1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos

1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos

1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos

1995 Dodge Viper (continued)

Walkaround

You can’t exactly say that the Viper has a no-nonsense look about it. Every one of its plastic panels has been formed to catch the eyes of customers and passersby alike. It’s curvaceous and exciting, from a giant front-air inlet to side exhausts (which will burn legs that wander too close) to a wide, flat tail.

Swoopy looks, though, don’t translate into aerodynamic efficiency; with a 0.55 drag coefficient, the Viper is about as slick as a brick wall on wheels.

Ordinarily, that would lead to a discussion about wind noise and fuel economy. There’s plenty of the former (the Viper is an open car, after all), and more of the latter than you might expect, though it’s the big, lazy engine and long gear ratios that make the Viper surprisingly fuel efficient on the highway.

Lift that monolithic slab of molded composite material between the nose and windshield and the Viper’s huge 8.0-liter V10 engine dominates the view. With 400 hp on tap, the aluminum powerhouse moves the 3500-lb. Viper down the road as quickly as conditions – and the local authorities – will allow.

Interior Features

In contrast to the gee-whiz exterior, the Viper’s passenger bay is businesslike to the edge of starkness.

All basic instruments are supplied in an array facing the driver, basic heater/vent controls and an entry-level radio are situated in the center console, and a stubby shift lever sprouts from the center of the transmission tunnel. The rest of the inside is all seat and leg space.

Door-mounted passive seat belts take the place of airbags. Though inconvenient when left buckled during entry and exit (as passive belts are supposed to be), they are excellent otherwise, holding both driver and passenger snugly in place.

The spartan interior of the Viper may not be to everyone’s liking. There are no extraneous toys to play with, and little to look at except that expanse of gray plastic sweeping across the car from door to door.

Sighting over the wide fenders can be difficult for shorter drivers, too, and rearward vision makes backing up a chancy proposition.

Worse, perhaps, are some errors and omissions that detract from the driver’s pleasure. There’s no place for the left foot to rest except on the clutch pedal, the instruments’ red lighting makes them difficult to read at night and taller drivers will wish a little more room had been provided for seatback adjustment.

Also, everyone will find the constant wind buffeting in the cockpit tiresome during long trips.

Do any of these little complaints detract from the fun of owning or driving a Viper in any serious way? Not at all.

1995 Dodge Viper Review, Prices, Photos