- Cars
ByDauglas Denga
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From 10,000-horsepower dragsters to SUVs that embody pure luxury and trucks that can effortlessly tow several tons, the greatness of American carmakers knows no bounds. One such carmaker is Dodge, whose entries in the muscle car category are some of the finest. The company has been around for decades and built some of the best engines ever, including the 8.0-liter Viper V10 and Magnum V10 engines.
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The first of these, the Viper V10, produced 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque at its most powerful, while the Magnum V10 maxed out at 310 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. These engines were truly awesome, which might explain why only a select few Dodges were ever considered worthy enough to come with one installed. From the Dodge Ram 2500, 3500, and SRT-10 to the Dodge Tomahawk, Challenger Drag Pak, and Viper, here are all the Dodges that came with a V10 engine.
The 8.0-liter Viper V10
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Dodge introduced the Viper RT/10 in 1992 as a stunning soft-top convertible with no side windows, an elongated hood, and no external door handles. However, one of the main features that made it stand out among its peers was the 8.0-liter V10 engine under the hood, a powerful motor that produced 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque and saw the car clear the zero to 60 mark in only 4.4 seconds. The Viper was the first Dodge to feature a V10.
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Every generation of the Dodge Viper after the RT/10 came with a V10 engine. Dodge continued to refine the V10 over the years by eliminating unnecessary elements, like excess material in the cylinder heads, and making performance-enhancing changes such as a new exhaust system and camshaft. Additionally, Dodge increased the engine's displacement over time, culminating in the 645-horsepower 8.4-liter variant featured in the final Viper VX-1 from 2017. In total, Dodge produced five generations of Vipers, each one a powerhouse in its own right thanks to the V10 engine.
The SRT-10, Challenger Drag Pak, and Tomahawk
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Alongside the Viper, the Ram SRT-10 also boasted a V10 engine, specifically the 8.3-liter variant introduced in the third-generation Viper. Dodge introduced the SRT-10 in 2002 as a concept vehicle and it was a beast right from the start, earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Recordsin 2004 as the world's fastest production pickup truck with an average speed of154.587 mph. Its V10 engine produced 500 horsepower and 525 pound-feet of torque.Despite Dodge producing the Ram SRT-10 for just two years, its status as a legendary muscle truck is clearly evident.
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Another V10-powered Dodge was a variant of the Dodge Challenger that Dodge's Mopar team equipped with an 8.4-liter Viper V10 in 2010. This led to the creation of the Challenger Drag Pak, a beast that pushed out 630 horsepower, with some claiming it could produce as much as 1,300 horsepower. The vehicle was limited-edition, and Dodge reportedly required buyers to sign a document agreeing they wouldn't take it on public roads.
A notable mention is the Dodge Tomahawk concept vehicle, which, despite having four wheels, resembled a motorcycle more than a car. It had a massive 8.3-liter Viper V10 engine in the middle that could generate 500 horsepower, providing a good glimpse of the beastly power the vehicle embodied.
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Enter the mighty Magnum V10
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Two years after the first-generation Viper debuted, Dodge introduced the Magnum V10 engine, an8.0-liter motorrated at300 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The naturally aspiratedenginehad a low 8.4 to 1 compression ratio, a 4.00-inch bore, and a 3.88-inch stroke with a cast iron block and cylinder heads. While the 1994 to 1998 version of the Magnum V10 produced 300 horsepower, the 1999 to 2003 version was rated at310.Dodge introduced the engine as an option for the 1994 Ram 2500 and 3500 alongside other engines suchas the base 3.9-liter V-6 and a 5.2-liter V-8.
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The Ram 2500 and 3500 were loved for several reasons. Besides the Magnum V10 engine, these trucks remain excellent for theirpayloadand towing capacities.Customersalso praised how smoothly they drove and their overall reliability. While Ram continues to produce both vehicles today, the last versions featuring the Magnum V10 were released in2003.
