---

DaimlerChrysler Sets 1999 Dodge Viper Prices

7 December 1998

DaimlerChrysler Sets 1999 Dodge Viper Prices

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Dec. 4 -- DaimlerChrysler Corporation
announced today that the 1999 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster will have
a suggested retail price of $66,425, including a $700 destination charge.  The
1999 Viper GTS Coupe will be priced at $68,925, including a $700 destination
charge.
    The 1999 Viper Coupe and Roadster will include a wide range of new
interior and exterior features, including such items as larger 18" polished
wheels, wheel center caps with the Viper logo, a leather-wrapped shift knob
with a brushed-aluminum insert and an optional premium Connolly leather
interior package. Other additions include power mirrors, satin aluminum
interior finish accents and a new interior door release.
    The Dodge Viper debuted at the 1989 Detroit auto show as a concept
vehicle.  Overwhelming public support led to the car's development and
subsequent launch for the 1992 model.
    The powerful Viper RT/10 Roadster was later joined by the 1996 GTS Coupe,
further polishing its image as America's most powerful sports car.
    "Viper reinforced that reputation with back-to-back (FIA) World
Championships and by winning the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans," said Jim Julow,
Vice President, Dodge Car & Truck Division.
    The Dodge Viper represents the classic American sports car, delivering
power and handling in a design that evokes the great racing cars of the past.
Viper combines an 8.0-liter V-10 engine with a race-inspired chassis, huge
brakes and a six-speed transmission.
    New for 1999 is an American Club Racer (ACR) Package that will create a
competition-ready version of the Viper GTS Coupe for grassroots Sports Car
Club of America roadracers and other enthusiasts.  The new ACR package adds
$10,000 to the cost of the GTS model (not available on the RT/10).  The ACR
includes a 460-horsepower, V-10 engine with modified air cleaner and intake
hoses, GTS-R-style racing suspension with Koni shocks and Meritor springs; a
five-point restraint system, BBS 18-inch wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport
tires.  A lightweight package deletes fog lights, the A/C system, compressor
and audio system.
    For 1999, the Dodge Viper will be offered in three color schemes, with the
stripe options available only on the GTS Coupe: silver, with or without blue
stripes, red, with or without silver stripes, and black, with or without
silver stripes.  The 1999 Viper is set to go into production in the first
quarter of 1999.