SRT unveil next gen Viper race weapon

While the GT3-R won't be in action this weekend at Le Mans (SRT Motorsport's entry is a pair of current generation GTS-Rs), the new track car is expected to be a future motorsport contender, not only at Le Mans, but at circuits around the world.

According to Ralph Gilles, President and CEO - SRT (Street & Racing Technology) Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, the Viper GT3-R is a culmination of nearly two decades of racing development following the debut of the first race-spec GTS-R in 1996.

"The SRT Viper GT3-R is the next logical progression of our successful Viper GTS-R, a championship-proven formula that has captured some of the world's most prestigious races," Gilles said. "Like every Viper race car, the GT3-R is a direct descendant of the SRT Viper street car. There is no mistaking the similarities between the two which is a key component of this class of sports car racing. The GT3-R stays true to the visceral appeal of the Viper and has been carefully evolved for the demands of racing at a world class level."

The new SRT Viper GT3-R is a collaboration led by Riley Technologies in Mooresville, N.C. with SRT Motorsports. Riley Technologies specializes in the design, manufacturer and support of winning race cars. Riley has built racing-winning cars from Daytona prototype endurance cars to GT competition cars. Their resume includes multiple U.S. endurance championships race wins - including the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for nine consecutive years - and multiple GT Class championships.

The SRT Viper GT3-R is the direct descendent of the high performance GTS-R campaigned by SRT Motorsports in the LM GTE Pro Class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The technology developed by the Chrysler Group for the factory GTS-R for engine, chassis, suspension, electronics and aerodynamics is incorporated into every Viper GT3-R.

The chassis has been equipped with a highly-efficient aerodynamic package to optimize handling. Other features include Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission with paddle shifters, six-piston front brake calipers with four-piston rears, lightweight wheels and a multi-disc race clutch for maximum performance from the V-10 engine.

HISTORY
In 1996, the first Viper GTS-R race car made its debut at Le Mans. Viper GTS-Rs would go on to post three consecutive 1-2 class finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, win overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona, capture multiple international endurance titles, five FIA titles and 16 national GT championships. To extend this same racing pedigree to private customers, the Viper Competition Coupe was introduced in 2003 and developed further for its GT3 class debut in 2005.

If you're keen, SRT are now taking orders for the new Viper GT3-R, with an estimated price of US$459,000.

Images: Chrysler Group LLC

N.B. The two SRT Viper GTS-Rs at Le Mans this weekend will be racing in the GTE Professional class, battling the Chevrolet Corvette C6.6, Aston Martin Vantage GTE, Porsche 911 RSR and Ferrari 458 Italia GT2.