I got home. It was early this morning and the roads were dry and clear. Had taken the cover off yesterday for an afternoon drive - gotta break in this wonderful motor all over again after the rebuild at Arrow (note to Ron: So far, so good!).
I dropped my young teenage son off at school and he was grinning ear to ear. It has been three months since he last rode in it. I drove home and just enjoyed the short drive. As usual, I pulled just past the driveway to back it in (I have the good fortune to have a three lane driveway so it is easy to angle it and keep the lower fascia from scraping). I then backed it into the garage and onto the carpet mats my wife put down for it. I got out of the car, grinning ear to ear myself. I shut the door and looked over at my Viper supplies. That is when it hit me.
Sitting there in the corner was a shiny black helmet. That I bought for racing the Viper. I stared at it for a second and it dawned on me: I have the privilege of owning a race car. Oh sure, anybody can buy one and drive one. Even more buy them and store them away for short sunny drives. But sitting right next to this helmet was a car that was purpose built to dominate virtually every other car made today. Not just to eek out a win, but truly establish a performance gap that other manufacturers would work years to even come close. The Corvette is an AWESOME machine and a true value for the money. However, it seems that much of the development went towards keeping a cup of coffee from spilling vs. gut wrenching power. And despite the "raw" nature of the Viper, they are built tough as well. During our officers meeting of the local Viper club last night, we talked about a Viper that had wrecked violently some time ago. Despite rolling several times, EVERYTHING was intact when it came to rest (including the driver). Watch any other car wreck at that speed and you will find doors, trunk lids and numerous other parts littering the path. Purpose built indeed.
Which brings me to the 2003. I have not made a single comment, other than a rushed call to Bill Pemberton to ask what he would be selling in the fall of 2002 - since the replies on this board didn't indicate a rush to place an order for one. I have gone back and looked at the pictures over and over again. Did I fall head over heels in love with it? Not really. But then I took another step back and thought more about the ownership experience for so many of us. We own a car that is considered an "exotic" due to very limited production, relative high cost, and obscene amounts of power no "normal" car could fathom. Has any of this changed for 2003? You betcha: It's even MORE powerful and even more audacious than the original.
Okay, okay, the looks are not as "wild" as the first generation of the car. Is it ugly? Heck no! It is a gorgeous car that still screams power. What little it lacks in wild looks, it more than makes up in performance. Since I haven't seen any side-by-side specs, allow me:
2001 Dodge Viper RT/10
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2003 Dodge Viper RT/10
Length: 175.1 in.
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Length: 175.5 (longer)
Width: 75.7 in.
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Width: 84.9 (MUCH wider)
Height: 43.9 in.
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Height: 47.7 (current GTS is 47)
Weight: 3443 lbs.
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Weight: 3357 (lighter)
Engine: 8.0 liter V-10
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Engine: 8.3 liter V-10 (bigger)
Horsepower: 450 SAE net
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Horsepower: 500 SAE net (that's FIFTY more!)
Throw in even better brakes, bigger wheels and tires, and you have yourself a certified exotic by ANY measure. More importantly, with a wider track and FIFTY more horsepower in a lighter package, there is nothing else like it on the road. NOTHING. And while we can say that the looks aren't quite as cutting-edge as the Viper was when it first appeared on the car show circuit in 1989, the exotic car nature is even more obvious. Let's face it, people generally admire our cars from afar until you open the hood - then they come running. Imagine popping the hood on this new car and exposing one of the most kick-*** engines EVER built for any production car in the WORLD. I don't think there has ever been anything like it in the history of American made cars. And while I truly do love the Vette, it just set them back another ten years to catch up. The 2001 is already rumored to eliminate the one advantage the Z06 had, which was brakes. Make it lighter, wider, and add 50 more ponies and you are back to the same dominance of the original.
I, for one, have decided to start saving up my pennies and will put one of these in the garage at some point. It will dominate at the track and the strip, and will pull a crowd at every car show. Say what you like, but this is not just another "cookie cutter" sports car like so many others. My hat is off to the folks at Dodge that had the vision and the courage to up the ante so much with this new car. I am very proud to own a Viper.
Chris
