2008 Dodge Viper Review

Specifications

The Dodge Viper is one of the few vehicles that I can say I’m scared to drive. It isn’t just a wild-looking ride, it’s a wild-driving one. The Viper isn’t a complicated machine; it was built to look good, and go really, really fast. It’s packed with a visceral rawness and a lack of tolerance for anything less than the most experience driver. So, it’s a bit surprising that for 2008, out of all the things that Dodge could have upgraded, they opted to add what it needs least - more power!

In collaboration with McLaren Performance Technologies (builder of the famed McLaren Cam-Am cars, plus Indianapolis 500 and IMSA cars, but not the company by the same name behind Mercedes-Benz’ current F1 efforts), Dodge thoroughly re-engineered the Viper’s giant V10. They’ve redesigned the cylinder heads to include bigger valves and added new pistons from the SRT8-series Hemi engines which are 1 mm wider across. This equates to about 100 c.c. extra in displacement for a grand total of 8.4 liters, or 510 cubic inches. But changes didn’t stop there. The engine’s ability to breathe was enhanced by a new exhaust system, intake manifolds and dual throttle bodies. These changes allow the Viper’s big-bore V10 to rev higher, increasing responsiveness.

With 8.4 liters, it’s easy to think that the Viper is all 1960s style muscle, but it isn’t. Dodge and McLaren Performance’s engineers spent a lot of time tweaking the airflow within the cylinder head for reduced resistance and improved combustion. Despite having two valves per cylinder and a fairly basic overhead valve design, the Viper’s rather rudimentary sounding engine gained variable valve timing. VVT is pretty standard in single overhead or dual overhead camshaft engines, but it’s a much more complicated matter when the camshaft is located in the block. Dodge’s solution is called “Cam in Cam” and it’s pretty darned clever. The engine’s camshaft is actually hollow, allowing for placement of a secondary spindle inside for attaching the exhaust valves’ lobes. Via computer control, the multitasking camshaft lets the exhaust valve timing modulate by altering the angle of the spindle, which changes when the exhaust valves open and shut, creating more power. The net result is a whopping 90-pony gain for a grand total of 600 horsepower. 600! And the new V10 also makes 35 additional pound-feet of torque and gets significantly better fuel economy than before.


So, what’s the engine like? You know that scene in Dr. Strangelove where Major Kong is riding the nuclear bomb? Accelerating in the Viper feels a bit like that… after detonation. Zero to 60 mph not only gets knocked off in less than four seconds (3.7 s), but without shifting; a longer first gear and a taller drive plus higher redline means that there’s no need to hit second. And while it can’t quite nail the 200 mph top-speed of the hard topped Coupe, it’s still capable of traveling at speeds fast enough to suck the hat clear off your head, and ruin your hair.

But more power does not necessarily equate to a faster car under all circumstances. With regards to a Viper I drove prior to this 2008 upgrade, as fast as it was it didn’t have the level of finesse I’ve experienced in other top-tier sports cars. Its heavy steering, while communicative, suffered from a suspension that understeered at low and medium speeds, and then, even gentle applications of throttle could easily cause the balance of the car to break, resulting in sudden, dramatic oversteer. Which is the other part of the reason I approach Vipers with caution.

Even though Dodge refuses to adopt stability control for the new Viper, in a way it doesn’t really need to. Every possible aspect of how the suspension has been set up and tuned has been revisited and adjusted, and the results are staggering. It starts with tires. Rubber is important, as it’s the only contact between the car and the road. And so, Dodge has selected some of the best tires that money can buy, Michelin’s Pilot Sport 2. Compared to the previous run-flat tires, the Pilots offer more grip, and once traction is exceeded, their transition between traction and a lack thereof is more progressive. From there, engineers tweaked the suspension. Now there’s more negative camber at all four corners, improving contact during aggressive maneuvers, and stiffer rear anti-roll bars, as well as increased spring and damper rates.

In situations where the Viper used to understeer, it now cleanly cuts through corners. It took a bit of time behind the wheel to warm up to the thought of the car not attesting to my inputs of steering and gas, but the Viper feels much more stable and civilized. Some of the newfound forgiveness has resulted from a new limited slip differential which was supplied by GKN, but really, it’s all a matter of extracting that much more from a good, slightly rear-biased chassis and a race-worthy suspension setup. Knowing that the Viper will stop in a jiffy also helps ease the conscience, as its 14-inch discs can be confidently clamped down on via seriously competent Brembo calipers.


Sitting behind the wheel of this otherwise unchanged car, its long snout and short windshield ahead, gives the feeling of being strapped into your very own P-51 Mustang, ready to gun down Messerschmitts, or in this case Porsches and Ferraris. The cockpit is quite tight, but offers adjustable pedals and, oddly enough, a retrospective window back to Chrysler Group’s less appealing past, as most of the switchgear is what you would have found in a 2003 Dodge Neon, including the key and stereo. This aside, the Viper’s seats deliver mega support, yet are still comfortable. Climbing over the bolsters when getting in and out, mind you, can be a bit of a challenge.

Compared to previous years when the Viper was available in just three colors, for ‘08 and ‘09 there’s an artist’s pallet to choose from. Bright metallic blues and reds, plus green, purple and orange are all available, as is a choice of three different wheel types. Unlike other Dodge products, the Viper’s stripes are actually painted on, and are available in either silver or black and in several different patterns.

I emerge from the Viper moved from the acceleration, the grip and its newfound cornering abilities, but am neither shaken nor stirred. It’s hard to bring myself to use the word “predictable” to describe this beast, but changes made for 2008 have made it a much more forgiving car to drive. Although it didn’t chew me up and spit me out (this time), I still have the utmost respect for this seriously fast car, and anyone who gets into its driver’s seat should too.