been maintained, including the crosshair grille, deep-cut side scallops, swept-back fenders, and lowered hood lines.

The Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe’s hard top with its “double bubble” styling makes it more torsionally stiff than the Roadster; it has increased downforce and high-speed stability with its sloping roofline and deck-lid spoiler, as well as an additional 6.25 cubic feet of trunk space than the Viper SRT10 Roadster, for a total of 14.65 cubic feet. The roof and headliner structure offer more room to accommodate a safety cage, while maintaining as much headroom as possible.

The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Roadster and Coupe cockpit retains its characteristic red push-button starter and performance-oriented, functional instrument panel with center-mounted tachometer and 220-mph speedometer.

The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 will be hand-built at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit.

2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Safety and Security

The following safety and security technologies are featured on the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10:

• Adjustable Pedals
• Advanced Multistage Front Air Bags with Occupant Classification System (OCS): Inflates with a force appropriate to the severity of the impact. The OCS measures the conditions for activation or deactivation of the passenger side front air bag based upon the weight of the occupant
• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
• BeltAlert: Periodically activates a chime and illuminates an icon in the instrument cluster to remind the driver and front passenger to buckle up if a vehicle is driven without the driver being properly belted
• Center High-mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL): The shelf-mounted center high mounted stop lamp uses light emitting diodes (LEDs) for longer life

• Constant Force Retractors (CFR): Distribute force or load exerted on a seat belt, and then gradually release the seat belt webbing in a controlled manner
• Crumple Zones: Designed to compress during an accident to absorb energy, decreasing transfer of that energy to the occupants
• Energy-absorbing Steering Column: The manual-adjust steering column uses two hydroformed coaxial tubes that can move relative to each other to allow the column to move forward for enhanced energy absorption during a crash. The power-adjust steering column employs a calibrated bending element that deforms during column stroke for optimal energy management
• Interior Head-impact Protection: Interior pillars above the beltline and instrument panel – including areas around windshield and rear window headers, roof and side rail structures, and shoulder-belt turning loops – specifically designed to limit head-impact force
• Knee Bolsters: The lower instrument panel and the glove-box door are designed to properly position the occupant, enabling the air bags to work effectively
• Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
• Tire-pressure Monitoring (TPM): Pressure-sensor modules within the valve stems of all four wheels send continuous radio-frequency signals to a receiver, and the system informs occupants when the pressure is too low

Also see:

• First and second generation Dodge Viper.
• Third generation Dodge Viper overview
• Third generation Viper SRT-10 specifications
• Production notes
• 2006 Dodge Viper test drive

Dodge Vipers at Allpar

Ralph Gilles, head of Dodge, said in late 2009 the Dodge Viper will be back, with a V-10 derived from the current 8.4L engine; it will not contain Ferrari parts. Gilles said the Viper will always be V10 powered and that there might be a V8 powered sibling.

• Fourth generation: 2008-2010 (and ACR)
  • 2010 Dodge Viper ACR-X
  • The Dodge Viper ACR that broke the Nürburgring Nordschleife track record
• Third generation Dodge Viper
  • Third generation Viper SRT-10 specifications
  • 2006 Dodge Viper test drive
• Second generation (2002) Dodge Viper
• First generation Dodge Vipers
• Production notes: how Dodge Vipers are built
• Plastic and resin body parts
• The Conner Avenue Viper Assembly Plant (with photos of Viper cars in progress)

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