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one for commuting and one for fun. Actually that's not quite right. I found the Cobra reliable until I had run it for about a year. After that it began to struggle as the daily driver. Cue the 1.4 litres of awesomeness that was the Fiat Panda 100 HP
But then I traded both of them in for the Dodge
and ran that as my only car for a while. Not too long though because commuting circa 150 miles a day costs a bit in fuel... As a result I bought a £650 Punto to cover the miles. So, after using the Dodge as a daily driver, for commuting and longer journeys here are my findings...
Is it a replacement for the S?
Very much so if it's what you're after, but not really comparable beyond the obvious. They're front mid-engined with RWD, handle nicely, carry two in comfort and have a good spec to start with. Both have direct and quick steering, good headlights for night driving, a well designed hood and a nice boot for touring. No traction control but sensible ABS. They're both comparatively cheap to tax and service too. They perform the same roles in that you can take either on track without being embarrassed, driving there and back without going deaf and accommodate a passenger with luggage easily. It's this blend of practicality and civilised ride that I look for in a car, as well as the ability to go bonkers when you're in the mood. Reliability is assumed in both cases too. Either car will match your mood on any given day and that's what attracts us right? It's what makes a true daily driver
Ok, so how's it different from the S?
Well... It's got an 8.3 litres V10 and side exit exhausts. The wheels are very chrome and it sets off car alarms when idling. The roof isn't electric but the boot is a little more generous. 0-60 is quoted at 3.9 seconds and the top speed is somewhere between 190 and 195. No idea if that's roof up or down for those stats. Oh, and it's left hand drive...
Driving on the wrong side of the road seems to be easier to learn than driving on the wrong side of the car. Hmmm..... I haven't actually opened the door when going for a gear change but I've come close a couple of times Driving on the continent seems easy by comparison!
The car cruises beautifully like the S does but at 100 marmosets per hectare the tacho hasn't even reached 2,000 rpm. It still only manages 16 (sixteen) miles per gallon, giving an effective range of 200 miles when wafting
The good bits...
Well there's obviously the fact that you only need first and second gear for motorway speeds, the way the exhausts pop and bang on gear changes and the overrun and the looks. Yes, the performance is impressive but given it has 505bhp and 525 torques you'd be disappointed otherwise, right?! What surprised me when seeing it for the first time was how nicely styled it is. It's not the usual American styling and the build quality is good too. The handling is worlds away from the first generation and so are the brakes. Fortunately so is the engine with almost nothing remaining from the original truck engine!
The controls are light, intuitive and well laid out. The stereo/sat nav screen is bright enough with the roof off and yet you can adjust the dashboard lighting for night driving too. There's storage space and two power sockets for iThingies etc and you can adjust the seat and pedals to suit. Also it has better fuel economy than the Cobra... no really.....
What bugs you then?
Well I can honestly say not much. After several thousand miles of mixed driving including central London (bleurgh!) I doff my proverbial cap...
I'm finding that the pre-selection thing on the gearbox is irritating but that's my fault. Basically if you rev to a certain point in 1st when pulling away from a standstill the gearbox will guide you straight into 4th. This is an Americanism to promote fuel economy. If you rev really low in first it'll allow you to select whatever gear you want next. Same deal if you go scorching up the revs for an emergency start. I just seem to trigger the guide thingy at the moment
It goes bong. A lot. Ok, so does the S but then I found that annoying too!
Runflat tyres have no feel to them and don't warn you when they're about to let go. They tramline and are too easily unsettled by broken tarmac. They're going as soon as they're bald
Rear tyres cost about £280 each. Ok, that's to be expected for 345s rated for twice the speed of sound so it's not a real complaint
The summary?
Get one. Do what you have to and get one. The third generation can be had for half price or less, same insurance and fabulously driveable. Everyone I've met seems to love the car and it gets the thumbs up everywhere. Even in yellow
I can honestly say that as a slow learner I'm fine with LHD after a few months. It's not really an issue except at the Dartford tolls and the very occasional multi-storey
Nice car. Obviously still produced to compete with the Corvette, and pretty much in the same price bracket IIRC. They do look good, I admit. I saw a burnt orange one in Palm Springs last year - even that looked good with a colour that would make other cars look awful.
Servicing costs and availability may be an issue to some potential owners here, as well as fuel prices of course!
Nah, the servicing should be run of the mill really. There are so many American cars and engines over here that it's really only when a car breaks that there will be delays. My local mechanic is happy to service the Dodge and looked after the Cobra admirably too. When the engine overheated and undid exhaust header etc he was able to source all the parts from the UK. I was pleasantly surprised
ETA Obviously fuel prices are an important factor but happily the wee beastie runs on ordinary unleaded. Phew!
I've driven one, a big yellow one just like yours Andy.
I have to say , it's a loud gutsy beast with no real feel to the handling, it scares small children and as you say goes Bong a lot, no really a hell of a lot.
Compared to my 360 it has no culture at all, it's an obnoxious car and i loved driving it! really loved it.
it's on my list of cars to own, at least i think it is...i really cant be sure.
03-04-2010, 06:11 AM
Dodge Viper SRT-10...
Good review ..... if only they made them in RHD.
