The Viper 2015 will receive a small power boost

The current generation of the Viper is not performing well in the American market. Earlier this month it was announced that production has resumed after two months without a single unit being built, partly due to the number of unsold cars that were piling up. This year, in addition to recovering its original name (it is no longer called the SRT Viper), the American sports car will benefit from a small update.

The magazine Road & Track recently spotted it in the power certificate database of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the same database that revealed Dodge also intends to launch a Charger SRT Hellcat. However, unlike the sedan and the Challenger of the same name, the Viper will not get the 717 hp V8. Instead, its 8.4 V10 will simply offer five more horsepower, bringing the total to 654 hp.

The 2015 Viper will therefore be slightly less powerful than the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06, whose 6.2 V8 LT4 produces 660 hp. The same goes for torque: the Viper’s V10 will keep the previous 813 Nm, while the Corvette’s V8 delivers up to 881 Nm.

Where the Viper may gain ground, according to the American publication, is in weight. The model from Dodge, pending official confirmation, will probably be lighter than the Chevrolet. Another important figure for the Viper is its power-to-weight ratio, which with the update will improve by 0.8%.

If anyone wonders why Dodge does not fit the Hellcat V8 in the Viper, the reasons are that this engine weighs 81 kg more than the sports car’s V10 and that it is too tall to fit under the standard hood this model is equipped with.

Via | Road & Track