The Dodge Viper GTS…when the original RT/10 roadster showed it’s face in production form, it was simply a great nod to the AC/Shelby Cobra and Carroll Shelby’s legacy. It was also a swift kick to the junk to any and everyone who thought Chrysler could only do front-wheel-drive crackerboxes anymore. The Viper had curves that could cause traffic accidents and had power figures not seen out of Auburn Hills since the early 1970s. Ten cylinders, six speeds, two doors…this wasn’t a poster car, this was automotive pornography. And then came the Viper GTS and suddenly, the roadster, which had many faults as a daily driver in reality, became a toy and the coupe became something more. It looked somehow even more violent and purpose-driven. It somehow was even shapelier. And it gave nothing up in the way of dream machine looks or performance. In fact, it gained power.
Now, a sad reality for someone who drooled all over himself the first time he ever saw one: Viper GTS first appeared in 1996, making it twenty-two years old. That means…nothing. You are still looking at spending at least $40,000 or more on one. But why? Because valuation…people see dollar signs over this car, one of Chrysler’s biggest home runs of the last fifty years. Which means that many sit in showrooms or garages, and come out only for an occasional puttering around. Screw that. If you don’t think that 8.0L V-10 can’t take abuse, remember that most of that engine’s basic design is derived from the Chrysler 318 V8, an engine that most people have royally abused with zero after-care with no real ill effects. The only thing wrong with giving a Viper the full boot is the noise it makes, and we can overlook that sound when the car is being used to have some fun.
When stupid people get nice cars….