Dodge SRT-10
Snakes alive! One year after it went on sale in America, the Viper has finally wriggled its way into UK Chrysler dealerships. Only it's not called the Chrysler Viper any longer. Despite the badging, styling and thrilling V10 exhaust note, the two-seater has undergone an identity change, and the Viper tag has been dropped.
It looks great, sounds stunning and goes like a rocket - what more do you need? Well, it would be good if the SRT-10 handled properly, but that is unlikely to put many prospective buyers off. With only 15 coming here next year, the ultra-rare Dodge roadster is the ultimate Stateside status symbol.
According to Chrysler's company lawyers, someone else owns the rights to the name in the UK, which means the newcomer is known as the SRT-10. The Chrysler moniker has been axed, too, and a Dodge badge now adorns the huge roadster. Dodge is new to the British market, and the SRT-10 is the model charged with building awareness of the US marque.
Immediately recognisable as the successor to the original Viper, the long, wide and low sports car is a brutal looking machine, defined by its chromed alloy wheels, snake-head badge and massively long snout.
Italy's finest supercars can't match the aggression generated here. Some styling cues are carried over from the previous model, but every panel is new, and this time the two-seater has a proper convertible roof.
For £77,500, you'd expect full electric operation, but instead you have to lift the bootlid, undo a clip on the header rail and manually collapse the roof before closing the giant lid back down. There's little impression of quality in the cabin, either - there are exposed screw heads, a cheap stereo and simple air-con controls.
The ergonomics aren't much better. The windscreen pillar sits too close to your head, and the steering wheel is offset to the right. So how does Dodge justify the lofty asking price? The answer lies under the bonnet.
The SRT-10 has the largest engine of any car available in the UK - an 8.3-litre giant. Given its displacement, the power outputs don't sound too special, but in isolation, it's hard to argue with 500bhp and 712Nm of torque, or the fact that 70mph requires only 1,250rpm in top gear.
There's nothing particularly technical going on under the voluptuous bodywork - certainly no traction or stability control. And that means the SRT is a bit of a handful. There are lots of warning signs, though - the engine bellows as soon as you press the starter button, the heavy six-speed gearbox seems to have been taken out of a truck (actually, it has) and the rear tyres are well over a foot wide.
However, the ease with which they lose grip is astonishing. Plant the throttle in a low gear, and you're rewarded with instant wheelspin - entertaining in a straight line on the test track, but hairy if you're mid-corner.
Especially as the suspension isn't very sophisticated. Despite adjustments made to UK cars by engineering firm Prodrive, the SRT-10 is not particularly well mannered. The rear suspension is too soft, the steering lacks feedback and the ride is poor, with little bump absorbency. In short, it doesn't instill confidence.
But it will put a smile on your face. Find a suitable straight, and Dodge claims the SRT-10 will cover the dash from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds. The firm must have achieved that figure on very grippy tarmac, as the best we managed was 4.5 seconds - but take it from us, it's more than quick enough.
