2013 SRT Viper treads soft, bites hard: Motoramic Drives

With journalists flocking to Northern California to sample the all-new 2013 SRT Viper, you can expect to hear an abundance of terms like "more livable," "less likely to kill you," and "finally an interior suitable for human eyes." But the real question we must unearth is when achieving these factors, has the Viper been tamed too much, eliminating what made a Viper such a revered beast in the first place?

The previous Dodge Vipers were crude and raw. The original evoked thoughts of certain death — especially in faster turns where the car produced lift, making the rear-end treacherously snappy. By the fourth generation Viper in 2010, things had settled down somewhat. It became a car that still demanded unparalleled respect, but it rewarded a skilled driver who was capable of manhandling the machine at its limits. It was a car for serious (and talented) enthusiasts. No stability control, traction control and a comfortless cabin that looked like something of an afterthought -- and yet it still can claim the record for a production sports car around the Nürburgring.

It was a hard car to live with. A prerequisite for a Viper owner was to have earned the nickname "opposite lock." You needed reactions like a cat to tame its perilous nature on cold tires, for a car that produced a level of excitement (mixed with fear) absent in today's vehicles. The Viper wasn't for everybody. But nor should it be.

The 2013 Viper was promised to be tamer, more manageable and more livable. But can you really achieve all this without losing the Viper's undeniable magic?

With Chrysler's troubles of late it is a mere miracle we are even talking about a new Viper — especially one as redeveloped as this. Back in 2009, SRT CEO Ralph Gilles asked Chrysler for a couple of million bucks to develop the stability control system. Request granted, and that took over two years. And it was only after its completion did any work on the actual car begin. What started out as refresh turned into a complete overhaul.

SRT's goal? Compromise without compromising. Seems a stretch.

The engine received a 40-hp boost, to 640 hp, with torque also increasing an additional 40 lb-ft to 600. That gives the 8.4-liter V10 the title as having the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports-car engine in the world.

But why no turbo or supercharger? In a word, cooling. Sticking with a naturally aspirated engine allows track-goers to maintain temperature for longer, without the need for constant pit stops to cool down, and an induction system would require extra plumbing. The Viper's notorious air scoops provide improved efficiency, which blends with a superior radiator. The increased runner length produces more power, yet the manifold runs cooler. All said, the metal temperature in the engine is reduced by 40 degrees.

Due to a carbon-fiber hood, roof and deck lid -- mixed with super-formed aluminum doors -- the 2013 Viper's body is 32 percent lighter. The car has burned over 100 lbs. of excess fat and is 50 percent stiffer, too, thanks to tricks like the aluminum X-brace above the engine.