Yahoo Autos Listen to This Viper GTS-R as it Rips Around Spa
While not as enduring or as financially successful as the Chevrolet Corvette, the Dodge Viper will forever hold a special place in the heart of American car enthusiasts. Thanks to YouTuber gtrmaxvdb99, we have a chance to watch a particularly special Viper GTS-R turn some laps during the SRO 30th GT Anniversary event at the 2022 24 Hours of Spa.
The Viper GTS-R was first introduced to the racing world back in 1996, and would remain on the racing circuit at large until 2005. While the first-generation Viper did do a bit of racing during its era, the cars were never all that competitive in-period. As the automaker geared up for the second iteration of the sports car, it was determined that a coupe variant should be created to assist in those motorsport efforts. Known as the GTS, the hardtop Viper would be developed right alongside the race-bred GTS-R with some help from Oreca. The French engineering firm was no stranger to sports car racing and had even managed to capture the overall win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans with the sonorous Mazda 787B. A total of 57 Viper GTS-Rs were constructed by Oreca, with this particular example being built for the 2001 season. This particular car is also technically known as a Chrysler Viper GTS-R, as it was ultimately the parent automaker that approved the racing project. The Viper GTS-R would go on to win 163 of the 262 races it entered.
Under the hood of the GTS-R sits the same 8.0-liter V-10 that powered the road cars, which just barely met the top limit of the GT1 series rules at the time. The engine itself was largely the same as production units, though some tweaks were made to the intakes for improved performance. Other components were also tweaked for reliability in an endurance racing setting. Power was put to the rear wheels via a sequential gearbox, while improved aero helped the car stick in the corners. This particular example, Chassis 34, was campaigned by drivers Emmanuel Clérico, Vincent Vosse and Eric Hélary during the 2001 24 Hours of Spa under the Paul Belmondo Racing banner. The car would finish fourth, bested only by three other Oreca-built Vipers. According to the uploader, this car just recently underwent an 18-month race-prep restoration. The car struggled a bit during the SRO festivities, but we can expect to see the thing return for more vintage racing in the near future. That’s a good thing, as that V-10 exhaust note remains one of the most unique in American motorsport history.
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