By Tom Bell
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VIPER GTS COUPE
Like the Viper RT/10 before it, the Viper GTS Coupe was first introduced only as a concept car at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show, and like the Roadster it stole the show. In May of that year production was given the "green light" and just 34 months later in early 1996 the first cars started down the assembly line in Detroit. For the press launch in 1996 Chrysler took 18 blue/white striped GTS Coupes to the famous circuits of Spa, Nurburgring and Reims where the press and famous drivers of the past like Phil Hill, Brian Redman and Paul Freire could put them through their paces. The final day of the launch was marked by an impromptu parade through Paris. All 18 Viper GTS's drove three abreast and in rows of six together in a show stopping parade up and down the Champs Elysees from the Eiffel Tower (it was Friday rush hour at the time!!) Quoted a press driver, "people were lined up four to six deep on the curbs, looking as if a spaceship had just landed, nothing like this had ever been done before, it was just bitchin!" Sadly all cars had prototype VIN's and would later be put in the crusher!...
Like the Viper RT/10 before it, the Viper GTS Coupe was first introduced only as a concept car at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show, and like the Roadster it stole the show. In May of that year production was given the "green light" and just 34 months later in early 1996 the first cars started down the assembly line in Detroit. For the press launch in 1996 Chrysler took 18 blue/white striped GTS Coupes to the famous circuits of Spa, Nurburgring and Reims where the press and famous drivers of the past like Phil Hill, Brian Redman and Paul Freire could put them through their paces. The final day of the launch was marked by an impromptu parade through Paris. All 18 Viper GTS's drove three abreast and in rows of six together in a show stopping parade up and down the Champs Elysees from the Eiffel Tower (it was Friday rush hour at the time!!) Quoted a press driver, "people were lined up four to six deep on the curbs, looking as if a spaceship had just landed, nothing like this had ever been done before, it was just bitchin!" Sadly all cars had prototype VIN's and would later be put in the crusher!...
Devastatingly powerful, sensuously beautiful, with classic lines that pay homage to the two most magnificent GT cars of the 1960,s the Ferrari 250 GTO and the 1965 World Championship winning Daytona Cobra Coupes, with its polished alloy quick release fuel filler cap, twin helmet blisters in the roof line and NACA bonnet air duct draws the eye along its athletic bodywork that echoes these spiritual forebears.
But don't be fooled into thinking that this was nothing more than a RT/10 Roadster with a roof !, Infact 90% of the Viper's parts were changed to make the GTS Coupe. Under the hood lies a new V10 8 Litre engine that was 80 pounds lighter but produced an eye ball flattening 450bhp/490 lb-ft torque at just 3700 RPM! Also a new chassis that was 60 pounds lighter but 25% better torsional rigidity and with all alloy suspension a massive 60 pounds of unspring weight was removed with a more race tuned spring & shock set up for fast road/track driving, making the GTS Coupe not only Lighter and faster but much more stable in its handling through corners .The improved drag CD of the GTS Coupe of 0.39 against 0.50 of the roadster greatly improved top end performance and high speed
