Pinnacle: The 8.0L Viper V10
The Viper V10 is based on the rest of the LA family, and appeared with the Dodge Viper in 1992. It was conceived and prototyped as a Magnum 5.9 with two extra cylinders and a longer stroke of 3.88 in (99 mm).
Chrysler engineers revamped Dodge's cast-iron block V10 for the Viper by recasting the block and heads in aluminium alloy. Prototype blocks were cast by Lamborghini, at the time a Chrysler division.
The first-generation Viper V10 engine had a displacement of 8.0 L (488 cu in) and produced 400 hp (298 kW) and 465 lb·ft (630 N·m). The second-generation engine, also displacing 8.0 L, produced 450 hp (336 kW) and 490 lb·ft (664 N·m). The third-generation engine, introduced on the 2003 Viper, had a displacement of 8.3 L (505 cu in) and was rated at 510 hp (380 kW) and 535 lb·ft (725 N·m) after SAE certification in 2006. For the 2008 Dodge Viper, the engine's output was increased to 600 hp (447 kW) and 560 lb·ft (759 N·m) via a slight displacement increase to 8.4 L (512 cu in) and the use of variable valve timing, among the first utilized in a pushrod engine.
Production of the V10 engine started at Mound Road Engine before moving to Conner Avenue Assembly, where the Viper itself is built, in May 2001. In addition, the Viper V10 was installed in the Dodge Ram SRT-10, earning the truck the Guinness World Record for fastest production truck (later bettered by an Australian production car; the Holden HSV Maloo that uses the LS2 Corvette engine). The Dodge Tomahawk concept motorcycle also uses this engine.
The V10 is also sold to British luxury car manufacturer Bristol Cars. The Bristol Fighter is powered by a front-mounted V10, modified to produce 525 hp (391 kW) increasing to 550 hp (410 kW) at high speed. In the more powerful Fighter S the engine is tuned to give 628 hp (660 hp at high speed using the ram air effect). Bristol Cars has recently announced the Fighter T, in which the V10 is further modified to produce 1,012 hp (755 kW) bhp at 5600 rpm.
Read more about this topic: Chrysler LA Engine