Almost immediately, people knew these were cars worth saving. This is a highly original, 2,355-mile Viper GTS from 1996, the first serious changeover year for this American supercar. The GTS was the first Viper to feature a roof, adopting the double-bubble roof treatment akin to the Cobra Daytonas of the 1960s. The 1996 changes were more than skin deep, however, as chassis refinements lightened the car and the 450 HP engine received a new block design, revised heads and cam, and a higher 9.6:1 compression. This car still retains its original drivetrain, including the 8.0L V-10 fuel-injected engine, 6-speed manual transmission and performance axle housing. The result in period road testing was 0-60 MPH times in 4.4 seconds and a stock attainable speed of over 180 MPH. With fast-ratio steering and a competition-themed suspension, the large 13-inch disc brakes on all four corners (and new-for-’96 dual air bags if you got into real trouble) kept drivers safe. The model, which would pace the Indy 500 that year, became best known in this combination of Viper GTS Blue Metallic with Stone White stripes. However, if one were expecting a race-focused interior, the GTS was far from spartan, featuring black leather appointments inside. Here, that is augmented by the factory Alpine audio system, air conditioning, power windows and dual power sport mirrors. There are easily-read white-faced gauges, including the 200 MPH speedometer, plus tight leather wraps on the steering wheel and shifter. Outside, the Viper GTS was noted for its drag coefficient of just 0.35, a fact that quickly let this model achieve racetrack success on a near-global scale. Among its styling cues are the ducted hood, large rear deck lip, dual center-exit exhaust outlets, composite body panels and, on this example, polished factory 5-spoke alloy wheels with Viper centers and wide Michelin Pilot SX tires. In 1996, the GTS release would mark the first major effort to make Viper a true competitor in the racing world and supercar marketplace. This example is a car worth owning.
