NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - While other car companies are introducing convertible versions of their lower-priced products -- the Ford Mustang and Pontiac G6 -- DaimlerChrysler's Dodge division is unveiling a hardtop version of its priciest model at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe

The Dodge Viper SRT10 coupe is a hardtop version of the third-generation $81,600 Dodge Viper, currently available only as a convertible.

"Demand for a Dodge Viper Coupe started the day we introduced the Dodge Viper SRT10 convertible for 2003," said Dan Knott, director of the Street and Racing Technology division of DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group.

Like the convertible version, the Viper Coupe has a 500-horsepower 8.3 liter V-10 engine delivering 525 foot-pounds of torque. The Viper is capable of accelerating from zero to sixty miles per hour in under four seconds, according to DaimlerChrysler. The Viper is available with a six-speed manual transmission only.

With its "double-bubble" roof and distinct rear styling with wraparound taillamps, the Viper Coupe looks disctinct from its convertible sibling, looking more like an earlier-generation Viper. The unusual roof design was created to ensure enough headroom for occupants wearing racing helmets.

The Coupe's design allows for more usable trunk space than the convertible. The hardtop has 6.25 cubic feet of trunk space compared to just 2.25 feet in the convertible.

The car will be available, initially, only in blue with white racing stripes. Pricing has not yet been announced.