The Dodge Viper combined swoopy styling with a V10 engine driving the rear wheels for five generations. CarWow got the opportunity to drive each iteration, including testing their 0-60 times and general thoughts about how each model feels from behind the wheel.
Naturally, the video starts with the first-gen Viper. It debuted in 1991 and went on sale in 1992. There was an 8.0-liter V10 under the long hood. This model came exclusively without a roof.
The second-gen Viper was the first one available with a proper roof. Buyers were able to get it as a coupe or as an open-top variant. As with every iteration, there was a V10 under the hood and a manual gearbox.
The third-gen Viper featured a V10 that now displaced 8.3-liter and now produced 500 horsepower. Like the second-gen, buyers could get it as a coupe or convertible. Production ran from the 2003 to 2006 model years.
The fourth-gen Viper saw the engine’s displacement increase to 8.4 liters. Now, it made 600 hp. It also marked a hiatus for the nameplate.
The Viper returned for its final generation to date for the 2013 model year. There was still an 8.4-liter V10, but it now made 640 hp. Later in the run, the output increased to 645 hp.
During the production run, Dodge offered the track-focused ACR variants several times. Generally, the focus was on improving the aerodynamics to perform better on a circuit. Suspension and brake upgrades were often part of the package, too.
Right now, there’s no indication of a sixth-generation Viper happening. There have been no announcements or spy shots of it.
Dodge is working on the Charger Daytona SRT EV as the future of its performance vehicles. The currently available info says that it has outputs between 455 horsepower and over 800 hp
