The Viper

Lets start with a video about the history of the Viper, from its creation, up until today. 

http://vimeo.com/39664078

Right. So here's a little list of reasons why the SRT Viper is great.

1. Its roots: The Viper started basically as a dream, that took shape with a couple of guys with a passion for genuinely great, fast cars, working after hours for pure enjoyment. The Viper was born as a commitment to American muscle, but not in the way that we see so commonly, sacrificing handling and grip for tail-happiness and straight-line speed. The Viper is the American supercar.
2. The maker: Street and Racing Team, or SRT, has taken on different names since they first conceptualized the Viper in 1989, but their goal has remained the same: build a supercar that, while rooted in American muscle, can win against the best on a track
3. The performance: The engine is just a massive V10. The power that the Viper's engine puts out was enough to break the record time for an American production car around the Nürburgring in 2011 - only second in all "production" cars to the Gumpert Apollo. The Viper ACR of the same year also broke lap time records at Laguna Seca and won numerous events Le Mans.

But all those records was the old Viper. That is in the past.

This new 2013 Viper, is almost definitely going to be even quicker - take a second to think about that.

A picture comparison: notice the body styling and and the lines. They have barely changed.

This car was released for retail sale in 1991. Not far off a Ferrari 599. In truth, it looks so modern that I would buy this if it came out today. The Viper's production team was a group of visionaries.

Now two little things have changed that have drawn some complaints; the lights and the logo. The lights have been changed  due to new government mandates, that require headlamps to be a certain height. The logo was voted in by current Viper owners. Beautiful customer involvement strategy, SRT. Outside of those little things, the meat of it is the same. The engine and tuning is about the same, but apparently this one is going to handle better and be more grippy while cornering.

You may want to hear what is realistically wrong with this car, after all, the Americans could have never actually built a supercar that is any good, could they? Oh yes. They have done just that.

The only real complaint I heard that may be of concern to prospective buyers, or car enthusiasts was from racing car driver Randy Pobst, who, while taking the Viper around a track test at Laguna Seca, said it is "fun and satisfying, but you better be on your game if you're going to drive fast in a Viper." So okay, maybe its still a little bit of a bear to drive,  but I think that SRT weren't going for the same target market as Hyundai and Kia. 

Pobst also said that the "ride is terrible, but who cares on the track." He's exactly right about this. Viper drivers aren't into their speedy investment because is comfortable or plush. 

That, to me, is what's great about the Viper - unashamedly loud, uncomfortable, and blazing fast. And in addition to that, this can serve to silence all of those European petrol-heads, who seem to think that Americans can't make a proper supercar.

The old Viper was undoubtedly a wonderful car.
The new Viper is just as fantastic, but improved in terms of grip. I can't wait to see some of the records it'll break.

indisputably

GREAT CAR