When Dodge actually started selling Vipers in January, 1992, the world sat up and took notice. Dodge, who up to that point had been awash in K-cars and minivans, hadn’t been doing so well. The last new product, the Monaco (a rebadged Eagle Premier, itself a rebadged Renault 21) was a sales flop and the last rear-drive model, the Diplomat, had been phased out in 1989 after years of mainly fleet sales. While the Viper Concept cars had drawn up enthusiasm, the question was always present: would Dodge actually have the guts to put it into production? Sure enough, they did. With hints of AC Cobra all around it, a basic interior and driving characteristics that didn’t tolerate anything less than professional drivers, the Viper was a startling appearance from the Dynastys and Sundances that filled the dealer lots.

But just how good was the original RT/10 roadster? When it burst onto the scene, it was a direct head-to-head competitor with the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, which packed the Lotus-tweaked LT5 mill and was good for 405 horsepower. Back then, it was one hell of a challenger to the world market. Take a guess at how it’d fare today before you hit play. They still look killer after all of these years, but you might want to be a bit more careful at the stoplights nowadays…