That a major US manufacturer could come up with such an exciting concept car was startling enough, but Chrysler's decision to put the Viper into production was nothing short of astonishing.

Inspired, as its name suggests, by the legendary Cobra, Tom Gale's design study made its auto-show debut in 1989 following discussions between Chrysler boss Bob Lutz and Cobra-creator Carroll Shelby, its appearance triggering an avalanche of deposit cheques.

Without doubt, a large part of the Viper's 'back to basics' appeal stems from its unique selling point: a massively powerful 8-litre V10 engine.

The latter had been born out of the requirement for a larger unit to power the Dodge Ram pick-up truck, the prototype being created simply by grafting two extra cylinders on to the Ram's existing 5.9-litre V8.

Despite being relatively 'low-tech', the Lamborghini-developed pushrod V10 churns out 400bhp and a brutal 450lbs/ft of torque at just 3,600rpm, figures which the 3,280lb Viper translates - via...