Less than two weeks after a grainy image surfaced on the
internet of what allegedly showed the Hot Wheels version of the 2013 SRT Viper,
the internet gods have presented us with what could be our first look at the
new Viper in metal – again courtesy of the folks at Hot Wheels.
The car in the image is believed to be the 2013 SRT Viper
and while the car shown here is dark red and the previous Hot Wheels artwork
showed a bright red car, the black and white stripes are similar and there is
an SRT logo on the roof of the car shown here. By all accounts, we have to believe that this is the Hot Wheels version
of the 2013 SRT Viper but is this really what the production version headed to
the New York Auto Show will look like?
The car above looks a great deal like a 1996-2002 Dodge
Viper GTS Coupe with a new front end and a lightly refreshed rear end.The front end still features a familiar overall
shape but a new leading portion of the hood, a reformed front fascia and some
new headlights are what distinguish this Viper the most from the 2nd
generation Dodge Vipers.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
Less than two weeks after a grainy image surfaced on the