Since the dictatorship of computers freed the imagination of car enthusiasts far and wide across Planet Piston, the gasoline-oozing universe has witnessed an indiscriminate amount of car inbreeding that resulted in apocryphal creations. From time to time, such a virtual miscreant breaks the boundaries of the binary realm and unapologetically lands in metal.
And what best way to incarnate such a foot-in-mouth decision of the Car Almighty than this 1969 Dodge Charger R/T Viper GTS fruit of forbidden love? This one-of-neither-worlds amalgam of classic muscle and early-2000s motoring exuberance is precisely what its name implies: a cross-breed between two of the most loved children of Mother Mopar.
The automobile you gaze upon In the gallery is a Dodge Viper GTS from 2001 – yeah, the creampuff – and General Lee’s domestic twin, the Dodge Charger R/T of ’69. The snake donated the underpinnings and motor, while the looks fell on the old-school classic's shoulders (and hips and everything else).
Where the creator of this contraption got the idea is irrelevant, but his work deserves a standing ovation and an at-arms salute. The body panels of the '69er Mopar were altered accordingly and tailored to fit on the chassis of the Viper.
Photo: bringatrailer.com/@SHREG
The go-fast task was assigned to the 2001 GTS – namely, the 8.0-liter V10 engine and six-speed manual gearbox were carried over to the resulting automobile. The interior was sourced from the same car, and the man responsible for this build deemed that black would be the best color choice for the body.
In true R/T fashion, a red stripe adorns the trunk and rear quarters. It takes a very keen eye to notice the rolled-widened fenders that house the 13.5-inch-wide (345 mm) Michelin Pilot Sports on the rear wheels. The front wheels are slightly skinnier – at 10.8 inches (275 mm) – and all four corners have disc brakes (courtesy of the Viper GTS).
For improved handling, this 1969 Dodge Charger R/T sits on all-around independent suspensions and benefits from the power steering technology of the 2000s. At some point in its life, the Viper was involved in a collision with a “stationary object and embankment” that left it in a disabled state (as per the Carfax report).
Photo: bringatrailer.com/@SHREG
That’s when the odometer refused to record any more miles, although the owner from that time fixed the car and got it back on the road. As such, true mileage is unknown, but the resulting muscle car is now clean-titled in Montana “1969 Dodge Charger R/T.”
It might be a far-from-the-tree fallen apple, but there is a genuine interest in this 450-hp (456 PS) V10 oddity that sends 490 lb-ft (664 Nm) to the rear axle. The car is listed for sale at an online auction, and the current value sits at $69,000, with seven days of bidding left at the time of this story.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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