I briefly mentioned the Dodge Viper Competition Coupe in a blog post yesterday which was about a special version of the Chevrolet Camaro that is completely stripped down. This is arguably one of the most badass cars to ever roll out of a factory in Detroit; it can’t even be purchased by anyone with money, they ask that you submit a resume with your racing achievements in order to be considered.

Drifting fans might already be well acquainted with this car, as it was used by Samuel “The Crazy Swede” Hubinette in D1 competition until it was decided that the Viper had too much of an advantage on the other cars in the series. In a group of cars that is mostly comprised of low to mid level Japanese cars such as the Nissan Silvia, Nissan 350z, Toyota Corolla, and Lexus Soarer; The Mopar sponsored Viper Competition Coupe (with a modified rear axle) stood out like a sore thumb. Seeing this car in action at the Long Beach Grand Prix was a moment that I’ll never forget, the Viper had a snarl that just could not be matched by any of its competitors.

This monster of a car started production in 2003 and is based off the iconic SRT10; Dodge had a modest sales goal of only 25 units per year. It packs the same motor with an upgraded power output of 520 horsepower and around 550 ft-lb of torque thanks to different camshafts and the removal of restrictive emissions equipment. To cope with all that power around a racetrack, the already stiff Viper chassis has been augmented with a plethora of steel bracing, including a full safety roll cage inside the cabin (which also has fire supression systems, window nets, racing seatbelts, racing seat, etc).

The transmission and rear drivetrain components are mostly stock, with a few modifications to better handle a racing condition; power is put to the ground through massive rear racing tires that measure over 300 in the rear. It will achieve a top speed of 160 MPH which is not too far from the stock unit’s top speed, but the competition coupe has a lot more downforce at the same speed thanks to an outrageously large rear wing and modified front and rear fascia. While the braking system is mostly the same as the stock units, the pads and rotors are designed for racing conditions and can haul the big snake down from speed in an impressively short distance.

How much does this package cost anyways? It’s hard to say because it’s getting pretty hard to get. I believe that they stopped production of these since all official information from Dodge has been pulled from the internet and all attempts to contact Dodge lead to nothing. Dodge currently makes another special edition Viper, the ACR, but it’s unlikely that it will be worth anything as much as the Competition Coupe a couple years down the line.