Exotic sports cars aren’t really meant to be used on a daily basis, unless you really want to. The same applies for the original Dodge Viper GTS, which has rightfully earned the reputation of an unforgiving, unfiltered sports car thanks to its huge V10 engine, wild on-road manners and complete lack of electronic nannies.
Never mind anti-spin or stability control; it doesn’t even have anti-lock brakes and, in our books, not having ABS is pretty hardcore, even by 1997 standards.
Still, the GTS offers a surprisingly big boot to carry all the necessary stuff on a daily basis, while the double-bubble roof means that even tall people can fit behind the wheel with headroom to spare.
And let’s not forget its reliability; whereas other sports cars have created urban myths with their insane servicing bills and expensive things that fail all the time, the Viper is surprisingly reliable, mainly thanks to its simplicity.
On the other hand, as you would expect from an 8.0-liter V10 sports car, the Viper likes to drink fuel a lot and it’s not the most convenient car to use during the winter, especially if you value things like your life, for instance.
Doug DeMuro delivers his insights on living with a Dodge Viper GTS on the video linked below.