Spy Photos: 2013 Dodge Viper Caught Testing its New Face

How could they forget the fangs? . . . the inset grill gives it a little bit of a Ralph Wiggum mouth but I'm sure once it's unmasked the full design will blend that out.

If Dodge made a really wide Corvette does that mean Ferrari made a really ugly Corvette with the 599?

rear tail lights has not change. I love those wide rear tires WOW.

Abarth 500 in the first pic looks nice.

I just really hope they kept the v10 engine that is really what made the viper so special. Especially for an American car.

bassrockerx

That was my first thought but now I'm not sure. It's a low volume engine (no truck version anymore) and I can't see them spending much developing it.

I'd almost prefer they use the SRT Hemi and make the car lighter. It's a great engine and I'd love to see it in a 3000 lb sports car rather then 4000 to 5500lb muscle cars and trucks.

@firstwagon. The aluminum viper engine has always been completely different from the iron truck engine from which it was derived. Why would you want to use an Iron block hemi with wide-ass heads and a high c.o.g when the LA V-10 in the viper already made 125 more hp in the Gen IV?

Wow! A beige Cavalier! And a Compass!

kdaviper

I know the block for the Viper V10 is aluminum but at least at first it was built in the same production plant as all the other LA motor. I just checked and in 2001 it was moved to the plant where the Viper is built so it will now have it's own production line.

Because it now shares no components or tooling with any other Chrysler engine it is a very expensive engine to build. If they used the corporate Hemi motor then the cost would be much lower as it is spread through many platforms.

That would allow more money for developing the engines. Imagine an aluminum block for the 6.4 V8.

The Jeep GC there is an SRT.

Hope they don't drift too far away from the design roots of the previous viper, tho given their new company backing, i'd say its in great hands.

"Because it now shares no components or tooling with any other Chrysler engine it is a very expensive engine to build."

Don't be so sure of yourself.

The 4.7L V-8 which shares components with the 3.7L V-6 is more expensive to build than the 5.7L V-8.

There's a lot of silver cars in that top pic.

"Don't be so sure of yourself.

The 4.7L V-8 which shares components with the 3.7L V-6 is more expensive to build than the 5.7L V-8."

How many cars/ trucks do the 3.7/4.7 go into anymore?... and what do they have to do with the 8.0 V10?

I've spent far too much time working in production/ manufacturing. Low volume products like the last remaining LA engine (and the lowest volume version of them all) are extremely costly to build.

They can do way better for a fraction of the price,

I also like the look of the first one best

I hope they stay faithful to the past 2 gens. Although the first gen Viper (especially in ACR-spec) was my fav as well.

I hope they keep the V10. Yes its expensive and heavy, but that's what keeps the car something special. They could use the 6.4, and yes it would probably be cheaper/lighter/faster, but not as unique.

I'd like to wait to see the finished product. You can't tell anything from these photos other than the front end is warmed-over. Whoopee..

That's a lot of holes in that there hood.

As for the V10, do they still make the Ram SRT-10? That used the viper V-10, and I think is still in production.

1st gen Viper was such a good looking car 2nd gen was ugly. Lets hope this looks more like the original.

It looks like a Dodge version of a Corvette. They should've gone farther with the design language.

We all know that Viper is Shelby Cobra inspired (big engine, light body - Muscle car idea),
but this v10 is curiosum, even it makes this car unique ...

I belive 6,4 HEMI , and 6,4 HEMI Supercharged + loosing weight should be enough ...

.. and I hope the design will not be "Ferrari inspired" (ugly / korean - > this is the way GM did quite harm Corvette :) ..

We all know that Viper is Shelby Cobra inspired (big engine, light body - Muscle car idea),
but this v10 is curiosum, even it makes this car unique ...

I belive 6,4 HEMI , and 6,4 HEMI Supercharged + loosing weight should be enough ...

.. and I hope the design will not be "Ferrari inspired" (ugly / korean - > this is the way GM did quite harm Corvette :) ..

First off, let's clarify a few things.

1) The Viper V10 isn't based off the truck V10. Nor vice versa. The Viper engine came first. The truck engine after.

2) They do share components. The Viper's engine just uses an aluminum block and has high CR internals for sporting use, rather than work use like the truck's engine. And they have exactly the same dimensions.

3) They are both based off the design of the 360 V8. That's why the original Viper concept had a V8.

4) The Viper engine is NOT heavy. It's is actually a quite lightweight, compact design, thanks to it being an OHV layout. It's a common misconception that big displacement = big/heavy engine. This is simply no the case. Pushrod engines are narrower, lighter, and shorter than OHC engines. With less parts, and smaller dimensions, you get less weight. This is why the GM LSx engines are such commone swaps. Despite their displacement, they're very compact and light. FD gen RX7's w/ LS swaps actually weigh about the same as they do w/ the 13B rotary engine.

The absolute LAST thing the Viper needs is the Hemi. What a stupid idea. This is way too high caliber and expesive of a car to use the Hemi. The Hemi uases an iron block. One strike. It's found in $30K sedans. Two strikes. And needs forced induction to be competitve in the market segment. Three strikes.

The Viper should stick w/ a V10. Whether they update the current one, or go w/ a clean-sheet design, either would work. It needs to keep the V10, because that's what it started w/, it's one of it's prime characteristics, it's a bespoke engine layout, and it's just plan badass. The best sounding production engines in the world are V10's. I would personally like to see a ~6.0 DOHC V10 that revved to at least 7 grand and made 650-700hp. Refine the chassis (a little) and interior (a lot) and up the tech just enough to keep it competitive. In short, a cheap LFA-lite would be nice.

a1c_scg, that makes sense. In order to fit an OHC motor in there, they'd have to dome the hood. Can you imagine the height with a top mounted supercharger?

Viper should always be V10 powered but I see no problem with a V8 powered base model to go head to head with the Corvette Z06 in both price and performance. Chrysler has an aluminum block 6.4L through Mopar Performance I believe, and adopting this block for use in the Viper would likely save at least 50 lbs off the V10's approximately 580 lb dressed weight. I would also like to see the V10 reworked to allow it to rev to around 7000- theres likely another 50 or 60 horses available up there and historically that is how the Vipers power output has increased over the years- more revs. First Gen had 400 @ 4600, then 450 @ 5200, 500 @ 5600, and 600 @ 6100. I would think that that will be Ferrari's involvement, if any, in the development of the new Viper. Assuming they drop 100-150 lbs with an aluminum chassis, the V10 with more revs and 650+hp should have no problem outrunning ZR1's and just about anything from Europe this side of an Aventador or Bugatti.

@a1c_scg, Thank you for saving me the trouble.

I would also like to add, the current Hemis are fairly big (Physically wide) engines. There heads are huge compared to the LA block engines. My bets the viper engine weighs less than tyhe current Iron Block hemis, and even possibly the Aluminium Mopar one.

Another think to remember is Fiat's MultiAir system. From what I remember the entire Hemi would have to be recasted in order to adapt it to the engine. From what I remember the Viper engine would be a lot more adaptable to the MultiAir system.

Yes the Hemi's, for OHV engines, are fairly wide. But so is the new Viper. Height would be the main problem in installing the new 6.4L Hemi in a low car like the Viper. Dry sump oiling system anyone? The Z06 has one after all.

@ copmotor440-

Now I agree w/ you, there would be nothing wrong w/ a V8 base Viper to compete w/ the Corvette. It just can't be the only engine.

And I would still prefer them make something along the lines of the Chrysler Firepower or the old Dodge Copperhead to compete w/ the Corvette. If they did that, then they'd be able to offer an even cheaper base model of it, w/ perhaps a good six, or boosted four and manual trans in a pretty light package.

Other than that, I agree, a redline of 7 grand or a little more would be nice. And w/ some good suspension/chassis tuning and good rubber, it shouldn't have too much trouble making use of 650hp or so. The Viper has always been very tractable for such a powerful car.

Firepower and/or Copperhead would be awesome- maybe they could put the next gen Challenger on the same platform to lower costs and finally cut some of it's excess weight out. A 3500-3700 lb 6.4L Challenger would be quite a wild ride- assuming they could preserve the proportions of the current car in a smaller package.

@jadotch

I believe the iron block 5.7L Hemi is almost identical in weight to the aluminum block Viper V10- about 560-580 lbs dressed. The iron block/head truck V10 was near 800 lbs- about the heaviest power plant this side of a Cummins diesel that I am aware of in recent memory. Chevrolets LS-series engines are just under 500 lbs I believe and an aluminum block 6.4L Hemi should be only slightly heavier than that-figure 500-520 lbs due to the larger two-plug heads and VCT system. Either way a Hemi V8 Viper would likely be lighter, cheaper to produce, and based on the prodigious power/torque curve of the 6.4L Hemi, not too much slower than the old 8.4L model. Throw a dual-clutch transmission into the mix (as has been rumored) and the 6.4L may even be quicker than the old V10. Buyers should have the option of the old TR6060 6-speed as well, and perhaps even keep the V10 model stick only to preserve its brutal reputation.

Well, the ZR1MAN is back! After a brief hiatus I am happy to resume my colorful but politically correct comments.

Now as far as the Viper is concerned I ask why? Just get a ZR1. Corvettes have been continually manufactured since the 1950s. Can the same be said about the Viper? One year they make them and the next they don't. And now it looks like the are coming back. But for what?

Be cool, own a Vette

EVERYONE has a vette though. I've only seen a handful of Vipers. For every Viper, there's easily another 5 or 10 vettes.

zr1man

Your jabs at the Viper seem a little reserved- do I sense some intimidation here? Fact is that the Viper has outperformed every Corvette iteration available in 16 of the 18 model years it has been available (The 2006-07 Z06s the only exceptions). The new ZR1 came out as Viper production ramped down and I would be very surprised if the new Viper did not handily outperform the ZR1 as well. No problem here with Corvettes- I Love em (cheap plastic and all)- but all Corvette has on the Viper is history (as in longer- not more successful or illustrious).