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The Cheapest Dodge Viper in the U.S. Got a 1,000-HP Hellcat Redeye HEMI

An easy way to build a widow maker is to put a massive engine inside a tiny vehicle – that’s precisely what Chrysler did with the Dodge Viper. During Lamborghini’s stint at Chrysler, the raging bull manufacturer helped instill some of that Italian kick into the tiny Viper in the form of a V10 engine. The result was brute torque and a sketchy history, which according to David Patterson, a.k.a ThatDudeinBlue – 50% of first-generation Viper owners totaled their cars.
2001 Dodge Viper RT/10 9 photos
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/ThatDudeinBlue
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Dropping a V10 engine inside a small car could mean many things from a performance point of view. Top on the list, you get instantaneous torque. But on the downside, it’s not the type of rig for  an inexperienced gearhead (read widow maker).

To remind you, the Dodge Viper was initially designed to be a performance car. The first generation 1991-1993 models did not come with exterior-mounted door handles, air conditioning, or key cylinders (1994- 1995 models had the A/C as an added option).

To understand it's sketchy past, you need to note a couple of things if you have zero experience with first gen vipers. To further furnish their widow-making capabilities, these insane track monsters have the worst visibility at the back. The pedal placement is also small. Therefore, drivers with normal to big trotters will have difficulty hitting the correct pedals.

Last year, the folks at Throtl swapped out a 2001 Viper RT/10 internals for a modern Dodge HEMI Hellcat Redeye engine.

You are probably wondering why anyone would rip out a monstrous V10 for a V8.

Well, what the Throtl team did is nothing short of blasphemy among Viper purists, but on paper, the Hemi Hellcat V8 is indeed a better engine. Besides producing more power, it has a modern ECU and fuel system. For lack of a better word, the V10 in the Viper is a relic compared to the Hellcat Redeye V8.

Under the hood, a stock 2001 Dodge Viper RT/10 packs a V10 good for 450 hp (456 ps) and 490 lb-ft (664 Nm) of torque. The 6.2-liter HEMI Hellcat Redeye V8 engine, on the other hand, makes a whopping 797 hp (808 ps) and 707 lb-ft (959 Nm) of torque.

Mickey Andrade, Evan Beckerman, Quinn Clark, and Ricky Fernandez of Throtl didn’t take it upon themselves to build the gnarliest Viper out of curiosity.

They were challenged by Motortrend and Dodge’s Road Kill Knights event to swap out the Hellcat Redeye engine into the cheapest Dodge Viper they could find in the United States. The result was a 1,000 hp (1,014 ps) 2001 Dodge Viper.

David Patterson of ThatDudeinBlue YouTube channel recently got to take this brutal Hellcat-powered Viper for a spin. In his own words – it was an absolutely wild experience.

Dodge provided the Throtl team with the Hellcat Redeye engine, a six-speed manual transmission (Tremec T56), and ECU. The team also received $10,000 for anything needed to complete the build.

The team fabricated engine mounts for the HEMI engine, got custom-made MagnaFlow headers, and an exhaust system for the build. They also installed Penske Racing coilovers and giant slicks at the back for the best grip when it’s time to bolt.

To accommodate the mods and for maximum performance, they also did a Diablo Tune.

Someone would definitely hit the wall on this thing. That’s not being arrogant. It’s just, oh my God, somebody could send this right to the wall like that,” Patterson said after ripping the Viper through the strip.

Are you curious how better this 1,000 hp (1,014 ps) Hellcat-swapped 2001 Dodge Viper RT/10 rips on the strip? We recommend watching the video below for more of that gnarly action.

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About the author: Humphrey Bwayo
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Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life.
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