Experiences : 2004 Viper Mamba Edition

2004 Dodge Viper 'Mamba Edition'
Car # 156 of 200
1B3JZ65Z64V101185

To be honest, I have always disliked Viper styling from the start. Even if you gave me one, I'd find a way to get rid of it. When I see a Viper, I see a Riddell football helmet with a toucan beak mounted on it. That's how ugly the car appears to me.
I guess somebody in the corporate office at Dodge overheard me talking because they put out the Mamba edition Viper. At the same token, Dodge managed to find one hellacious feature of the Viper to thumb their nose at me or tick me off. They only come in foo-foo white, or, is it a woman's car? Dodge humor I guess.
From the front angle there's no doubt its a Viper. They got away from that helmet look in the rear and just combined the sleek nose with the rear making a svelte design. Getting into the car is very comfortable, much moreso than the late 90's GTS. The new trend in starters is the little red button. Just like the Enzo and the Elise, the Mamba is started by turning the key ignition on, and reaching over and hitting the little red button to start it. The interior is very much the same except the gauge cluster goes down instead of across. The speedo goes all the way to 220 mph, should a topless Viper reach that speed, I would assume be a matter of personal preference. On the console, is the special little plate, "Mamba Edition 156/200" which could be easily worn off if you are one to rest your right elbow on the console. Ferrari was smart to put their special plates found on the 512m, Barchetta and Enzo out of reach to wear and tear spots. The doors are electronic self opening. The opening handle reminds me of the early 70's Corvette where you push down a wide plate with four of your fingers. With the Mamba, a near feather light touch of the handle and the doors pop open for you! Another cool feature to bring the car back for warranty work, is the self roll down window. With the top up when you open the door, the window slides down about a quarter of an inch, when you close the door, this allows air pressure to escape out the window as the door locks in place. Then the window rolls up all the way. I have always hated the pedal arrangement of the Viper. What the hell where they thinking? My first experience getting used to a '98 GTS found me stepping on the brake to push the clutch in. Viper's skewed far left clutch and brake pedal arrangement took some getting used to, over Ferrari's far right pedal arrangement. The Mamba got it right. The clutch, brake and accel are positioned correctly over previous versions, in my opinion. Driving the car is surprisingly easy. With power assist everything, the ride is a combination of luxurious/sports car. The best way to put it in perspective: Corvette C5. Clutch pedal pressure is very light for taming the brute V10 and is very responsive. There's no denying the power the Viper engine, as you are going down the road, you are never without power. The exhaust note is Viper throaty, as this time, the exhaust pipes come out the sides, not the rear. The plastic door plates down below get warm, but not hot... something to keep in mind. Steering response is tight, but you may run into trouble in a sharp U turn. The Mamba's front tires are as wide as some sports cars rear tires. The overall ride is smooth and sterile, allot of road 'experience' is taken out of the car. This feature may appeal to whiney wives and girlfriends who do not enjoy bouncing around in a sports car with stiff suspension. For nighttime driving, the Mamba comes with true Xenon lights. I haven't seen them from the outside so I can't tell you if they are blindingly obnoxious as the Audi TT or BMW 7 series. Overall, I liked this car. This is a Viper I would consider and repaint black. Heh, I can hear the Viper truest coming out of their tree "paint what!!!!" This is a great cruising car to take to the beach or on a drive. I don't see this edition as an active participant of track events. It has taken Dodge some time to fumble around with the designs of the Viper and this is one edition I give high praise.

 

The DO make black?? COOL!

It probably was not a fair measure, for the area was fairly new with newly paved roads. The definative test would be California Bay Area highways.