It's no secret that the Dodge Viper isn't exactly selling like gangbusters. Chrysler has even had to halt production on the car in order to keep existing stock moving along. Still, there's a new model year on the horizon, and it will see some changes in the Viper. No, the Viper won't be getting the 707-horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 from the new Dodge Challenger Hellcat. It will continue on with the familiar 8.4-liter V-10.
Well, said engine will be a little bit different. It's getting a horsepower bump!
Maybe we shouldn't have used an exclamation point on the end of that last sentence. To be more specific, the Viper is getting a horsepower bump of five, which means it's going from 640 up to 645 hp. Yes, from the same SAE filings that revealed plans for a 707-hp Dodge Charger Hellcat, it’s been revealed that for the 2015 model year the Viper will get a few extra horses under the hood.
That's a bit of a disappointment, seeing as the Hellcat will burst forth with a fairly insane 707 hp. Additionally, the forthcoming Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will have 650 hp. This means that we live in a world where a Viper will be down on power to the Challenger, and will probably be handily whupped by the next Z06. That last thought is purely a guess though, of course.
We do hope Dodge sees an uptick in Viper sales, and perhaps that horsepower push will be enough to catch a few dollars that are looking to find a home at a dealership. We're also looking forward to a refresh that works out how to fit the Hellcat powerplant between the Viper's chassis rails and under the hood, at least its supercharger.
