Report: Dodge Working on a Supercharged V-10 for the Viper

2015 Dodge Viper SRT (Credit: © Chrysler)

With many Viper fans a little disgruntled about the Challenger and Charger Hellcat brothers outmuscling the famed snake, it was only a matter of time before these rumors started surfacing. Allpar, the folks who know just about everything going on within Chrysler, have reported that Dodge and SRT are currently working on a supercharged V-10 for the Dodge Viper SRT, which was formerly known as the SRT Viper.

Anyone who really knows cars can easily see that there is no reason to complain about the Hellcat boys having more power, as the Viper is a far better handler than either of those cars. Sure, a Hellcat would likely trump a Viper in a straight line, but hit a canyon road and let me know how it goes. But Dodge and SRT understand that so many buyers look only at horsepower and acceleration when buying a sports car, and seeing a sedan that is more powerful and faster may be a tough pill to swallow.

So two questions may come to mind with this rumor, “will it be called the Viper Hellcat?” and “how much power will it have?” The first question is a simple “No,” as Dodge said that the “Hellcat” name refers only to the 6.2-liter, supercharged V-8 and will not be used on any other engine. The second question is a little tougher.

The exact power output really depends on how expensive Dodge wants the Viper to be. It could easily top 1,000 ponies and 1,000 pound-feet of torque, but that would require huge updates all around that would drastically increase the car’s base price. The likely scenario is to boost it to the current drivetrain’s maximum-allowable power, which would be about 800 horses and 650 pound-feet of torque. This would give the Viper the power it needs to satisfy number-checking buyers and not crank the price to the level of Ferraris and Lambos.

In theory, this should help put the Viper back on the map and possibly help boost its severely lagging sales. Then again, with the rave reviews that the SRT Viper got, one would think that it would have flown off of dealer lots, but it never really took off. Dodge certainly has a tough decision to make here, but more power may be just what the doctor ordered.