Five-Point Inspection: 2015 Dodge Viper GTS

It’s big, it’s bad and it’s a Dodge once more! The Viper is a mean machine from the folks in Auburn Hills. But what’s it like driving this SRT-tuned super snake? Hit the jump for more.

Aside from its malicious-looking exterior, the main appeal of this all-out performance car is crammed under its elongated hood. The 2015 Dodge Viper GTS is powered by an 8.4-liter V10. This 90-degree unit features variable valve timing, an aluminum block and heads plus a 10.2-to-1 compression ratio. It also takes 11 quarts of oil; that’s nearly three gallons!

The result of this massive displacement is 645 horses and 600 lb-ft of torque. Redline is 6,400 RPM. Overall this car’s engine is such massive overkill it’s like using a Gatling gun to knock down a hornet nest.

But still, the Viper has a certain appeal that’s totally different from other cars. Its arching fenders, pronounced sculptural details and voluptuous curves add up to one handsome body. It’s attractive, it’s unmistakable, it’s even iconic. There’s no mistaking this beast from anything else on the road.

With its latest rework, designers have done a great job sprucing up the Viper’s interior. Gone are the days of Tupperware plastics and poor ergonomics. Now it’s trimmed in high-quality materials and everything seems solidly built.

Unfortunately it’s still cramped, hot and difficult to see out of. Larger individuals or people with joint issues will have terrific difficulty getting into and out of this machine (not that other sports cars are any better). Also, even drivers on the smaller side (like me) can start to feel claustrophobic in the there, something that is not an issue in the tiny Alfa Romeo 4C… Figure that out. I blame the Viper’s msasive transmission tunnel for the lack of room.

Circling an autocross course at Chrysler’s Chelsea, Mich. proving ground revealed the Viper’s true performance. This car is seriously fast and the torque provided by its massive V10 is incredible; supposedly it’s got the most twist of any naturally aspirated sports car engine in the world. It’s burly enough that it feels like you could just drive around in sixth gear all the time.

But even more surprising than the torque was how good it sounded, with the exhaust system bringing to mind a racecar on the boil. Ten-cylinder engines and the inline-fives they’re often derived from typically make weird noises because of their physics-defying nature. Part of the odd ruckus they make probably comes from Isaac Newton thrashing about in his grave at the thought of an engine firing every 72-degree of crankshaft rotation.

After my admittedly brief evaluation of the 2015 Viper GTS I’m happy to report that I survived the experience, which is surprising. Given this car’s ferocious nature I expected, at the very least, to limp away from it heavily maimed. But against the odds Chrysler’s snake didn’t bite like I thought would, and count my stars I didn’t have to go home in a body bag.

This latest Viper is easily the best one yet. It features a refined and massively powerful engine, a nicely trimmed cabin and plenty of sex appeal. But at the end of the day its cramped cabin, challenged outward visibility and ferocious feel make it hard to recommend to anyone other than a driver in the market for a track-day toy. In a lot of ways the Viper is like a Corvette that’s built by Chrysler, though it’s simply not as good.