3-D Design Puts Dodge High-Performance Sports Car on the Road

JANUARY 25, 1996 -- The 1996 high-performance Dodge Viper RT/10 -- which
started out seven years ago as a concept car designed the old-fashioned
way - - is headed to market as the first Viper model to be designed in
cyberspace.

"The 1996 Viper RT/10 will open a new chapter in the legendary Viper
story," says Martin R. Levine, Dodge Division General Manager.

The new RT/10 comes off the assembly line as the result of a computer-
generated turnaround in car design. Rather than using traditional mock-up
methods, the RT/10 has been completely designed and engineered using
CATIA**, a modeling software which produces 3-D electronic mock-ups.

"CATIA's complete digital mock-up enabled us to place each part in its
proper position in space so that piece-by-piece all the parts match," said
Jim Salmonowicz, design supervisor for the Viper.

As a result, the 1996 Vipers will be hand-assembled on a 200-yard line,
only a fraction of the length of automated assembly lines.

Since the original Viper concept car was built in 1989, the various Viper
parts have been transferred into CATIA. Today, all Viper components are
designed on computer screens by designers and engineers.

"CATIA enables us to create computer-generated models of individual
components and to pinpoint any changes that we needed to make all along
the process of design and engineering," reports Salmonowicz. "We have been
able to solve any problems by using the CATIA software and have been able
to make numerous performance improvements. We also use the 3-D models for
stress analysis and to determine how the parts fit into the car."

While the Viper was virtually unchanged from the 1992 through 1995 models,
the 1996 model has three new exterior design themes matched by changes in
interior design. The side exhaust has been changed to a rear outlet
exhaust system for 1996 and the muffler system has been redesigned.

The redesigned exhaust system has increased the Viper's 8.0-liter OHV V-10
engine horsepower and torque ratings. Horsepower is increased to 415 bhp
(306 kW) at 5200 rpm, with torque at 488 foot-pounds (661 N.m) at 3600
rpm.

Aluminum suspension components improve Viper's handling and increase road
compliance. High-ductility A206 cast aluminum control arms and knuckles
replace welded steel control arms and malleable cast iron knuckles. The
change in material reduces the car's weight by 80 pounds.

"We believe the original Viper RT/10 roadster, produced from 1992 through
1995, has secured a place in history as a vehicle that defined a new
Chrysler way of business by taking on fresh challenges, and once again,
defining the genre of what a pure American sports car should be," says
Levine.

With the 1996 models, with some 200 new components, the new Vipers are
being billed by Chrysler as the "quintessential American sports car -- the
ultimate American-made, no-excuses and no-holds- barred excitement
machine."

Dodge also plans to begin production in 1996 of a hard-top, fastback
version of the RT/10, the Viper GTS Coupe, a high-performance version of
the classic roadster design.

"We also are pushing to use CATIA for all design aspects of Chrysler cars
and trucks," Salmonowicz adds.

CATIA, which sets the standard for technology in its produce category, is
the world's leading CAD/CAM solution. Developed by Dassault Systemes and
marketed and supported worldwide by IBM, CATIA is used in industries
ranging from aerospace to fabrication and assembly, from automotive to
consumer goods. CATIA supports customers of all sizes, from multi-
national companies to small manufacturers with one or two design seats.

For information on CATIA, customers can contact their local IBM sales
representative or call 1-800-395-3339.

** CATIA is a trademark of Dassault Systemes

EDITOR'S NOTE: Photographs of the Comanche helicopter are available upon
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