Storming out of the depths
like a bat out of hell, the 5th generation,
hand-built Viper returns
with an entrance greater than
the strength of an ox, faster
than a 2-year-old steed, and as
agile as a cheetah on the hunt.
Its unwavering reputation since
1992 with weekend warriors and
race fans is now more defining
than ever, with the heightened
level of power, technology, and
intelligence instilled in its DNA
code. This is a snake with what
appears to be five lives – each
new generation we’ve thought
to be the last. But this new version
is a hit – a new breed of
American born supercar.
Street and Racing Technology
(SRT) brainstormed with
Ralph Gilles, Chrysler designer
and President and CEO of SRT
and Motorsports to unleash one
of the baddest and most inimitable
raceway ready sports cars
on the market. Carbon Fiber,
aluminum and composites comprise
the high-tech and aerodynamic
shell as well as many
parts in the cockpit.
The heart and soul of the
Viper is its powerful 8.4-liter
all-aluminum V-10 engine. It
makes 640 horsepower at 6,150
rpm and 600 lb.-ft. of torque
at 4,950 rpm. An improved
Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual
transmission with shorter
throws is assigned the duty of
transferring all that power to
the rear wheels. What does this
translate too?
Fanatics will be happy to
note that the GTS features a
2-mode suspension for comfortable
street driving or firm track
racing. Additionally, its stability
control/traction control system
has four modes as opposed
to only two modes in the base
SRT model, which starts at
$97,395. I didn’t however find
the street mode on the $120,395
GTS any more comfortable
for a daily drive. I would give
myself an hour before cabin
fever set in. Inexorably, the
Viper belongs on the circuit, in
a race environment. Especially
when the optional Track Package
is selected, which changes
the rims, tires and brakes
while reducing the weight by
57-lbs. Another key difference
between the two models is the
amount of sound deadening
packaged between the passenger
and those extremely wide
rear wheels, which are only
5” to 6” away from the seats.
Road noise was quite disparate
between the two passenger ride
experiences.
It doesn’t take long to ascertain
that the Viper is just vicious!
It’s also very tech-savvy, featuring
Uconnect multi-media
system with 8.4” screen, with
big user-friendly icons, making
it simple to use. Its navigation
now has 3D graphics with
landmarks rendered exactly as
actual buildings appear. Lastly,
the system outputs detailed
charts of your SRT performance
stats and allows you to
send results to your friends. I
was curious however, as to why
Navigation is not standard in
the base SRT model yet comes
standard with the GTS. At that
price point, I shouldn’t have to
pay more for Nav. Lastly, Sprint
3G WIFI can be ordered to
allow you to connect external
mobile devices for an additional
charge. The GTS further separates
itself from the SRT with
power adjustable seats and a
rear view camera. Both share
the thick, flat bottom steering
wheel which remains the same
size as the outgoing model.
Minor quibbles include the
shallow door map pockets and
the too-close-for-comfort pedals,
including the dead pedal
that sometimes had me accelerating
as opposed to braking.
They are more suited for heeland-
toe. So don’t expect to wear
boots when driving your SRT
supercar.? Other than that, the
new Viper is a brilliant sports
car that exudes emotional stimulation
in every aspect while
offering technology of the modern
world. It’s a Rebel Soul from
Detroit, so what else would you
expect?
