With the supercharged 6.2 Hemi delivering 707 horsepower to the Dodge Charger and Challenger, the Viper boys are reportedly looking for ways to get back on top. While the Viper may be superior on a tight racing course, the straight-line performance of Charger and Challenger, in five-seaters with all the amenities, large trunks, and automatic or manual transmissions, is a challenge for Team Viper — as is the current series of Corvettes.
The power difference is not that large, and Viper no doubt has a major edge in low-end torque, but some people just look at the top number and say, “707 is bigger than 640 (and for torque, 650 is bigger than 600.)”
We have now had two reports of supercharged V10 engines being delivered. Either way, the supercharger would presumably allow Viper to pass 707, and quite possibly, if the block, internal parts, transmission, and body can endure it, shoot up to, say, 800. That could restart lagging Viper sales and decisively put Viper back on top of the Corvette in performance comparisons, albeit at a high development and production cost.
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