Seeing a Dodge Viper V10 Phase DB I up close is awesome!
The sheer scale and immense potential of this classic sports car is huge! Ten cylinders in V formation, an aluminum block casting developed by Lamborghini. It’s not just a truck engine like many commentators suggest. 505 cubic inches of energy potential, that’s 8.3 liters! All this in a two door sports car. But it is a big car, although it weighs in at around 3,380 lbs.
The Phase DB I was built between 2003 and 2007 and has an estimated top speed of 189.5 mph or 305 km/h. Fast for an open top roadster! The roadster has tube frame structure under fiberglass body panels. This keeps the strength up and the weight down.
The interior is simple, in 2004 there weren’t many electronics and large screen interfaces. I noticed the finish is high quality. Something you would expect in a world-class sports car. The curved body panels are so streamlined it all fits into a very neat package. Overall, it doesn’t appear like your average muscle car from the USA. It’s more like a scaled-up E-Type Jaguar in presence, but one of the original design concepts was to reintroduce the Cobra, that Austin Healey with a Ford 428 cu in V8 from the 1960s. And wow! It sure exemplifies the ideal of a contemporary Cobra.
Standing next to this contemporary marque, you feel intimidated by it’s power, streamlining, and the immense proportions.
In a northern California Dodge dealership’s workshop, this particular Dodge Viper was receiving routine maintenance. The owner doesn’t use it very often. It has low miles and does not see the extremes of weather, so it will be quite the classic car of the future.
What would you offer to have this curvaceous beast in your garage tonight?
