Review: Dodge Viper GTS-R

Actually, the new Viper, is not the meanest of them all: those of you who forgot the 2000 GTS-R would commit a real crime.
Fifteen years ago, Dodge introduced, for endurance racing, its most powerful model, with about 750 horses and extreme from every point of view: spoiler, air intakes, big wing, a rear diffuser of the size of a cruise ship and an even more low and sleek line.
The GTS-R obviously took part in competitions, but the 100 units built for road use were virtually identical and gave the feeling of sitting behind the wheel of a real competition car.
In the street version there was no room for any kind of comfort: suspension were lowered and stiffened, every little hole in the ground would be a shock to your spine; the huge rear spoiler created such downforce that it was necessary to use it at full speeds appropriate to its size, while the impressive diffuser did the rest of the work keeping you glued to the road. It is not an easy car of course, there’s no ABS, traction control, nothing at all: in the cockpit in addition to the pedals, steering wheel and gearbox are your only companion, alongside with the handbrake lever and some aircraft-style button for the lights. Even the air vents have been plugged and everything is covered with materials like aluminum or matt lamination.
Personally I was lucky enough to do a few laps at the wheel of the racing version at famous circuit in Monterey, the Laguna Seca Raceway: to be honest it was not only the most powerful Viper I’ve ever driven, but also the most “harsh” one. The feedback that the steering wheel and the frame gave me was total, I will never forget that experience, when after a few laps I was accelerating out of the corners, putting it a little sideways, controlling the drift with the gas without the typical rosary you have to recite every time you try a similar maneuver with an American car full of horses.
Too bad that the beautiful game lasted only a handful of laps and then I had to stop the car.
The road version is extremely rare and less powerful than the racing one: it has 460 horses, but puts them on the ground with the same violence of the track’s sister, you can bet on it.

Luciano Reglia

VIPER GTS-R (2000)

Layout – front-engined, rear wheel drive

Engine – V10 cylinder V 8000cc

Transmission – 6-speed manual gearbox

Power – 460 hp

Weight – n.d.

Acceleration – n.d.

Top Speed – n.d.

Price – n.d.