Driving The '96 Dodge Viper RT/10 In The California Mille Miglia Vintage-Car Spectacular
Strolling through the courtyard of San Francisco's historic Fairmont Hotel was like walking through a time tunnel. Lined up on either side was a cornucopia of exquisite vintage cars-mostly European sports cars from the '50s-immaculately restored, detailed, and, yes, ready to drive. There was an assortment of Porsches, Jaguars, Ferraris, MGs, Alfas, and a '56 Corvette Sebring, as well as a sampling of more-exotic fare, such as a '48 HWM Stovebolt, '36 Bugatti 57 SC, '31 Chrysler CD8 Roadster, '27 Mercedes SSK, '16 Lancia, and...a '96 Dodge Viper RT/10?
This was the starting point for the '95 California Mille Miglia, an annual vintage-car rally based on a legendary Italian auto race, the Mille Miglia (1000 miles), that wound through the hilly countryside between Brescia and Rome, and has been resurrected in an annual rally of the same name. Now in its fifth year, this U.S. version captures much of the spirit of that fabled event.
The Vipers were supplied courtesy of the Chrysler Corporation, one of the sponsors of the event. This was also the first public unveiling for the '96 Viper, which with close to 200 new components, features the first major revisions to the roadster since its introduction in '92.
The California Mille is the perfect showcase for the Viper. Chrysler had always intended the car to be a modern-day Cobra, an Anglo-American hybrid purpose-built to beat the best from Europe, and the roadster not only retains but amplifies the essence of that genre: It combines the prerequisite buffeting open-air ride, rock-concert noise levels, stiff sport-tuned suspension, basic amenities, and a host of idiosyncrasies collectively referred to as "character." Plus it delivers 400-plus horsepower, has massive tires, and corners with enough force to make it feel like a street-legal race car.
California Route 1 leaves the rocky coastline around Mendocino and heads inland along a tight, twisty route surrounded by towering redwoods. We'd been dicing a bit with the participant cars where appropriate, but, let's face it, a 40-year-old anything pales against Dodge's superstar. Just as we approached this next section, though, a motorcyclist leaned over his sport bike and, obviously eager for some action, banzaied past us.
With the gauntlet dropped, we charged into the curves and set up shop on the tail of the biker. Through miles of tree-lined hairpin turns, tight esses, and moderate drops and rises, we ran in tandem. When we came up on another car, the motorcyclist zipped past, then slowed down on the other side and waited for us to get by before setting off again. Finally, when the thrill ride came to an end, both of us pulled over to the side of the road. He took off his helmet, smiled, and nodded toward the Viper. "That goes pretty well," he confided, "for a car."
The '96 Vipers will be easy to pick out thanks to three bold new color schemes, all guaranteed to crank heads wherever they go: white with blue striping (the inverse of the '94 Viper GTS Coupe show car), black with silver striping, and the familiar solid-red body, now coupled with bright yellow wheels.
The changes, however, go deeper than cosmetics. With the goals of shaving excess weight and improving high-speed control, the Viper team was able to trim about 200 pounds from the car while improving the frame's torsional rigidity by about 25 percent. New aluminum suspension components are coupled with firmer springs and fine-tuned shock valving.In addition, new Michelin Pilot SX tires (offering reduced road noise, improved wet traction, and stiffer sidewalls) replace the previous XGT Zs, still sized at 275/40ZR17 in the front and a massive 335/35ZR17 in the rear. Chrysler estimates that with this rubber, the new Viper is capable of skidpad numbers over 1.0 g. This higher level of performance is coupled with an upgraded brake system designed for improved pedal feel and shorter stopping distances; however, the humongous four-wheel discs still lack ABS.