The 2013 SRT Viper seemingly unveiled by Hot Wheels

The picture on the right of what is believed to be the 2013 SRT Viper from Hot Wheels were posted online by a member of NewfoundlandMotorsports.com by the name of Lowie, who was sent the picture by a friend. The car looks very much like what we saw in the grainy artwork last month and while the red paint is a bit darker on the actual car, the black central stripe running down the body with the offset white stripe on the driver’s side are identical to the artwork of the 2013 SRT Viper – which reinforces the idea that this is indeed the 2013 Viper in toy form. (Click here for a look at the original Hot Wheels Viper artwork if you missed it before)

As you can see in the image on the right, this Hot Wheels model of the 2013 SRT Viper looks an incredible amount like the 2nd generation Dodge Viper GTS Coupe (1996-2002), especially through the sides, the back and the greenhouse. For that matter, even the overall shape of the front end is very similar to the earlier Viper GTS Coupes with the exception of the freshly sculpted front fascia and forward area of the hood. This is where we see the big difference between the 2002 Viper GTS Coupe and what is expected to be the 2013 SRT Viper, with headlights that stretch back along the body with projection assemblies in black bezels. There is also a new hood that has the familiar central air intake opening but behind that lies what looks to be heat extraction openings facing the rear of the vehicle, flanking the raised center section of the hood. Out back, the 2013 SRT Viper appears to have a very similar shape to the 1996-2002 models but we see a bumper area that has sharper lines than the older models with new, angular taillights as opposed to the rounded lenses found on the GTS Coupes. (Check out the gallery on the right by clicking the thumbnails for a look at the rear end of the Viper)

I have to say that while the 2013 SRT Viper will likely be an incredible piece of modern American machinery, I would still find it surprising of the new Viper looked so much like the models from 1996-2002. Those were the models that really launched the Viper into stardom – both on the street and in the racing world – but can the Chrysler Group really pull off the “retro look” with styling from a car that is only ten years gone? Every bit of information that we have suggests that this Hot Wheels toy car is showing us the 2013 SRT Viper but I am interested to see just how closely this toy car pictured resembles the real production version of the new Viper when it arrives in early April.

Source: NewfoundlandMotorsports.com