In the Dodge Viper GTS, cubic is king. The 8-liter V10 naturally aspirated engine steals the attention in the fierce rear-wheel drive of a sports car.
Intake, compression, working stroke and exhaust – or as the Americans say; suck, squeeze, bang, blow – that's how simply the work of a 4-stroke engine can be described. But rarely is it experienced as essential and fundamental as in a Dodge Viper with V10 naturally aspirated engine. I previously owned a Dodge Viper – specifically in August 1998. It was a car that made a huge impression on the man behind the wheel and these lines, writes Bil Magasinet. In four days I managed to cover 2,300 km in the fiberglass car. I picked it up in Brussels, short back and forth over the brand new Great Belt Bridge, across Denmark twice and back to Belgium. 22 years later, I stand face to face with a car exactly like it: a Dodge Viper GTS in blue with white stripes and black leather cabin. Tight clutch in the Dodge Viper I drop into the bowl-shaped driver's seat, which locks me in like a bolt sliding into the threads of a nut. The right arm rests on the huge gimbal tunnel, and the hand automatically drops to a 90-degree angle, ready to operate the small, short gear lever. I clearly remember that the clutch must have a solid thread, so I kick it to the bottom before releasing the gear lever to turn the clutch. The ten cylinders take hold with a lazy rumble, and it rumbles like a thunderstorm far out in the the horizon. I can't even get started. I have plenty to do with the memories from that time 22 years ago. At that time, I was ready to sell everything to become the owner of the 456-horsepower American iron with a V10 engine and more power than Evel Knievel (the most famous and insane stuntman in the United States). It was obvious that the large but at the same time very low Dodge (or Chrysler as it was dubbed in Europe) was technically no more advanced than a cheese slicer. But it had something very special about it. The Viper dream The special aura that makes a vehicle a dream, and this dream was unmistakable: the Viper GTS had a dramatic and highly erotic exterior, while the interior housed a huge 8-liter V10 engine. That is why it is irresistible. I was sold. And so was Bo Christensen, bilnord and owner of the Viper on these pages as well. In the late 80s, Chrysler's product manager was named Bob Lutz. If you know anything about the top executives of the American car industry, you will know that even though he is dressed in a suit and tie, he is a true car nerd who is not afraid to get oil on his fingers. I have met him several times and he is a charismatic older gentleman. And it was precisely he who was at the head of the Viper project. Click 'NEXT PAGE' to read on