1. Overview
2. Gallery
   • Photo Gallery (10)
   • 360° View
   • Video
   • Web Videos (59)
3. Trims and Specs
   • Select a Trim (1)
4. More Resources
   • Related News (0)
   • Other Expert Reviews (5)
   • Consumer Opinions (157)
   • Car Tweets
   • Q&A (0)
5. Next Steps
   • Get Dodge Insurance Quotes
   • Get Dodge Financing Quotes
   • Check Local Classifieds
   • Find a local dealer

     Select State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Select City
     

     See all Dodge dealers

April 3, 2008 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/dodge_viper_2003

  John Pearley Huffman
EditorJohn Pearley Huffman

Cars are diabolically bland today. They’ve had their rough edges honed off, their cockpits are isolation chambers, their chassis are never overwhelmed by their engines, they have tires that last forever, ABS brakes that won’t let you screw up and service intervals longer than the gestation period of an African Elephant (that’s about 22 months if the calf is a bull).

The new 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 isn’t bland, but it is diabolical. It takes most of the vices that other cars strive to avoid and announces them as virtues. Its cockpit is open to the elements, its chassis can’t keep up with the engine, owners will be burning through the P345/30ZR19 rear Michelins in giddy half-throttle burnouts, and even the oversize, ABS–controlled brakes can’t save drivers who screw up. In summary, while this new Viper is more civilized, its spirit hasn’t changed much from the original Viper – it’s still plain old diabolical.

And there is plenty that is new.

Visual impact

The second-generation 2003 Viper SRT-10 convertible couldn’t possibly match the original Viper RT/10 for sheer visual audacity, so it doesn’t even try. Instead its appearance is a refinement of established themes (long hood, squinty headlights, a big crosshair grille, extravagant fender sweep). It’s an appropriate look for a new Viper with a somewhat more composed chassis, a bigger, more powerful and yet more tractable V-10 engine, and a more comfortable cockpit.

The new body offers significant advantages by dispensing with two distinctive Viper features. Gone is the silly roof hoop behind the passenger compartment that kept the previous roadster from being a true convertible, and also gone is the giant clamshell hood.

Jaguar logoCars are diabolically bland today. They’ve had their rough edges honed off, their cockpits are isolation chambers, their chassis are never overwhelmed by their engines, they have tires that last forever, ABS brakes that won’t let you screw up and service intervals longer than the gestation period of an African Elephant (that’s about 22 months if the calf is a bull). The new 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 isn’t bland, but it is diabolical. It takes most of the vices that other cars strive to avoid and announces them as virtues. Its cockpit is open to the elements, its chassis can’t keep up with the engine, owners will be burning through the P345/30ZR19 rear Michelins in giddy half-throttle burnouts, and even the oversize, ABS–controlled brakes can’t save drivers who screw up. In summary, while this new Viper is more civilized, its spirit hasn’t changed much from the original Viper – it’s still plain old diabolical. And there is plenty that is new. Visual impact The second-generation 2003 Viper SRT-10 convertible couldn’t possibly match the original Viper RT/10 for sheer visual audacity, so it doesn’t even try. Instead its appearance is a refinement of established themes (long hood, squinty headlights, a big crosshair grille, extravagant fender sweep). It’s an appropriate look for a new Viper with a somewhat more composed chassis, a bigger, more powerful and yet more tractable V-10 engine, and a more comfortable cockpit. 2003 Dodge ViperEnlarge PhotoThe new body offers significant advantages by dispensing with two distinctive Viper features. Gone is the silly roof hoop behind the passenger compartment that kept the previous roadster from being a true convertible, and also gone is the giant clamshell hood. Cars are diabolically bland today. They’ve had their rough edges honed off, their cockpits are isolation chambers, their chassis are never overwhelmed by their engines, they have tires that last forever, ABS brakes that won’t let you screw up and service intervals longer than the ...