2009 Dodge Viper SRT10: Viperoadtrip First Impressions
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
There are things you think you know when you decide to roadtrip in a 2009 Dodge Viper, like it has instant torque, cargo space is minimal, it's stiff and loud. Roadtripping lets you test those myths. For instance, the ride is really quite fine. Firm, yes. Stiff, no. A GT-R rides more harshly than this car. In this respect the Viper is an attractive car for touring. However, its limited cargo space undermines this possibility. Anticipating this, we economized our packing down as much as possible. We ended up with a duffel, a small rollaway, a driver's suit bag and two helmets, plus a couple of light jackets. Good thing we did, because that gear filled 'er up. You could conceivably fit items on the shelf below the backlight, but I didn't want to block rearward visibility for obvious pork-related reasons. Space in the cabin is nonexistent, too. You get a glovebox stuffed with the owner's manual and a shallow, wide bin aft of the gearchange lever. That's it — no map pockets in the door, no cubbies in the dash and no usable space behind the seats. Not roadtrip-friendly. Odds and ends (snacks, drink bottles, maps) wind up in the passenger's lap or footwell. Suck it up, buddy. Instant torque? Sort of. It's strange, but the Viper doesn't rock your head back like you might expect. The tall gearing and sluggish drive-by-wire throttle really dull the engine's perceived snap. The numbers on the speedo sure come up quickly though… Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor @ 11,505 miles. View full post on Long-Term Road Tests Related posts:
