Wednesday, January 22, 2025

TEST: Dodge Viper goes 80 km/h… at idle!

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

Latest

Don't miss

Citroën 2CV returns after 35 years out of production

The original Citroën 2CV was in production all the...

The EU is on the way with even more support for electric cars

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is 'glad' that...

Automotive giant is looking for at least 100 new people per month

Japanese Toyota is going against the grain in the...

New figures: Cars with these defects are most often scrapped at inspection

The most common defects in cars in Sweden are...

136-year-old car company sold for 5 billion kroner

After many years of disagreements in a joint venture,...
Boosted Magazine
Boosted Magazine
Boosted in Denmark has over a million unique users, surpassing two million sessions, and accumulating over seven million page views each month, and our platforms has become a hub for automotive enthusiasts. Now you can enjoy our content in English too! Enjoy our free car news - every day. Want to talk to us? Write an email to boosted@boostedmagazine.com
spot_img

Maligned engine has fatal flaw – owners get 10-year warranty

It was voted 'Engine of the Year' several times. But it has since been discovered that the timing belt in particular on a number...

Company behind Danish car business lays off 350 extra people

Norwegian Schibsted Media, which owns several large newspapers and the Danish Bilbasen, is now laying off another 350 employees in the Nordic region and...

Major bank warns: Volvo could be banned in the US

Even though Donald Trump is now the president of the United States again, he has no intention of changing his predecessor's ban on Chinese...

Several car brands are banned from selling drivers' data

General Motors has been told that it will not be allowed to sell drivers' data to third parties for a period of five years....

Citroën 2CV returns after 35 years out of production

The original Citroën 2CV was in production all the way from 1948 to 1990. And after 35 years off the assembly line, the car...

Car brand restarts production after bankruptcy

Ineos restarted production at a former Mercedes factory in France last week after it became clear that subcontractor Recaro had been saved. The German...

The first Tesla Cybertruck has become legal in Norway

That shouldn't really be possible. But now the first Tesla Cybertruck has been given Norwegian license plates. And it's completely legal. The Tesla Cybertruck...

Police gave 'dancing' electric car from BYD a huge slap in the face

The big party trick of the Yungwang U9, owned by Chinese BYD, is that it can dance. However, the police weren't entirely happy with...

600,000 hybrids recalled – can catch fire

Kia is now recalling 600,000 plug-in hybrids because there is a risk that the cars will catch fire after a short circuit. Kia has...

The EU is on the way with even more support for electric cars

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is 'glad' that even more support is now on the way for the part of Europe's automotive industry...

Battery company approves electric car that charges in 8.5 minutes

A battery pack that is so fast that it is charged to 80 percent in 8.5 minutes. That's what Chinese Svolt is now promising....

Porsche wants to put a gasoline engine in a pure electric car

Porsche's sales of electric cars are lagging badly. So now the Germans are investigating the possibility of reviving the Macan as a petrol car,...
footer.txt Viser footer.txt.