Dodge Viper 2007
January 1, 2007
When Dodge introduced the Viper over a decade ago, it brought a vehicle to market that had not been seen in many years: the down-and-dirty sports car. The Viper harked back to an era when sports cars were handbuilt and creature comforts were given short shrift. What mattered was not that the car lacked a proper roof and side windows, but that an 8-liter V-10 engine lurked beneath the Viper’s hood. This was a street-legal car built for weekend track days, not for a daily commute. The fundamentals have not changed with the latest Viper, although the convertible version (there is also a coupe) now boasts an elegant new look, and incorporates an articulating fabric drop-top and functional glass windows. The accommodations are still Spartan and the lack of insulation will warm your feet, even on cool days. But the V-10 engine—now an 8.3-liter unit putting out a riotous 510 hp—needs less than four seconds to move the Viper to 60 mph. And that’s just where the fun starts.
PRICE: $82,745 (convertible); $83,995 (coupe)
ENGINE: 8.3-liter V-10
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
POWER: 510 hp at 5,600 rpm
TORQUE: 535 ft lbs at 4,100 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,436 pounds (convertible); 3,453 pounds (coupe)
0-60 MPH: under 4 seconds
TOP SPEED: 190 mph (est.)
PROS: Fast on the road, better on the track
CONS: Not really an everyday driver
brought to you by:
advertisement
