MiamiJeff
Enthusiast
Posted on Thu, Jan. 09, 2003
AUTO REVIEW
Redesigned Viper hotter, even faster
BARRY SPYKER
Just how hot is the new Dodge Viper SRT-10? Well, one national car magazine depicted a couple of eggs and bacon frying on the sills that cover its massive exhaust pipes.
The 2003 Viper roars with 500 horses of power and is one of the fastest production sports cars on the road. But before you run out to your local Dodge dealer, know that only 1,500 or so will be built this year -- and most of those are spoken for by current Viper owners.
A salesman at Monarch Dodge of Fort Lauderdale told me he'd be happy to take your name and put it on a waiting list. Are you feeling lucky?
So why write about a machine that appears to be barely street legal and is available in limited number? Three reasons:
• Its the 10th anniversary of the Dodge Viper and this year, for the first time, it gets a total makeover.
• The readers' need to know.
• Who in their right mind turns down an opportunity to drive a wicked sports car that goes 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 0-100 in 8.5?
Speed, of course, is key to the Viper formula. One could paint the road in rubber with this thing but, for the record, no one here is advocating such a driving style.
The new Viper is a full half-second faster than its predecessor. It has the same V10 as last year but the aluminum block, based on a cast-iron Dodge truck engine, has been bumped up from 488 to 505 cubic inches. It now cranks out 500 horses at 5600 rpm, and 525 pounds-feet of torque at 4200 rpm.
Talk about power going to your head. Imagine driving down the street and knowing you can take anything within sight.
All this power translates into many decibels. In other words, if you like to listen to the radio or CDs, forget about it. Between the engine and the road noise, the Viper is about as subtle as an airboat at high throttle. Its rumble is reminiscent of the muscle cars from the '60s.
Vipers ride is firm and, as you might expect when your hind quarters are just inches from the pavement, there is extreme road feel. But improvements in suspension over last year have been called dramatic.
Body roll? What's that? Cornering is smooth and flat. Helping to hold the road is Vipers monstrous tires -- Michelin run-flats, 19-inch in the rear, 18 up front. No need to carry a spare.
The shifter pops into gear with the slightest encouragement.
Chryslers redesign actually started with an eye on comfort. That involved expanding the wheelbase 2.6 inches and soon a whole redesign made more sense.
The Viper is wider this year and has a more balanced look. Front overhangs are shorter, and the grill is larger. The huge exhaust pipes with tips coming out the sides help everyone at an intersection hear Vipers growl.
One of the design changes for '03 is the foldable top. No push-buttons here -- its all manual. But it is easy to fold back and it tucks neatly into the front of the trunk.
While doors are bigger to make it easier to get into, the Viper still is not an easy machine to enter -- and keep the middle-age wisecracks to yourself.
Once inside, though, the car fits like a tailored suit. Leather seats cup your body and are trimmed in suede.
Improvements in the cockpit include more sophisticated-looking instruments, including a large tachometer with a 6250-rpm redline and a 220-mph speedometer. Smaller dials form a vertical row and are angled toward the driver.
Cup holders are nowhere to be found. Viper owners have better things to do and told Chrysler designer they didn't want them.
To fire up the engine, just turn the key and push the red start button. Vroooooommm!!!
No surprise that the Viper is mileage challenged. I got nervous right away when I looked at a sticker and under ''fuel-mileage information'' it was blank. The figures are a worrisome 12 in the city, but a more respectable 21 highway. I averaged around 14.
Add to your fuel bill a $3,000 gas guzzler tax, figured into the sticker price. That sticker on the tester was $83,795. Base price is just under $80,000.
One could reason that a Corvette -- far more available -- could be had for $30,000 less. But the Viper can be compared with some of the world's great exotics, some of which go for a couple of hundred thousand bucks more than the Viper.
Suddenly, the Viper becomes quite the value.
--------------------------------------------------------------
AUTO REVIEW
Redesigned Viper hotter, even faster
BARRY SPYKER
Just how hot is the new Dodge Viper SRT-10? Well, one national car magazine depicted a couple of eggs and bacon frying on the sills that cover its massive exhaust pipes.
The 2003 Viper roars with 500 horses of power and is one of the fastest production sports cars on the road. But before you run out to your local Dodge dealer, know that only 1,500 or so will be built this year -- and most of those are spoken for by current Viper owners.
A salesman at Monarch Dodge of Fort Lauderdale told me he'd be happy to take your name and put it on a waiting list. Are you feeling lucky?
So why write about a machine that appears to be barely street legal and is available in limited number? Three reasons:
• Its the 10th anniversary of the Dodge Viper and this year, for the first time, it gets a total makeover.
• The readers' need to know.
• Who in their right mind turns down an opportunity to drive a wicked sports car that goes 0-60 in 3.9 seconds, 0-100 in 8.5?
Speed, of course, is key to the Viper formula. One could paint the road in rubber with this thing but, for the record, no one here is advocating such a driving style.
The new Viper is a full half-second faster than its predecessor. It has the same V10 as last year but the aluminum block, based on a cast-iron Dodge truck engine, has been bumped up from 488 to 505 cubic inches. It now cranks out 500 horses at 5600 rpm, and 525 pounds-feet of torque at 4200 rpm.
Talk about power going to your head. Imagine driving down the street and knowing you can take anything within sight.
All this power translates into many decibels. In other words, if you like to listen to the radio or CDs, forget about it. Between the engine and the road noise, the Viper is about as subtle as an airboat at high throttle. Its rumble is reminiscent of the muscle cars from the '60s.
Vipers ride is firm and, as you might expect when your hind quarters are just inches from the pavement, there is extreme road feel. But improvements in suspension over last year have been called dramatic.
Body roll? What's that? Cornering is smooth and flat. Helping to hold the road is Vipers monstrous tires -- Michelin run-flats, 19-inch in the rear, 18 up front. No need to carry a spare.
The shifter pops into gear with the slightest encouragement.
Chryslers redesign actually started with an eye on comfort. That involved expanding the wheelbase 2.6 inches and soon a whole redesign made more sense.
The Viper is wider this year and has a more balanced look. Front overhangs are shorter, and the grill is larger. The huge exhaust pipes with tips coming out the sides help everyone at an intersection hear Vipers growl.
One of the design changes for '03 is the foldable top. No push-buttons here -- its all manual. But it is easy to fold back and it tucks neatly into the front of the trunk.
While doors are bigger to make it easier to get into, the Viper still is not an easy machine to enter -- and keep the middle-age wisecracks to yourself.
Once inside, though, the car fits like a tailored suit. Leather seats cup your body and are trimmed in suede.
Improvements in the cockpit include more sophisticated-looking instruments, including a large tachometer with a 6250-rpm redline and a 220-mph speedometer. Smaller dials form a vertical row and are angled toward the driver.
Cup holders are nowhere to be found. Viper owners have better things to do and told Chrysler designer they didn't want them.
To fire up the engine, just turn the key and push the red start button. Vroooooommm!!!
No surprise that the Viper is mileage challenged. I got nervous right away when I looked at a sticker and under ''fuel-mileage information'' it was blank. The figures are a worrisome 12 in the city, but a more respectable 21 highway. I averaged around 14.
Add to your fuel bill a $3,000 gas guzzler tax, figured into the sticker price. That sticker on the tester was $83,795. Base price is just under $80,000.
One could reason that a Corvette -- far more available -- could be had for $30,000 less. But the Viper can be compared with some of the world's great exotics, some of which go for a couple of hundred thousand bucks more than the Viper.
Suddenly, the Viper becomes quite the value.
--------------------------------------------------------------
