The redesigned
2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 is among the world's sexiest cars. It's also this country's only true two-seat sports car from a major manufacturer, outside of the Chevrolet Corvette.
But don't even consider the Viper SRT-10 (Street and Racing Technology and 10 cylinders) unless you're a serious sports car fan. Despite improvements, this awesome two-seater begins to wear you out after an hour on roads and is best suited to a race track.
A generally rental-truck ride, laser-quick steering that calls for constant attention to avoid accidentally entering an adjoining lane and high effort controls and sound levels take their toll.
Front tires are so huge that they want to follow every rut, groove and crown in the road--leaving first-time Viper drivers to wonder if the steering is screwed up. (Keep both hands on the wheel at all times.) They're run-flat tires, because a spare would take up too much space.
Those not in especially good shape should think twice about buying the car because sliding past its wide door sills and getting in or out of the low, narrow, race-style seats is a definite athletic exercise. Moreover, the side-mounted exhaust pipes make the door sills so warm that the car has a sign that warns of excessive sill heat.
But explosive full-throttle acceleration in the lower gears will almost give you black eyes, and handling is superb on smooth, dry roads. The all-disc anti-lock brakes provide race-car stopping power.
The first Vipers were very uncomfortable because they were a modern version of the ferocious 1960s Shelby Cobra 427 sports car from legendary racer/sports car builder Carroll Shelby, who helped design the first Viper.
"We're lucky we even got the Viper built, with the many federal auto rules and regulations that didn't exist when I built the Cobra 427,'' Shelby said. (The 1965-67 Cobra now is valued at $323,000.)
The Viper top was a joke and the brake pedal had so little movement that stomping on it was like pushing against a cement wall. The car stopped quickly, but wasn't very user-friendly.
In fact, the improved new Viper also is meant to be a no-frills all-out sports car like the Cobra 427. For example, the rear-drive car has no traction or skid control systems despite its horsepower and wide tires, which means it's a handful on slippery winter roads.
Still, the fiberglass-body Viper has become an American sports car icon since its debut in mid-1992 with no air conditioning or roll-down windows, although the rival Corvette arrived about 40 years earlier. The Viper was improved as time passed, and about 14,000 have found owners.
The price is high, but you'll pay well over $100,000 for a production sports car with that kind of power. And then you'll have to buy a European make that is costlier to maintain than the Viper and sold by a handful of dealers.
Moreover, the Viper is a solid investment; a 1992 Viper is valued at $58,650 in "excellent condition'' by the Cars of Particular Interest value guide, and that's thousands of dollars more than it cost when new. (Most Vipers are in excellent shape because they've been babied and seldom driven.)
The 2003 model is the first totally redesigned Viper since the car was introduced. This essentially hand-built car returns only as a convertible because the coupe version--introduced in 1996--has been dropped.
The 2003 Viper has new styling and stiffer, improved construction to cut down on characteristic Viper shakes and rattles. The larger new V-10 engine provides a staggering 500 horsepower--up from 450. Only a six-speed manual transmission is offered. It has a nice shifter, but a high-effort clutch.
The engine has gobs of torque, which means lazy drivers can start out in first or second gears and shift to fourth gear immediately, without a passenger even noticing--and then directly to sixth for highway cruising. In fact, if a driver moves slowly off the line, the car's shifter will automatically cause him to slide into fourth gear. (That gives a higher rating in the EPA city fuel economy test.)
The engine loafs at near-idle speed (1,250 rpm) in sixth gear at 65 mph, but fourth gear is needed for quick moves in expressway traffic.
Fuel economy is only an estimated 13 mpg in the city, which is to be expected with a fairly heavy 3,357-pound car and a giant engine. But it's a respectable 22 on the highway because of the low engine speed and an aerodynamic body. Premium gasoline is required.
The engine rumbles to life after you twist the ignition key and push the big red "start'' dashboard button. The 0-60 mph time is just a few eye blinks at 3.9 seconds, and the car tops out at 190 mph. So a Viper driver has all the power he needs for quick merging and passing, although the high-speed gearing doesn't allow quick 65-75 mph passing in sixth gear.
The new Viper also has a 2.6-inch-longer wheelbase to allow it to be fitted with its first decent (manual) convertible top. But the overall length is an inch less, thanks to the restyled body.
About the car's sharper-edged new styling: Some Viper fans are complaining that the new version lacks the visual clout of the old model. But the styling is cleaner and the front end strongly resembles the previous Viper's. Deep front fender scallops also are still there, although the one-piece "clamshell'' hood has been replaced with a separate hood and fenders.
The no-nonsense, fairly luxurious interior is roomy, although the small trunk is best suited to soft luggage. Exhaust rumble is loud in town, and the cockpit is rather noisy above 65 mph. Radio and climate controls are about the right size, and the heater works fine. So do the power windows. But the glovebox is tiny.
Power-adjustable pedals are a plus, allowing drivers of various sizes to get more comfortable at the wheel. Also, the pedals no longer are uncomfortably skewed to the left.
After finding no owner's manual, a fruitless search for an inside hood release left me wondering if the car even had one. It doesn't, which is a silly fault for an $80,000 car. Pop the hood and you'll see a nicely painted 8.3-liter engine that looks about a mile long. Even the top-horsepower (405) Corvette has a compact 5.7-liter V-8.
Front air bags are there, but no side air bags are offered. Still, the Viper is fairly well equipped, at least for what it is. Standard are power door locks with remote entry feature, tilt steering column, AM/FM/CD (which must be turned up a lot to hear clearly on highways), rear window defroster and power trunk release. The classic Cobra 427 didn't come close to having any of those items.
As with the old Viper, there's nothing like the new one.
2003 DODGE VIPER SRT-10
Prices:
$79,995
Likes:
Improved design. Awesome power. Sleek styling. Power-adjustable pedals. Unique.
Dislikes:
Choppy ride. High-effort controls. No traction control system. No inside hood release. Overly quick steering. Not as refined as rival Chevrolet Corvette.