Would you drive this car?
People are talking about a one-off build called the Runge Veleno after it was featured on Jay Leno’s Garage recently. Built using a Dodge Viper SRT10, you couldn’t tell from just looking at the exterior that’s how it began. Some might find that to be blasphemous or at least silly, but other people are absolutely fascinated by this ride.
Check out the history of the Dodge Charger here.
Obviously, design inspiration for this car comes via 1960s Italian sports cars, among which are what many consider some of the most beautiful things to ever ride on four wheels. Not everyone feels the Veleno pulls this off very well, but others have become mesmerized by the bodywork.
If you know Runge, the Minnesota builder likes to keep things old school using techniques coachbuilders developed almost a century ago. That means much of the bodywork is done by hand using devices such as an English wheel, a painstaking process that inflates the cost of each build. Christopher Rune, the founder of Runge, says the Veleno took him and his son about 5,000 hours to finish.
To help keep the car from looking too derivative, Runge created bespoke wheels and headlights. Considering those are the eye-catching “jewelry” of cars, pouring more creative effort into those items was a wise move.
More distinct features are found in the interior. For example, there’s a black walnut steering wheel and shifter knob. There’s definitely a more premium feel than what you get in the old snake.
Funny enough, the aluminum bodywork of the Runge Veleno offers a distinct advantage over the original Dodge Viper panels. Not only do they look striking, the material is lighter, helping the car to shed around 250 lbs.
Mechanically, the Runge Veleno is a Viper SRT10, the powertrain and drivetrain left relatively untouched in the customization process.
