2008 Dodge Viper

There's a very slight right-hand kink in the front straight at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). It's barely noticeable even in something as fast as a 2000 Porsche 911. Experienced performance drivers negotiate it while scanning gauges, tightening shoulder harnesses, or sticking their left hands out the window to grab a bit of cooling 130-plus-mph breeze.


But in the 600-horsepower 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe, this gentle bend becomes a serious turn. A veteran racer can get through with his right foot flat to the floor, but don't ask what the gauges say. The reason: You're going a lot faster. The new Viper has 600 horsepower, double that of the '00 911.

Styling

To put 600 horsepower in perspective: At Daytona and Talladega, restrictor plates limit NASCAR Cup cars to about 470 horsepower; an '07 Indy car engine made roughly 670 horses.


Neither of these meets California's Low Emission Vehicle 2 requirements, as does the Viper's 8.4-liter V-10. Even when running behind the pace car, both Cup and Indy cars get single-digit fuel mileage: The Viper's EPA rating is 13/22, city/highway mpg. A win-capable Cup engine—without car—costs more than the Viper's $84,000 starting price. No one could buy a '07 Honda Indy car engine, but for about $1.5-million you could lease enough to supply one—and only one—car for the racing season.


On the twisty VIR road-racing track with an experienced race driver operating the Viper Coupe's controls, it's shockingly easy to produce extremely quick lap times. (We drove the Coupe on the track and the Roadster on public roads.) One reason: Its Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, which feature extra-sticky tread rubber special for the Viper. They give the Viper raw grip far beyond the experience of all but those who own fire-resistant suits.

Interior

The '06 Viper (there was no '07) suffered from too little front grip to allow it to produce optimum lap times. When a NASCAR driver complains that his car is pushing, he means the front tires are losing grip a lot earlier than the rears: The '06 pushed significantly. However, if you lack a racer's skill and experience, push is far safer than the alternative of having the rear tires lose grip before the fronts: When that happens the car may spin out. On the racetrack, the '08 Viper's front tires slide just slightly before the rears: It's a near-perfect condition for car-club-style track-day events.