The First-Gen Dodge Viper was Challenging, but Rewarding
There’s a lot to be said for giving a car an actual word for a name instead of just a collection of letters and numbers. A string of alphanumeric characters on the rear end of a vehicle may give you a hint about the size of the engine under the hood, but that’s about it. Back when Dodge named its outrageous, new, open-top, V10 sports car the Viper (Viper RT/10, technically), it was clear what kind of machine it had made.
Unless they work in a pet store or have one for a pet, most people stop when they come upon a snake. They’re not used to seeing one and have a pronounced reaction to the sight of it. That must’ve been what it was like then the original Dodge Viper, like the 1993 RT/10 model shown in the following MotorWeek video, was slithering around city streets and highways as a new car. Just look at it. Although the Corvettes and Mustangs of the time were handsome in their own ways, neither one of them had the freeze-you-in-your-tracks curves of the Viper or its outrageous proportions.
Although it didn’t have venom or fangs, the RT/10 struck with the force of its V10 engine’s 400 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque through the rear tires. That massive amount of twist allowed it to lunge out of the corners of the Pocono Raceway that MotorWeek used for its review. The Viper’s short wheelbase and quick steering gave it “lightning-quick turn-in.” On the track, it was not a machine to be taken lightly or disrespected, much like its animal namesake. It was meant to be pushed hard in that kind of environment; the limits of street driving were seen as a waste of its performance potential, which thrilled MotorWeek‘s staff.
It’s good to know that both race teams and people who don’t wear fire-retardant suits to work have enjoyed Vipers of all kinds in everyday and track day settings over the past 20+ years. It’s just too bad that it’s one of the soon-to-be-extinct species in the automotive world.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
