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18 June 2022 Redazione News, Supercars Lounge

VIPER RT/10

Words Andrea Balti / Photos Chrysler Archive

It’s a deadly bite, one that leaves no room for the slightest uncertainty and that could make you pay for the slightest mistake. It’s the Viper and it is one of the most loved “poster cars” ever, indicated by some as the reincarnation of the legendary Shelby Cobra, with whom it not only shares the creeping name, but an authentic widow maker’s behavior, an immortal shape and the ability to ruffle your hairstyle in the most agitated way you can ever imagine. Most agree that the Viper is also a sort of modern interpretation of the more traditional muscle cars, a wide, low and exaggerated two-seater just like the immense engine that tries in every way to hide under the bulky bonnet. What is certain is that in an instant it has been able to capture the attention and hearts of enthusiasts, in the same way as great stars and stripes icons such as Corvette, Mustang and Camaro did.

The first generation began to materialize towards the end of 1989, while already in 1991 three Vipers were used as pace cars at the Indianapolis 500. The following year – in 1992 – it finally started production, first only offered with the RT/10 version, that is a Targa type body and then – starting from 1996 – also as a GTS coupe, with the famous double bubble roof, which recalls solutions adopted in the world of racing, so as to be able to offer the possibility of sitting on board with a helmet, without for this reason having problems of habitability. Where the Viper doesn’t care about half measures and practicality is up front. The beating heart of this lethal snake is in fact an 8-liter V10, an old-school engine that if today seems an affront to the entire global ecosystem, thirty years ago reminded us that in the States, the bigger, the better.

There are 455 horsepower delivered at 5,200 rpm and 664 Nm of impressive torque that try to break your neck with a brutality and ferocity unrelated to any European product. Traction on the rear axle combined with a 6-speed manual gearbox is all that separates an inconceivable rush of adrenaline from total disaster, also thanks to an attitude that at high speeds is difficult to keep under control, even by the most expert drivers. The bodywork is made of steel tubes covered with fiberglass panels, stopping the overall weight at about 1,488 kg, quite a good value above all taking into account the mass of the engine itself, but the absence of devices such as ABS and traction control have made famous the desire to widen the rear as soon as the pressure on the accelerator pedal became less delicate than usual, even when the front wheels were perfectly straight.

Untamable? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely yes. The magic of the RT/10 is in fact the result of the very madness of a project almost thrown into the world without great expectations, yet capable of playing the role of a milestone in motoring, breaking any link or comparison with the more conventional European sports cars. The Viper is a symbol, an icon, a perfect Made in U.S.A. product, created according to those canons that make you immediately imagine yourself with an arm hanging out of the door, the wind in your hair and the hum of the V10 that gets lost in a immense isolated road in the belly of some Arizona desert. And then, trying to bring out all the courage possible and obviously a lot of madness as well, you could always push the throttle in a mixture of kindness and respect, counting on performances like a top speed of 290 per hour and a 0-100 kph in just 4 and a half seconds.

The Viper also has the great merit of having remained true to itself, not only concerning its look, but as a concept of pure sports car. After all, what would you have expected from a car that has a sticker inside the door that reads “Serious injury can occur. Hot exhaust pipe below door opening”. Over the years it has in fact welcomed different updates, as in 2003 with the arrival of the SRT10 and then again in 2012, with the latest generation, which was also made available with even more aesthetically and dynamically aggressive specs, as in the case of the ACR. In all this time, going through periods of profound changes in the way of conceiving sports cars, the Viper has always been impossible to tame, without for this reason ever being branded as a broken promise, or as a series B performance car. It has always been able to stand out from the crown like a noisy friend, or a surprise you do not expect and which we will always miss in an increasingly politically correct automotive world.