In 1995 a friend of mine picked me up in one of the crudest stock production cars of our time. First of all, there were no exterior door handles or a roof and I had to be careful not to burn my shins when getting into the vehicle as the side pipes (exhaust pipes running down the sides of the vehicle) were hovering around 230 degrees. The vehicle reminded me a lot of the AC Cobra, only bigger. It was a first generation Dodge Viper with what, at the time, seemed to be a ridiculous amount of horsepower (400) and unbelievable torque (465 lb. ft.). It was the first time off the track that I ever though I needed to wear a helmet. The brute force that pinned me into the not so comfortable seats seemed endless and yet at that moment the message that Chrysler was sending me seem ever so clear. It’s not about feeling comfortable you idiot, it’s about performance pure and simple. Anything and everything needed to increase speed is paramount and everything else is a moot point. I had to sit down in my driveway for a while after the ‘joy ride’, but with the Dodge Viper Chrysler left an indelible mark, both on my shin and on the industry.
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