When it comes to luxury sports cars, they don’t come much faster than the all-American Dodge Viper. The Viper is the ultimate weekend racer, with a new ACR package that makes it even more impressive on the racetrack. It also doubles as a head-turning city cruiser with two seats and either a coupe hard top or convertible with soft top. If it is luxury you are looking for in your $80,000 plus roadster however, then you had better look elsewhere, because for your money the Viper delivers a lot of performance but not much else.
2009 Dodge Viper Performance
Sporting an 8.4-liter V10 that generates a mighty 600hp and 560lb-ft of torque, the Viper is simply awesome at speed. It makes 60mph easily in under 4 seconds, on par with its key rival the Chevrolet Corvette, but the super-responsive handling give it the edge over the Corvette on the track as well as on the road. Top speed is 200mph and if you can’t blow them away on the racetrack with that, then you are really not trying. The low center of gravity and extra width of the Viper give it an incredibly strong road grip and in braking it is impressively solid with minimal nosedive even in the sharpest of braking situations. Transmission is delivered through a six-speed manual that delivers split-second shifts and ABS is standard for added racing stability. Fuel economy stands at 13/22mpg which does not seem bad at all given the amount of power this beast generates.
This year’s big news for the Viper is the new ACR (American Club Racer) package that packs in even more high performance. Based on the same V10 engine, and with the same power and torque, the performance is maximized by a few high-tech features. There is a smaller dual clutch plate that reduces the inertia by nearly 20percent, and a Tremec six-speed transmission with 10 percent wider gears to maximize and distribute the torque. Aerodynamics have also been tinkered with giving a massive increase in downforce – up from 100lb for the regular Viper at 150mph to 1000lb on the ACR. This is thanks largely to the carbon-fiber wing mounted on the rear of the Viper as well as a front splitter that diffuses the airflow. Racing suspension is standard with adjustable firmness and there are high performance racing tires, forged alloy wheels and StopTech brake rotors. With all this technology the ACR manages to weigh in at 40 pounds lighter than the regular Viper coupe, and for even more weight gains the “Hard Core” addition removes everything else that is superfluous inside the car including stereo, trunk carpet and even the tire inflator!
2009 Dodge Viper Interior and Features
It’s all good with the Viper until you step inside. Nobody expects space to be at a premium in what is basically a road-legal racing car, but for the “Premium” tag to stick, it could at least offer power-adjustable seats. Hard plastic and vinyl abound throughout, and even the leather and faux-suede upholstery does not feel high quality. Getting in and out is a feat thanks to the low-slung and highly-bolstered sport seats and provide even more proof (if you need it) that the Viper’s priorities most definitely lie in performance over comfort. Perhaps that is also what they were getting at when they left out the insulation between the engine and pedals so that your feet all but cook down there, bringing back memories of Anthony Hopkins in the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian” when he burnt clean through his leg while trying to set the land speed record in his home-made car. We are guessing it is all part of the excitement of driving a car like this, although with the snug-fitting seats you wouldn’t want to over-indulge on the donuts or you may not fit back into your car.
Standard features in the Viper are power-adjustable pedals, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power mirrors, windows and lock and audio system with CD player. A navigation system has been added this year as an option and there are various other trim upgrades available to personalize your Viper.
Surprisingly Dodge has added a usable trunk on the Viper, measuring about 14 cubic feet, that can fit your overnight bag for the weekend racing circuit.
2009 Dodge Viper Safety
There is no stability control or traction control on the Viper – it might cramp its style during racing after all, but there is four-wheel ABS, dual front airbags and a tire-pressure monitor.
Overall the 2009 Dodge Viper is a mind-numbingly fast car that appeals to the serious rev-heads amongst us for its sheer power, yet almost complete disregard for interior comfort and practicality. For our money (and it costs a lot of money), we would love to see a bit more comfort thrown in, but who are we to argue with the rev-heads?