Beschreibung:

That a major US manufacturer could come up with such an exciting concept car was startling enough, but Chrysler's decision to put the Viper into production was nothing short of astonishing. Inspired, as its name suggests, by the legendary Cobra, Tom Gale's design study made its auto-show debut in 1989 following discussions between Chrysler boss Bob Lutz and Cobra-creator Carroll Shelby, its appearance triggering an avalanche of deposit cheques. Without doubt, a large part of the Viper's 'back to basics' appeal stems from its unique selling point: a massively powerful 8-litre V10 engine. The latter had been born out of the requirement for a larger unit to power the Dodge Ram pick-up truck, the prototype being created simply by grafting two extra cylinders on to the Ram's existing 5.9-litre V8. Despite being relatively 'low-tech', the Lamborghini-developed pushrod V10 churns out 400bhp and a brutal 450lbs/ft of torque at just 3,600rpm, figures which the 3,280lb Viper translates - via a six-speed manual gearbox - into a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 165mph. Compared with this paragon of power units, the Viper's running gear makes only slightly less interesting reading: a multi-tubular spaceframe chassis endowed with all-round independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes residing beneath the svelte glassfibre bodywork. Little more than 12 months after the Viper roadster had commenced production, a closed coupe version, the GTS, debuted in prototype form at the Los Angeles Auto Show. "Where the Viper follows the classic sportscar gospel, this time we looked at some of the great Grand Touring cars such as the Cobra Daytona Coupe and Ferrari GTO," revealed Chrysler's vice president of engineering, François Castaing. By the time the production GTS coupe arrived for 1996, the original Viper concept had undergone considerable refinement. Thus the coupe boasted air conditioning, dual airbags, adjustable pedals and power windows in glass rather than plastic, features soon extended to the roadster. Concerns that the Viper had been needlessly 'sanitised' were dispelled by the revised engine that now produced a staggering 450bhp. Only the roadster version (priced at a fraction under $81,000) survives in production today, a state of affairs that can only make the GTS coupe all the more collectible. Carlo Talamo purchased this example from a Milan motor dealership that had taken it in part exchange from its first owner. Finished in the charismatic 'Daytona' livery of blue with twin white racing stripes complemented by black leather interior, chromed wheels and twin exhausts, it has covered just 11,441 kilometres from new and is presented in excellent condition in every respect. The vehicle is offered with sales invoice, spare keys, owner's handbook and Italian registration document. Local taxes will be liable if the car remains in Switzerland. Qu'un grand constructeur américain ait eu l'idée d'un concept car aussi séduisant était déjà surprenant, mais la décision de Chrysler de lancer la production de la Viper fut tout simplement ahurissante. Ce modèle a été acheté par Carlo Talamo à un concessionnaire qui l'avait lui-même pris en échange partiel de son premier propriétaire. Carrosserie bleue «Daytona» agrémentée de deux bandes blanches et intérieur en cuir noir, roues chromées et double échappement, cette voiture n'a parcouru que 11'441 km depuis sa sortie d'usine et se présente en excellent état à tous points de vue. Elle est en outre proposée avec la facture de vente, un jeu de clés, le manuel d'entretien et son immatriculation italienne. Les taxes d’importation seront à régler si la voiture demeure en Suisse.