Chrysler Group LLC says the new Dodge Viper sports car is going to be “drop-dead beautiful” and is meant to draw buyers from Porsche and Corvette buyers. The new Viper's look was inspired by “a naked woman on the beach,” said Ralph Gilles, the head of Chrysler's design. The car will be released next year as a 2013 model-year vehicle, Gilles told reporters at the Automotive News World Congress Thursday in Detroit.“It's an icon, and as a performance brand, it's important for me to have a performance vehicle,” Gilles, who also is head of the Dodge brand, told reporters after the event. Chrysler, managed by Italy's Fiat SpA, wants to draw buyers from competing vehicles such as Porsches and the Chevrolet Corvette, Gilles said. The new Viper will be profitable, and its sales volume isn't important, he said. Chrysler sold under 500 Vipers last year.
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