AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
An American Dream
The 1992 Dodge Viper
When it was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in 1989, the public adored the Viper. And can you blame them? A low, wide, mean-looking two-seater roadster with a hunched stance — it was practically a modern version of the AC Cobra. A legend in its own right. Dodge had clearly built a winner.
With an 8-liter engine instead of the revered 427 (7-litre), and a 90 degree V10 instead of a V8, in the early 90s the Viper looked like everything a future, high-end sports car should have. Despite a surprisingly hefty curb weight, and a rather conventional chassis underneath, the Viper promised ballistic performance.
“A legend in its own right. Dodge had clearly built a winner.”
The engine, developed with the help of Lamborghini, developed 400bhp and 450lb/ft of torque. This meant it didn’t really matter what gear you were in; the Viper had the ability to pin you back into your seat — hard. The squeal of tires, and a surprisingly muted but symphonic exhaust note added to the experience. 0–60 could be dealt with in a shade over four seconds, and if you had the nerves to keep your foot down, the Viper would take you all the way to the high side of 170mph.
“This was not a car for beginners.”
It was only once the hype died down that some of the Viper’s less attractive features began to show. The supplied soft top was useless at keeping out the elements, and the build quality was only marginally better than that of a kit-car in places. This gave the Viper a sort of overgrown, go-kart feel; fun, but unnerving when doing serious speeds. The nervous, twitchy handling didn’t help, and although the Viper was fitted with a quick (assisted) steering rack and big brakes the car was quite unforgiving, especially on bumpy roads. This was not a car for beginners.
“it didn’t really matter what gear you were in; the Viper had the ability to pin you back into your seat — hard.”
Outside of the USA, the main complaint was the size of the Viper, which felt much too large, overweight, and brash when compared to its European competitors. A Viper in Europe looked as out of place as a lost tourist, but none of that really mattered. Dodge had created an American icon that would stand the test of time. In a few years, the Viper would also go on to spawn its very own fixed-head version, the Dodge Viper GTS.
Holloway, H. and Buckley, M., 1999. The A-Z Of Cars. Godalming, Surrey: Colour Library Direct.
Daniel is a writer, senior teacher, and geographer based in Malta. His main passion is empowering students to fulfill their aspirations and reach their goals.
