NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: SRT Viper

Meet the 2013 SRT Viper, an extreme performance car that waves goodbye to the Dodge badge and says hello to a modern take on the archetypal American muscle car.

The iconic American sports car, based around the image of a venomous snake, was arguably the highlight of the New York Motor Show, attracting massive crowds far larger than any other vehicle on display. Yes, even the Terrafugia flying car...

In addition to a powerful new V10 aluminium-alloy engine that bangs out 477kW/814Nm, or 640hp in the old money, the new six-speed manual SRT Viper gets plenty of first-time features, such as cruise control, launch control and a four-stage stability control system. The stratospheric 814Nm of torque generated from the Viper's OHV 8.4-litre (512ci) V10 also gives the vehicle the highest torque output of any naturally aspirated production engine in the world.

Brakes are Brembo all round, mated to 355mm rotors, while the wheels are 18-inch front, 19-inch rear, shod with Pirelli P Zero rubber measuring a whopping 295/30 at the front and 355/30 at the rear. "When this thing sinks its claws into the ground it sticks like glue," said Ralph Gilles, CEO of SRT.

Motoring.com.au spoke to Gilles (pictured, kissing the car) in New York during the launch of the car and he explained the vehicle could come to Australia, but that it was unlikely in the short term. The Viper is due to arrive in American dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2012, but a right-hand drive (RHD) version is not on the cards just yet.

Gilles explained that to green light a RHD Viper would require "...the English market, Japan and Australia to vote for volumes.

"It's a very expensive proposition [to engineer a RHD Viper] because the engine is offset for weight distribution when the driver's in the car. We offset the engine about 40mm, 45mm, so it would be quite a herculean task to do it in mirror image," he said.

"It's possible - there's nothing precluding it - it's just a huge investment."

You may have noticed a subtle Italian influence about the car - for instance the Ferrari-inspired headlights and Maserati-esque brake lights.

The American coupe also gets premium Sabelt sports seats, the same items used in modern day Ferraris. It would appear that Fiat-Chrysler group boss Sergio Marchionne had more than a passing interest in the new Viper.

The decision to ditch the Dodge badge for this vehicle was also an important one, as Gilles told motoring.com.au: "It was a decision the management team made, Sergio [Marchionne], myself and the rest of the team voted on it and we said it deserves its own thing. And it's working."

The American sports car will be built in Detroit, but as Gilles revealed, Italian platforms were considered: "We did look at some platforms from Italy, I'll be honest, but the proportions weren’t exactly what we were looking for. So we decided to kinda stick with what we had. So we took the current frame and completely reengineered it - it's all high strength steel."

So while most of the car is all-new, the platform is not but SRT has managed to make the car 50 per cent stiffer than its predecessor. It also features a clamshell reverse opening bonnet.

The two-door super coupe has also had a major interior rework, and is now finished with higher quality materials, a modern touch-screen infotainment system and a flashing 'Viper' in lieu of traditional shift lights.

"This vehicle will be built in Detroit," continued Gilles, "However we did consult with our friends from Ferrari and Maserati because they're awesome at building beautiful low volume cars. Now we're working with the same suppliers that supply Ferrari in terms of the seats and some of the leather.

"[It] gives Viper the extra bit of magic it never really had," he said.

The Viper extreme performance car represents a shift to a higher quality production process for SRT, and there could even be a smaller, more agile version of the Viper in the works.

"I can't talk about future product," said Gilles, "but I think having this as a halo product opens up a lot of possibilities. If you can get the brand to be respected and recognised around the world, who knows?"

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