In a quick-draw session of American muscle saving news, the Dodge Viper previously sent to the gallows by Fiat and the Pontiac G8, having gone down with the sinking brand ship, will be back.
The Australian made Pontiac G8 that barely touched the American market for barely a year will return to the land of the free rebadged as a Chevrolet Caprice. Although there are many engines that will fit under the bonnet, including the relatively conservative 3.6-liter V8 with 256 horsepower, our better judgment thinks something else was behind this act of God. The miracle-making savior in this case is the jaw-dropping 6.2-liter V8 pushing the twin figures of 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. That's enough for a BMW M5-matching 4.5 second sprint to 60.
Yes, we too dream about twins.
The Dodge Viper on the other hand is an American born window-licking poster-child with a monstrous 8.4-liter V-10 with 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet is capable of charging down 60 mph in four seconds flat. Born in 1990, the Viper had its first model roll-out following its initial debut as a concept car in the 1989 Detroit Auto Show, the Viper was sent to the auction block threatening to end the domestic pedigree when Fiat expressed no interest in the line. It remains unclear if the change of heart was due to their gas-pumping Italian veins or a simple sanity check. Either way, although the Viper isn't "behind" by any means obvious from theACR performance at Nurbergring, we do think a little Italian influence could do the car some good as Fiat is a majority owner of Ferrari.
Consider these two specimens officially saved from a "black hole" sentencing.
