The Dodge Viper was a “poster car” for me (and for many young car enthusiasts) when it first launched in 1992. It was a performance car that offered very few creature comforts – not even exterior door handles or air conditioning, at least initially. But what it lacked in amenities, it made up for in brute power, courtesy of a 400-horsepower V10 engine.
The Pick of the Day is a 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Chatsworth, California. (Click the link to view the listing)
“Adult-owned, California car, never abused and always garaged,” the listing begins. “Only 26,000 miles, completely original.”
Although well-received in the marketplace, the first-generation Viper took some criticism from the press and the public for some of its crudity and rawness. Subsequent generations addressed some of the shortfalls accordingly: Model year 2003 marked the first year of the Viper’s third generation. Riding on what Dodge called the “ZB I” chassis, the car boasted new design language which was drawn by Dodge’s performance division (Street & Racing Technology – otherwise known as SRT).
There were some important updates to the car that made it a little bit more civilized (but not by much) when compared to its predecessor: Among those enhancements were improved braking, added passenger space, a new convertible top mechanism and improved aerodynamics.
Powering this two-seater is a beastly 8.3-liter all-aluminum V10 (now rated at 500 horsepower) paired with a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission. Performance numbers were a strong suit, as the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds. But even more impressive was the fact that such a large engine could still achieve 12 miles per gallon in the city and 21 miles per gallon on the highway. The seller says that the car comes with a thermal insulation system on the exhaust, but the mechanical condition of the car is otherwise unmodified from factory specifications.
The seller offers a bit of counsel toward the end of the listing: “Remember, good cars are not cheap, and cheap cars are not good.” If you are anything like me and still lust over the lines of the Viper, I think the 2003-06 models are at a good price point right now, so it might be your best chance to snag one.
The asking price is $59,900 or best offer, and that price includes a boot cover, shop manuals and owner’s manuals.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, blast over to Pick of the Day.
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