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Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is a
two-seat sports car, the most powerful production
car made by Dodge. Viper production began
at New Mack Assembly in 1992 and moved to
its current home at Connor Avenue Assembly
in October 1995.
TThe Viper was conceived
as a modern take on the classic American muscle
car. While there are some who insist that
the iconic AC Cobra was a source of inspiration,
the final version of the Viper was far too
large and heavy to seriously claim any direct
lineage with the compact and lightweight vehicle.
Most saw claims to kinship with the Cobra
as a marketing exercise, although Carroll
Shelby was involved in the initial design
of the Viper.
The
Viper was initially conceived in late 1987
at Chrysler's Advanced Design Studios. The
following February, Chrysler president Bob
Lutz suggested to Tom Gale at Chrysler Design
that the company should consider producing
a modern Cobra, and a clay model was presented
to Lutz a few months later. The car appeared
as a concept at the North American International
Auto Show in 1989, and public reaction was
so enthusiastic, that chief engineer Roy
Sjoberg was directed to develop it as a
production car.
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