Rule 101 of copy writing says, ‘if you can get your message across without using adjectives, then leave them out’. Rule 101 for track cars says, ‘they should be light, compact and focused entirely on the task of lapping a circuit’.
Clearly the 1,360kg Viper TA doesn’t follow rules, although we have little doubt about its pace on track, but everything else about its introduction to the market seems bloated.
Take its name – SRT Viper TA – which in long-hand spells out ‘Street and Racing Technology Viper Time Attack’. There’s a few pounds they must have saved just by applying Chrysler’s patented ARP (Acronym Reduction Process).
But that’s about as far as the weight-saving measures go, for the Viper TA uses a series of pre-developed SRT components, combined into a carefully balanced package that extract the most out of the Viper on track.
Powered by the same 8.4-litre V10 engine as the Viper GTS, with 631bhp and 600 lb-ft of torque, Chrysler claims it delivers the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports-car engine in the world. The Viper’s other claim to fame comes from having the largest (tyre) contact patch in the production car world.
The suspension is tuned and upgraded to maximise the performance of the Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, which are mounted on ultra-lightweight Sidewinder II wheels. While the two-mode Bilstein suspension system features firmer damping and a narrower spread between modes than in the standard Viper GTS models.
The standard aluminium structural X-brace is replaced with a lighter carbon fibre item, while the Brembo brake callipers feature a black anodized finish with the Viper logo shown in Crusher Orange.
Only 33 units will be built, all finished in ‘Crusher Orange’, with black TA logos behind both front wheels, black Stryker logo on the front fascia and matte black Sidewinder II wheels.
Deliveries get under way sometime during the third quarter 2013, with the SRT Viper TA making its public debut at the New York International Auto Show on March 27, 2013.
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