The 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10 is available as either a two-seat coupe or a soft-top roadster. Standard equipment includes heavily bolstered racing-style seats, power-adjustable pedals, full power accessories, a tilt steering wheel, keyless entry and a seven-speaker, 300-watt audio system with a six-disc CD changer. The wheels and tires are massive: 18-inch forged-alloy wheels in front, 19s at the rear, clad in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup PS2s sized 275/35 in front and 345/30 out back. The brakes are equally oversized, as there are 14-inch ventilated discs at all four corners.
Under the long hood is an 8.4-liter V10 engine that puts out stupendous numbers: 600 hp and 560 pound-feet of torque. All that thrust runs to the fat rear tires through a six-speed manual gearbox (the only transmission available) and can catapult the Viper to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in only 11.8 seconds. Not much on the planet can touch this Dodge.
Apart from the mandatory front airbags (which now have multistage deployment and occupant-sensing technology), safety equipment on the Dodge Viper is sparse. There are no side airbags, no traction control and no stability control. Massive four-wheel antilock disc brakes assure rapid stops from 60 mph in just 104 feet.
Although the optional two-tone interior schemes (black with red, tan, blue or slate) and available graphite or "light arc" dash panel accents dress things up considerably this year, the cockpit is still rather blasé for a car whose price comes very close to $90K. The Viper just goes about its business, though, with a large center-mounted tachometer that sits next to a 220 mph speedometer.
The 2008 Dodge Viper is one of the fastest production cars in the world. The V10's massive pistons thump around with enough energy to shake the entire car, and its exhaust pops and bangs like a rusty Tommy gun. Even without traction control, the massive rear tires make fast starts easier than you might think. First gear is good for 62 mph and so forceful and unrelenting is the Viper's acceleration that keeping it pinned will push the coupe to 200 mph.