- convertible 25,463
- 42,993 high price
- Ocala, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- convertible 25,463 gasoline black manual
2003 dodge viper review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. New and improved (i. E., faster). introductiontwo goals drove the 2003 dodge viper to its numerical bragging rights of 500 horsepower, 500 pounds-feet of torque and 505 cubic inches of engine displacement: 1) getting to 100 mph as fast as possible. And then 2) getting back down to 0 mph even faster. the previous viper made the round trip in 14. 5 seconds. The new one should do it in 13. 2 seconds. improvements to the low-volume sportscar didn't stop there: the new viper is more aerodynamic, more refined, quieter, quicker, and better handling than the original, which went on sale in december 1991. It even has a cup holder. But the viper has not been transformed into a sissy: dodge says it tuned this car for the guy who likes to rip huge pieces of pavement out as he goes around a corner. It still makes the raunchy noises that side-exhaust vipers did from 1991 to 1996. . lineup2003 dodge viper is available as one model, the srt-10 roadster. (a coupe is expected by 2005.) the srt-10 comes with a manual top with a glass backlight (rear window), a six-speed manual transmission, anti-lock brakes, a viscous limited-slip differential, power windows and mirrors, intermittent wipers, and leather seating surfaces. Also included is an alarm with remote locks. the only engine available is a 500-horsepower 8. 3-liter v10. . walkaroundthere have been ferraris that don't look as good as the 2003 viper srt-10. This roadster is completely restyled, and looks significantly sleeker than the viper everyone's seen on posters and at car shows from 1989 to 2002. Granted, there are those who think the new viper looks too refined. vipers are tough to spot on the street, simply because there are only about 14,000 in the world. We think the new viper looks better than the old car, mostly because the front and rear overhangs are smaller, so the car looks better balanced between its wheels. While the new viper shrinks almost an inch in length, the wheels are moved outward 2. 9 inches. The new viper is wider, too, which adds to its more balanced shape. It appears larger than life. Even though a corvette is almost five inches longer, the new viper is more than 11 inches wider. the headlights are slanted wedges similar to the original viper's. The grille is substantially larger, and the enormous side exhaust pipes make the car look potent. The new convertible top looks like it's supposed to go with the car, versus the ball cap-style removable roof of the previous viper roadster. underneath, the new car retains its backbone frame, and on top is a largely plastic body. The hood is separate from the fenders, and opens from the rear. The previous viper's whole front body lifted forward for engine access. An aluminum double-a-arm suspension was added to the viper in 1996, and carries over to the new car. The new frame, although three inches longer and 35 percent more rigid, is 40 pounds lighter. Overall, the '03 viper is about 100 pounds lighter than the previous car. Chrysler promises production cars will weigh just 3357 pounds. The 8. 3-liter all-aluminum pushrod v10 gains 50 horsepower over the previous 8. 0-liter, bringing it to 500 horsepower. . interiortall folks will still need to work out a method to gracefully enter the 2003 viper. A huge tachometer with a 6250-rpm redline sits directly in front of the driver, and to its right is a 220-mph speedometer. Every switch and vent is easier to see and reach. The new viper's roof is slightly taller, yet lanky drivers still peer into the top of the windshield frame. Looking rearward is more difficult because the height of the trunklid blocks some view. The roll hoops over the seats, however, don't get in the way, we noticed. Chrysler says the new tail is higher to promote more downforce on the rear wheels at speed, which is estimated to be 190 mph (the speedo goes to 220). The shape of the tail creates less drag, too, according to the company. The big aluminum v10 can spin the large rear tires without being revved very high, and the new viscous limited-slip differential means both wheels leave rubber. Acceleration while underway is equally exciting, and the engine pulls from almost any rpm in any gear. we found the 2003 viper to be as blunt in its behavior at speed as its predecessor. Wind buffeting with the top off is greatly reduced. Seats are more supportive and the crazy bump-steer of the '90's viper is almost all gone. On the twisty test track we found the steering had much more feeling, but was heavy enough to require both hands. The steering gear is no longer related to the grand cherokee unit pulled off the parts shelf for use in the original viper. Front tires are a monstrous 275/35zr18 size, and the rears are up to 345/30zr19. Wider rear fenders were necessary to cover the enormous rear tires, and are responsible for the car's nearly 85-inch width. The rear wheels are a whopping 13 inches wide. They are upgraded to a new brembo system with twin opposing pistons on the front calipers, which clamp 14-inch discs. These brake rotors are as big as honda civic wheels, so we're not surprised that we never felt them falter. the only transmission available is the tremec 6-speed, also used in the corvette, aston martin, and ford's mustang cobra. We think it felt a bit lighter while shifting, although little has changed in the linkage design. . summarythe all-new 2003 dodge viper is faster and more civilized than the previous car. It's among the fastest production cars sold in america. the previous viper had to meet more than just racetrack performance goals to continue production. Its low sales volume, about 1300 per year, meant it had to be a low-tech roadster. (the rival $49,000 corvette sells 20 times as many.) so anti-lock brakes and other technologically advanced systems weren't found on the original viper. the new viper was designed to make money through better design and a less complicated build process, says chrysler. Anti-lock brakes now come standard. The new refinements and performance lead us to guess the '03 viper's price to be just below $80,000. At the astounding performance levels of this car, which rival that of $300,000 exotics, we think it's a car nut's bargain. . model lineupsrt-10. assembled indetroit, michigan. options as testednone. model testedsrt-10 79,900 estimated). Tachometer✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Power Windows✔ Climate Control
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