This past weekend in Orange County California, the Barrett Jackson
Auto Auction offered up the very first publically sold example of the 2013 SRT
Viper and when the closing gavel sounded – the winning bidder paid $300,000 for
their new American supercar.Proceeds of
the auction results for 2013 Viper GTS #1 are going to the Austin Hatcher
Foundation, an organization that helps children and their families who are
battling pediatric cancer.
The bidding started hot and heavy as the lead price quickly
hit $250,000 but when bidding on the 2013 SRT Viper GTS stalled a bit, a trip
to the SRT Track Experience and a trip to the Petit LeMans were added in – a move
that saw the price rise to $300k before the gavel came down.Unfortunately, due to the instant
collectability of 2013 SRT Viper #1, we probably arent likely to see this car
out tearing up the road or track but with more of the new Viper expected to
arrive later this year – we should soon begin seeing the 2013 Viper on roads
around the country.
The 2013 Viper GTS that hit the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction
block was a fully loaded GTS model, powered by the 640 horsepower V10 engine
and relying on a 6-speed manual transmission to send the power to the rear
wheels.Like other 2013 Viper GTS
models, this Viper is fitted with the Viper’s new adjustable suspension setup
that should help the new Viper be one of the best handling cars in the world.
"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.
This past weekend in Orange County California, the Barrett Jackson