Dodge Viper Cup Series provides swan song for Chrysler’s icon

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Racing

Dodge Viper Cup Finale Weekend – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Dodge Viper roared into existence back in 1991 and quickly took over a portion of our hearts and minds. After all, it embodied raw American power – a supercar birthed on home soil.

Engineers shoved an 8.0-liter 10-cylinder engine under the hood of the original that produced a then-impressive 400 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers may sound fairly pedestrian today, but remember that the first-generation Viper only weighed 3,284 pounds and its powertrain pushed the car to a top speed of 164 miles per hour.

The fourth-and-final-for-now-generation Dodge Viper was born in 2008 with more matured looks inside and out, as well as more power underhood. Now displacing 8.4-liters, the car’s iconic V10 produces 600 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque. Before it drives off into the sunset, this last-gen snake is taking one final victory lap.

That victory lap, however, is not merely figurative. Dodge created the Viper Cup Racing Series to give its supercar a proper sendoff: ten races at five courses around the country, all being contested by the Dodge Viper ACR-X. The final weekend took place in October at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and Autoblog was invited to tag along. My ears are still ringing, but my memory is clear… this wasn’t about how fast a group of people could go around a track, but rather a celebration of an American icon.

Gallery: Dodge Viper Cup Finale Weekend