In the first half of the previous decade, I had the opportunity to drive both the then-new V10 kid on the Lamborghini block, the Huracan, and America’s V10 supercar, the Gen V Viper. And I instantly noticed how Dodge could easily give the Raging Bull a hard time for half the money. Why, then, does this 2014 Viper costs as much as a brand new Huracan Evo that’s fully loaded with options?
The Viper and the Huracan had opposite destinies. Alas, the former was axed in 2017, ending a three-decade lineage with no replacement in sight—at least until an EV revival challenges our perception of the entertainingly brutish nameplate for better or for worse.
As for the Italian exotic, Sant’Agata Bolognese realized that the highly engaging Gallardo was succeeded by a machine that was not quite spicy enough under normal operating conditions, albeit becoming the first Lamborghini one could arguably daily drive without special effort. As such, the Huracan Evo was born, with the mid-cycle revamp adding plenty of drama to the Raging Bull mix.
Returning to the white 2014 Viper GTS currently parked on our screens, this does away with the 645 hp output that sat above what the original Huracan had to offer-not this twin-turbo record breaker, though. And it does so with the help of two turbos, which push the output past 1,800 hp at the wheels (over 2,000 ponies at the crank). That figure is developed on VP C16 racing fuel while topping the tank with more mundane 93-octane pump juice means the beast will “only” offer 1,250 wheel horsepower.
The vehicle is currently being offered by the shop that built it, namely Texas-based Calvo Motorsports—those of you following drag or roll racing events might be familiar with the specialist’s name.
The numbers do the talking
While the odometer shows 12,000 miles (a stock Viper of the sort would trade hands for around $100,000), the build has only 300 miles on it.
Featuring the company’s CM1800 package, the machine features a Stage 2 built 8.4L V10 with a billet crankshaft, twin 72mm turbos, a PPG six-speed sequential gearbox, a Calvo Motorsports independent rear suspension 9-inch rear end and Belak beadlock rear wheels shod in Toyo RR competition rubber.
The price listed on the developer’s Instagram page sits at $289,000 (€260,325 at the current exchange rate). And with that Viper ACR-borrowed rear wing, this thing should sit comfortably at any kind of speed.
