First-generation Dodge Viper RT/10 Is a Deceptive Beast

Dodge’s outrageous first-generation Viper is a cunning predator that can fool you into thinking you’re in total control. 

The first-generation Dodge Viper RT/10 had the backing of Carroll Shelby. It had space on the bedroom wall of every teenage boy in the country. And it had a reputation that persists to this day for being a volatile monster of a car that could turn on you (literally) in an instant. Did the Viper deserve it? According to YouTuber David Patterson (aka ThatDudeInBlue), it did.

In one of his recent videos, Patterson is lucky enough to get the keys to a largely stock 1993 Viper RT/10. Largely. His test car is fitted with a few aftermarket parts to make it more livable, such as hard windows and a hardtop with a functional scoop. The massive 8.0-liter V10 under the giant hood lets out its raspy wail through an upgraded exhaust.

A six-speed manual and rear-wheel drive process the V10‘s 400 horsepower…and that’s about it. There’s no traction control, no stability control, or even airbags. The interior is equally simple: hard plastics, a steering wheel with visible Allen-head screws, and white-faced gauges. Despite the Viper’s huge engine and outsized presence, the cockpit is a close fit with a footbox that skews hard left.

Patterson is a pro when it comes to driving high-performance cars, but even he has to adapt to the Viper. The notchy gearbox makes the 2-3 shift a bit tricky. Luckily, even when Patterson goes from 2nd to 5th gear, the V10 has enough torque to keep going.

The Viper’s turn-in is respectable for a car of its age and primitiveness. There’s a catch to its steering, though. A big one. According to Patterson, “It has this feeling that you’re connected to the car, but that’s also why I think a lot of people had false sense of … invincibility in this thing.” That didn’t last long for many drivers of the first-generation Viper back in the day. “When the Vipers first came out, 50 percent of them were totaled or crashed.” Patterson is smart enough to respect the awesome power and nearly nonexistent safety tech around him. “This is a magnet to a tree if you floor it in the wrong way.”

Fortunately, Dodge didn’t completely neuter the Viper after its first generation came to an end. The RT/10’s savage DNA lived on until the end of the Viper itself. Patterson says, “The gen-five Viper feels like you get the thrill and the scariness of this car, but done in a way to where it’s safer for the average consumer.”

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Derek Shiekhi

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.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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