The Dodge Viper ranks among the fiercest, most raw, visceral machines sold in showrooms
anywhere. Only a few cars come as close as the Viper to a street-legal race car:
Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Porsche 911 GT3RS, Chevy
Corvette ZO6, Honda S2000CR. For most automotive tasks the Viper is overkill, like
using a six-pound sledgehammer to swat a fly. Ridiculously fast and able to slosh
your eyeballs about in their orbit rounding a bend or under heavy braking, it didn't
really need any more power. But with archrival Corvette Z06 at 505 hp, that's just
what Dodge did for 2008. They made the engine just 0.1 liter bigger but added 95
horses to make a nice round 600. The fly would still be dead, but now you have a
bigger hammer.
Trim
The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 is offered in two models, the convertible Roadster and
GTS coupe. Viper comes standard with leather/suede sport seats, air conditioning,
power adjustable pedals, tilt steering column, full instrumentation, CD player,
power steering, power disc brakes, power windows, power locks, power mirrors, console,
composite bodywork, bi-Xenon headlamps, fog lamps, limited-slip differential, and
emergency flat-tire repair kit.
Safety features include frontal airbags and antilock brakes.
Handling and Powertrain
Rotate the key to ignition, depress the clutch, push the red Start button, and the
Viper shatters Sunday morning silence with a cacophony of odd-firing sounds from
its V10 engine and bellowing pipes.
Rotate the key to ignition, depress the clutch, push the red Start button, and the
Viper shatters Sunday morning silence with a cacophony of odd-firing sounds from
its V10 engine and bellowing pipes.
This is the only production 600-hp car sold in the United States that does not have
all-wheel drive, electronic stability control, or both, and as such is not recommended
for inflated egos or the inexperienced. The Viper is a brutally honest car and if
you direct it to do something stupid, it will do something stupid.
When it reaches the heart of its power in second gear, you've passed the legal
speed limit in most states, with four gears remaining. If you took the average interstate
on-ramp as fast as possible you'd hit the highway doing somewhere north of 120
mph. Find an open track long enough, and the Viper coupe is said to top 200 mph.
Ride comfort is par for the course on a car that changes direction like this and
can pin your own weight against the door or seatbelt. Brakes are immense and easy
to modulate; a light touch of the pedal brings mild slowing, with retarding increasing
directly with more pedal pressure.
Interior
The term cockpit applies as well to a Viper as any other car. A simple push on the
button release atop the door pops it open, and it's not a big opening requiring
a smidge of slide and contort slightly to get in. However, once inside you will
find surprising head and legroom given the car's external dimensions (less than
four feet high) and the fact that you are essentially wedged between the engine/gearbox
and exhaust pipes.
Although the seats sport long cushions for thigh support and big bolsters to keep
you contained, you wouldn't slide far without them given the wall-size center console
and door adjacent. Seat controls are manual and limited to forward and backward;
there's no lumbar or cushion height adjustment, but the tilt wheel and power adjustable
pedals help everyone fit. Leather trims the steering wheel and shift knob, while
seats have suede-like center sections with color options; the seat sides and interior
are all black.
Dead ahead of the driver is the tachometer, with fuel to the left and speed to the
right; the Viper won't run to the top number (220 mph) but it will go well 'round.
Some mental recalibration may be in order as most cars are not traveling 110 mph
with the needle straight up.
Sloping down to the right of the wheel are oil pressure (closest to line of sight,
where it should be), oil temperature, water temperature, and voltage.
Air conditioning is standard and quickly cools the tiny volume of air space inside,
and in warm weather the engine and pipes surrounding you can quickly turn the cockpit
into a mild oven. Visibility is relatively good for a low-slung beast. The mirrors
aren't filled by the fat rear fenders and although the glass backlight might
distort them, sizable objects are easily detected behind.
There's no spare tire, instead there's a small air compressor and fix-kit;
that makes sense because there'd be nowhere to put a massive, flat tire.
Exterior
From any angle, a quick glance shows the Viper means business, with a body shaped
as much for function as style. It is made of composite materials over a steel frame,
with aluminum sills and strengthened cowl.
The Viper's sharp front edges and gaping maw are Braille for "get out of
my way." Cooling air is funneled in through the trademark four-slot grille
and exhausted through six extractor vents in the hood; when idling or moving very
slowly the hot air wafting out those vents makes the forward view distorted much
like the rear window glass. The roadster's folding soft top is manually-operated
and stows neatly behind the seats but you must get out of the car to complete the
five-second operation. Xenon headlamps are standard, finally endowing the Viper
with suitable vision for night drives; the snake's head center brake light continues.
The fuel tank is a bit smaller at 16 gallons (compared with the previous 18.5),
but the engine is more efficient so range isn't severely impacted. Besides,
2.5 gallons of gas is just an extra 15 pounds you don't need in a race car.
The Dodge Viper is the bad boy
for under $100,000. Bang for your buck literally can't be matched, as you will
likely spend more to better any battle of numbers bench racers are apt to argue
about. It's in your face, your ears, your nose and all over the competition. If
you're smart enough to show the respect it demands, it might be the race car
you're looking for.