[Jeff Higgins]

I have lusted after a Viper for some time. I grew up with big block MOPARs of various kinds, all late '60's muscle cars with 383's and 440's, and just kind of like the idea of a MOPAR "sports car". As such, I have done more than a little bit of digging into them. On-line research, talking to owners at the track and cars and coffee gatherings, etc.

The one thing that has kept me from pulling the trigger on one is just how poorly supported they are by Dodge, and by the aftermarket. Any Viper specific parts can run from just horribly expensive and hard to find to horribly expensive and unavailable. There were very few made. No one makes money by supplying parts for them. Horror stories abound concerning broken down Vipers with their owners in search of the part(s) required to get them on the road again.

I've driven a few, and all that has done is make me want one even more. They are certainly not for everyone, though. Pretty heavy and unresponsive compared to our 911's, but I suppose we should expect that. The big "gotcha", though, that gets most folks in trouble, is the nature of the power delivery. It's not peaky or unpredictable or anything, just there all the time. It's one thing dealing with that kind of power in a drag car, like my old MOPARs were, but it's another thing altogether when corners are involved. In 20 years of tracking my 911, I've seen more Vipers crashed than everything else put together. That power can bite very, very hard for someone not used to it. And then, like I said, you won't be able to find parts to fix it. I've been told that big hood alone is over $10k, if you can find one.