You hear the roar of the engine, the screams of the tires, and look up only to see a large quad - split grill looking you right in the eye. For those of you that don't know what I am talking about, I'm talking about probably one of the most world renowned supercars. The Dodge Viper...
The Beginning
The Dodge Viper was first introduced back in 1989 at the Detroit Autoshow. Viper "VH-01," as they called it, was completed in 1990. It was featured in many shows and the like. As the viper went through history, so did its inner workings. Dodge/Chysler Corp. reworked many of the vipers stylings and inner workings. Over the years that the car has been around, it has had many "face lfits," from the original "Viper - TV show, concept look" to the full out soon to be production beast of a car that it is now, the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT/10 (right)
The Heart of the Monster
The Massive V-10 engine that was originally incorporated into the viper still stands today. Though it is at a much larger scale then it was when the Viper was first created, it still struck fear into the heart's of those who saw it. When the Viper was first introduced, Dodge said it would have a mear 300bhp to give it the get up and go that it required. After thinking it over many times Dodge decided to release the final version of the "first-gen" Viper/RT/10 with a monster V10 that could crank out a massive 400bhp. This would distinct the Viper from the rest of the pack. The Vipers massive V10 is a 20 valve oversized, pumped up monster that is type 8.3L V10 with displacement of 8277/505 with SEFI fuel system and a manual transmission with OD (Overdrive).
Styling Cues
The Viper has many unique styling cues that set it apart from other sports cars that try to imitate its reputation. The wide nose of the car dipes down at the front bumper, which is built in to a smoothly reclining front facial panel. The Vipers head lights are slanted downward from top to bottom suggestive of the deeply burried fog lights for hunting down the prey (Anything you find on the road). As you progress backwards you can see the wide swooping fenders of the the hide the width of the front tires nicely. One of the things that I find very interesting about the viper, and what sets it apart from the other cars, is the large half-oval cut in the fenders near the beginning of the left and right doors. The real reason for this is not just for styling, but to vent some of the heat created by that monster V10 under the hood. The Viper only sports two doors, two very long doors, that are nicely curved into the body. At second glance you will notice that the Viper has no door handles. This would ruin the shape and style of the car if it did. Since the earlier RT/10 models of the viper have side exhaust pipes, the underneath of the side doors sport a large, black cover which helps keep some of the heat from the exhaust pipes down. Because if you landed ur leg on one of those pipes, watch out, they are very hot! At the back of the car we can find a nicely tucked away pair of rear lights that again almost support the same style of as the front ones. The rear end of the viper seals of to complete its oval like shape. On the GTS and more modern versions of the RT/10, the exhaust pipes are out the back in the middle of the rear end. Both are tightly positioned together which helps with aerowdynamics.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Dodge Viper is an extrodinary car, that of which can only be achieved, seen or felt, by actually experiencing this incredible vehicle. But in the end it all comes down to the price, if you have roughly $98,000 you could soon be the proud owner of a brand new Dodge Viper.
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