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Like a sledgehammer in the middle of your back: That’s the feeling you get when you stab the Viper’s throttle and unleash all 450 of the Viper’s horsepower at once.

Speed gushes out of this vehicle like water from a fire hose. Each gear change sends forth another geyser of acceleration that you can feel inside your belly.

My future daughter-in-law said it felt like riding a roller coaster.

Probing the capabilities of this monstrous 10-cylinder engine results in a torrent of noise and vibration that sets your body abuzz, regardless of the fact that the GTS coupe is considerably more civilized and hospitable than the R/T 10 roadster.

Careless use of the throttle can catch even the most skilled driver off guard. Coupled with the fact that the pedals are considerably offset to the left, which makes the brake hard to find at first, great care is required until you are thoroughly familiar with all of the controls, not to mention the prodigious power output.

The gigantic engine that throbs under this lovely hood is an aluminum derivative of the V10 engine originally developed for the Dodge Ram pickup. It produces so much torque (490 lb.ft.) that it accelerates like a train from less than 1,000 rpm.

The last two gears of the six-speed gearbox are overdrive so the engine can relax enough at cruising speed to get reasonable fuel economy. At 70 mph in sixth gear, the engine turns over at approximately 1,400 rpm. In a car like this, fuel economy is academic. The EPA rating is 11 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway, but to achieve that you have to drive like there’s an egg under your throttle foot.

Visually, there are few other cars that elicit such a visceral response. After parking this silver coupe in the parking lot at work I returned to find a note on the windshield proclaiming it as “the most beautiful car in the galaxy.”

The Viper, now one of the oldest models in the Dodge lineup, first appeared in 1992 as a roadster. The GTS coupe, along with a boost to 450 horsepower, was added in 1997. According to Chrysler, 96 percent of the buyers are male, average age 48, with a household income of $190,000.

Changes for 1999 include bigger wheels, black, red or silver paint and a Cognac Connolly leather interior highlighted with touches of satin aluminum trim around the gauges, on the shift knob and the door handles. The leather looks good and smells great.

The upgraded tire-wheel package consists of 18-inch diameter aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires whose profile is so low they look like rubber bands stretched around the wheels. These steamroller tires and their foot-wide tread grip the road like it was flypaper, but they are extremely sensitive to bumps and seams in the pavement. Apply power in a sweeping turn and they bite the pavement in a series of jerks and nibbles as they work to fend off the awesome power of this V10 motor.

The combination of wide t ires and firm suspension communicates so much road feel that you can tell if you run over a gum wrapper. The ride is stiff, for sure, but not buckboard quality (unless you happen across some frost-damaged pavement).

In many ways, the Viper is an anachronism, and proudly so. Its roots reach back to the 1960s, when sports cars like the Shelby Cobra were raw-boned, rough-riding bullets that compromised civility for performance. True, it has a 200-watt Alpine AM/FM/CD player, and this year a Cognac Connolly leather package adds a touch of luxury, but after driving it for a couple of hours I was relieved to ease it into the lot at work and give it, and me, a rest.

Driving not only requires intense concentration, but even after a couple of days I tired of being the center of attention from every other driver on the road.

As you can imagine, this car is far from perfect in the traditional sense. Getting in requires the agility of a gymnast, and getting out can be e n harder because the door sill heats up because the exhaust pipes run underneath it. The trunk is deep but small, just big enough for a couple of carry-on bags. Radio reception is so-so, the sound is drowned out by the engine and the buttons are so tiny it is easier just to leave it turned off. And, our test car had a nasty wind whistle from the left door at any speed over 60 mph.

But Vipers are not about practicality. Using one as everyday transportation, while certainly possible, is not the point. Think of it instead as a Sunday afternoon car taken out to clear the cobwebs from your senses and get in touch with performance at a gut level.

Price
The base price is $68,225. Leather seats are a $500 option, and the gas guzzler tax is $3,000. That brings the sticker price to $72,425.

Warranty
Three years or 36,000 miles.

Point: This car nails speed like a hammer nails boards. Putting a Connolly leather interior in the Viper is like wrapping that hammer handle in velvet: It looks good and feels good, but it doesn’t change its function.

Counterpoint: The Viper is a low-volume specialty car full of compromises that make it less than comfortable for a daily driver.

SPECIFICATIONS:
ENGINE: 8.0-liter, V10
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed
CONFIGURATION: Rear-wheel drive
WHEELBASE: 96.2 inches
CURB WEIGHT: 3,383 lbs.
BASE PRICE: $68,225
PRICE AS DRIVEN: $72,425
MPG RATING: 11 city, 20 hwy.