Dodge Viper 1500 hp With. - king of drag racing

Since 1992, the Dodge Viper has steadily developed as one of the most powerful sports cars for dynamic trips, including on the race track. In 2017, the last new copy rolled off the assembly line, and on the same day the car became history, but it did not cease to be a legend at all. What is the “king of drag racing” capable of, and for what money can one buy this dream these days?

What is this drag racing of yours?

Drag racing is a motor sport, a short sprint race involving two rival cars. In the classic version, the race distance is 402 meters (exactly 1/4 mile). There are also races for 201, 804 and 1609 meters, but they are held much less frequently. There is only one thing - a straight track without a single turn, on which cars show their maximum potential.


Races in a straight line are especially popular in the United States, where they have been regularly held since the 50s of the twentieth century to this day. Races can be held on any type of transport, not only on cars, but also on motorcycles, scooters, bicycles. History even remembers races on lawn mowers and quite ordinary agricultural tractors. Anything that can drive in a straight line will do.

Despite the "omnivorousness" of drag racing, it is customary to build special cars for such races, the so-called dragsters. They are very light and extremely powerful, almost the entire mass is made up of the engine. Management, on the contrary, is extremely primitive, as the races take place on a straight track. In some professional dragsters, the motor power reaches 10-12 thousand hp. With.!


However, there are more "mundane" versions of cars on which you can "make" any serial and not very car. One of the brightest examples is the hero of today's review in the face of the Dodge Viper. Under its hood is 1500 liters. With. - far from an industry record, but already something like that, if we consider cars that are suitable for use on public roads.

Indestructible sports spirit

In the exterior of the car, everything suggests that we have a sports car in front of us, and by no means an ordinary one. It is easy to recognize it among other cars, even in its class, and this is true for the latest, fifth generation, and for older generations. The details change, but the bold design ideas remain the same from year to year. Perhaps this is what many still love the Dodge Viper for.

The large cabin is designed for landing only two people, but everything else performs purely technical tasks. A wide and long hood with large air intakes is the home of the monstrous 8,4-liter engine. The back is much smaller compared to the front, and there is a small trunk. Tuned versions have a massive spoiler in this place.


In the area of ​​​​the front bumper, we see large and backward optics with a perimeter of daytime running lights - all LED bulbs. In the central part of the radiator grille, the designers placed the Dodge Viper emblem. It is also interesting that this is the logo of this particular car, and not the brand. Especially for this, a branded emblem in the form of a cobra's head was developed from scratch.

King's heart

In the engine compartment of the 2017 Dodge Viper is an 8,4-liter V10 engine with a capacity of 1500 hp. With. The maximum torque is 814 Nm. This monstrous power is transmitted to the GKN ViscoLok limited slip differential via a TREMEC 6-speed manual transmission. Acceleration to the first hundred requires only 3,6 seconds. The maximum speed of the sports car is 331 km/h despite the fact that the speedometer has a mark of 350 km/h.


Big engine - a lot of fuel. The engine installed on the Dodge Viper consumes from 14,7 to 21,2 liters per 100 km, and these are only passport values. Fans of driving will clearly see somewhat large numbers. The good news is that you can fill the car with AI-95 fuel without any exotics.

Design features

The length of the car is 4463 mm, width 1941 mm, height 1247 mm. The ground clearance is only 127 mm - it’s better not to leave good roads, and rear-wheel drive obviously won’t help you get out of the mud. Despite the rather large dimensions, the car is relatively light - 1521 kg. The volume of the fuel tank is only 60 kg, which, taking into account the appetites of the engine, makes you often refuel.

Compared with the previous generation, the body of the sports car has become 50% more durable. This is primarily due to the manufacture of external body panels mainly from lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber. The frame of the car has a tubular structure and is made of durable steel. It is noteworthy that the weight of the engine has also decreased - in this version, its weight is as much as 11 kg less.


The body of the car is essentially a monolithic cocoon of aluminum and carbon, which provides the proper level of protection for the driver and passenger. For added safety, a full package of airbags, including side curtains, is provided. There is also a complete set of active systems, including adaptive cruise control, stabilization, adaptive front optics, ABS.

Advantages

Based on the features of the Dodge Viper, we can formulate a complete list of its advantages:

✅ massive V10 engine with incredible power of 1500 hp With.
✅ exciting dynamics that will not leave you indifferent
✅ the car confidently keeps on the road, the handling is excellent
✅ sporty exterior that is not to be confused with other cars
✅ rich history and fame of the brand - attention is guaranteed to you

The Viper is one of the few cars in its class and price segment that retains that unfiltered muscle car spirit, unlike the Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro.

Disadvantages

Like any car, even with a very narrow specialization, the Dodge Viper has disadvantages:

✅ high fuel consumption even for a powerful sports car
✅ limited view from the driver's and passenger's seats
✅ relatively high cost even for a Dodge car
✅ stiff suspension - critical if you drive not only on the track
✅ hard seats that take some time to get used to

Despite all the shortcomings, Viper is very popular in certain circles, while being somewhat inferior in terms of technical parameters to the same Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in its class.

How much is a dream worth?

You can't buy a new Dodge Viper anymore, especially in Russia. The car has not been produced for 5 years, so the only option is to go to the secondary market. But here is a problem, because in the Russian Federation there are very few copies of the legendary model on free sale. Those offers that are rare, but still occur, start at 5,5 million rubles and above. While Viper cars rolled off the assembly line, their cost averaged from 100 to 300 thousand US dollars, depending on the equipment. On average, for 5,5-6 million rubles, it is quite possible to buy a dream.

Conclusion

Dodge Viper is clearly not a car for everyday trips. You won’t drive it out of town, you won’t be able to take a large family to places of work and study, and standing on such a sports car in a traffic jam is not what you would like to do on a car with 1500 hp under the hood. With. This is a dream car for those who want to periodically break out of the gray everyday life, declare themselves on the road and “go into the sunset” at the green traffic light. The full potential of this car is possible only on a specially equipped track or drag racing track, and besides, it will be safer.