Viper prototype ready in 1989 At the end of 1988, he proposed to Chrysler's head of design, Tom Gale, to make a new interpretation of the original AC Cobra. The design manager could easily see the possibilities in such a project, and he was on board with the idea straight away. At the auto show in Detroit in January 1989, the prototype was ready. It was a pure design experiment that could not move a meter under its own power. At the time, there were no plans to put it into production. The name of the concept was Viper, which refers to the fact that this car is intended as the Cobra's superior. However, Bob Lutz or Tom Gale had not considered how many flashing lights suddenly approach the messy concept car. The Viper became the big star of the exhibition, and the reactions were so overwhelming that Chrysler's director, Lee Iacooca, subsequently decided to put the car into production. Chief engineer, Roy Sjoberg, handpicked 85 engineers to transform the concept car into a street car. The team completed the task in record time, so already at the beginning of 1992, the first Dodge Viper RT/10, which became the model's full name, was delivered to the first customers. The development process was so successful and efficient that it set a precedent for future car development in the Chrysler Group. Viper was not successful in motorsport Despite the obvious potential, the first Viper had little success in motorsport, not least because the targa construction made the car a bloodbath. Four years later in 1996, Chrysler was ready with a closed GTS model, also known as the second generation Viper. The engine and chassis were upgraded and the model was ready to sink its fangs into the competition at Le Mans that same year. 
Neither Bo nor I say anything. The menacing roar from the engine compartment silences us. We both sit and enjoy the show from the engine compartment. A tap on the accelerator, and the machinery slowly wakes up like a bear coming out of its winter den. It's as if the V10 engine doesn't find a reason to make a big deal out of it just because I dab a single time with my right foot. More is needed. I definitely step on the clutch but forget that it takes about the same force to get the 6-speed gearbox to shift. It takes two tries before I get it into first gear, where I gently release the clutch and the Viper slowly begins to roll.
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