2005 Dodge Viper Preview

Getting Bit by Dodge's Viper

Approaching its 12th year, the Dodge Viper is still the meanest, baddest American muscle car on the market.

People shout at you when you drive the Viper, the performance flagship of DaimlerChrysler's Dodge division, and the things they shout seem sincerely respectful.

"You gotta nice car, bro" is by far the most common comment we heard in New York, from both pedestrians and other drivers who admired while they idled. This is the sort of car in which you can cut off a line of 15 cars waiting at a toll booth, and still nobody will mess with you (expect perhaps the authorities).

The Viper, raw and unapologetic, is a classic American muscle car and, as a convertible with two seats slung low to the ground, an evolution of the classic sports-car form.

It is also one of the most popular cars that Dodge makes. Although small compared to the rest of Dodge's product line, Vipers are a hit. According to DaimlerChrysler, year-to-date sales through October are 1,868, up from 1,389 for the same period in 2002. But with an MSRP of more than $80,000 (our fully loaded tester was $84,795), it is easy to see that even though it might appeal to the mass market, the mass market will never be able to afford it.

Its exhaust sound alone is not to be believed. Among American cars, only General Motors' Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Motor's new GT supercar make as nasty a growl. Like those vehicles, the Viper makes you feel like a race car driver. This is not only because of its gigantic, 8.3-liter, 500-horsepower V-10 engine, but also because, like a race car, it can be a hot and uncomfortable place to be.

The Viper has actually become more and more refined since its introduction in 1992. The 2004 Viper SRT-10 (SRT is a performance designation; Dodge's hot-rod sedan is the Neon/SRT-4, and the pickup with the Viper engine is the Ram SRT-10) adds white as an exterior paint option and standardizes the bright red brake calipers that you see within the wheels. But the Viper was completely overhauled for the 2003 model year.

The new, third-generation Viper has a longer wheelbase, an all-new V-10, a lower hood with a larger grille opening and a much-needed new HVAC system.

Dodge can give it all the refinements it wants; the Viper still has virtually no manners. People ask me if it shakes while you drive it. Let's put it this way: When you get out of the car, you look like the cartoon character that was using a jackhammer and continued to vibrate after it was taken away, as if he were still jackhammering.

The ride is still pretty primitive. The Viper bucks and grunts like the most uncooperative horse you have ever ridden, and slowing it down doesn't help matters. As my girlfriend said, "Every time you slow down, it says, 'Whoa-ho-ho! What are you doing, buddy? Let's go!' "

But the nice thing about the Viper is that if you can keep your cool and look confident while driving, or getting in and out of it, other people won't know how uncomfortable you are. They will just see the styling, and/or hear the engine, and politely give you all you the room you need.