This entire feature could be written about Pitbull (or Armando Christian Perez, as he's known to his mum), given his Wikipedia page extends to a dozen chapters and his 12th album is due for release this year. But this is PH, not NME. Maybe you know 'Blanco' from Fast & Furious in 2009 - but we're going to assume not. Or you might have 'Timber', 'On The Floor' and 'Give Me Everything' on a guilty pleasures playlist, for which you'll not be judged one little bit.
Mr Worldwide is relevant today (which some might argued he hasn't been for a little while) because this Dodge Viper was ordered new by him. Furthermore, it's a one-off, built as part of the 'Viper Concierge Service' that for a couple of years offered buyers free rein to design a spec as they wished. Only available from 2015-2017, all cars built were known as Viper GTCs. Part of the deal, along with a plaque to mark the car out, was that no subsequent VIP was allowed to make a similar Viper. So there you are.
This one was built in 2016, and actually featured in the video for Hey Ma in 2017, another Fast & Furious song. Back then it was white with blue stripes, a Viper with the Advanced Aerodynamic pack. In fact, Pitbull opted for a few tasty options when new, including the performance brake upgrade, Sabelt seats and the carbon GTS bonnet.
The car looks a little different now to six years ago. From Mr 305 it was sold to a UK-based customer, but not before he'd purchased a few little upgrades in the States to liberate 700hp from the 8.4-litre V10. (The car as it was back then can be seen on video here.) Since first being painted white the Viper has been wrapped blue, too, which from here looks pretty smart. But that original music video spec isn't far away for anyone who wants it...
The Viper has more going for it than just celebrity ownership, too, having covered fewer than 14,000 miles and with precious few signs of wear. A Viper of any description is pretty rare in the UK, and especially these later VX-era cars. Which, let's not forget, were berserk even by the standards of American muscle, with 645hp and 600lb ft from the factory; a later ACR lapped the Nurburgring in 7:01, which still makes it the fastest manual car. It's a serious bit of kit, be in no doubt of that.
Which doesn't come cheap, unfortunately. Though the price has come down, £135,000 remains an awful lot for those of us who aren't (in)famous popstars. On the other hand, there's certainly never going to be a car quite like the Viper again (this engine is almost three times the size of the Ferrari 296's V6), the burly manual transmission has traditional appeal and the back story is nothing if not interesting. New C8 Corvettes are being offered at £115k, if that helps, and there are six figure Mustangs around as well. Torque doesn't come cheap, wherever it's from - and especially with Pitbull on the title...
1 / 8