Slightly refining the snake's venomous bite are standard four-wheel disc ABS, an ACR option group with air conditioning and a CD player, and an internal trunk. New Race Yellow or Deep Sapphire Blue exterior hues are offered.
Designed to be the modern incarnation of the Cobra, Viper debuted at the 1989 North American International Auto Show in Detroit as a show car. Enough people wrote to Chrysler requesting street versions that plans for production of the rakish roadster were set into motion soon thereafter. Viper was introduced for public sale in 1992, and became the darling of the automotive press, not to mention high-profile stars like Jay Leno and Kelsey Grammer (who flipped his).
A preview of things to come from Chrysler, the success of the Viper revitalized a company that many thought wouldn't last through the middle of this decade. It also paved the way for future concept-car-turned-production-car models, including the Plymouth Prowler and Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Dodge introduced the GTS Coupe midway through 1996. The 8.0-liter V10 was substantially reworked, featuring a new block, new heads, shorter cooling jackets and a revised sump. These changes resulted in a 35-horsepower jump, bringing peak numbers to 450 horsepower and 490 foot-pounds of torque. Overall, the revised motor, found in both the coupe and roadster versions, is 85 pounds lighter than the one in the original RT/10.