Viper

2001 April: Andrew Miedecke's 1997 Dodge Viper is a late entry in the 2001 Targa Tasmania, 18-24 April 2001. Ron Coenan is navigator. Miedecke won the event in a Porsche in 1994 and will need to do some body building to wrestle the 1500kg 8-litre Viper around the winding Tasmanian roads.

1999: If bigger is best then the Viper's 8 litre V10 must be just that. The epitomy of low-tech muscle, its motor with cast iron block and two valves per cylinder operated by push-rods, still churns out 335 (450hp) at 5200r. A version of this motor is an option in the Dodge Ram 4x4.

Chrysler Viper 1999

• sports car, 2 seats, 2 doors, safety
• loa: 4488mm (GTS), 4475mm (RT/10), width: 1923mm, height: 1194mm
• turning radius: 6.2m
• weight: 1560kg (unladen)
• Viper, 8.0L (455 cu in), petrol, V10, mpfi, 2-valves/cyl, ohv, cast iron block, alloy cylinder head, 6 main bearings
• bore: xxx, stroke: xxx, c.r.: 9.6:1
• transmission: 6m (2.66:1, 1.78:1, 1.3:1, 1.0:1, 0.74:1, 0.5:1)
• suspension: indep/indep, brakes: disc/disc
• tyres: front 275/40ZR17, rear 335/35ZR17, fuel-tank: 86L

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