How a Bunch of Rebels Built a Killer Supercar
#Viper #Dodge #Shelby
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It was a car built by a team of dedicated madmen,
Whose blood had long since been replaced by gasoline.
Hillbillies and bush mechanics,
moonshiners working without oversight on a singular goal:
Revive the spirit of AMERICA.
Legends who would go on to become Redneck Rockstars.
This is the story of rebels,
Of criminals and corporate suits,
Who came together to save America.
And build the Dodge Viper.
This is THE SQUIDD, a channel devoted to telling boring stories BOLDLY. Automotive icons, car company calamities, supercar legends and underdog heroes. All told through the lens of The Squidd, automotive content creator famous for being a dude with bad hair.
Follow us everywhere!
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Credits:
Writer: Ken Steinberger
Editor: Alex Anastasakis
Music used in order of appearance:
The Great Unknown by Hampus Naeselius
Forged in Combat by Idan Kupferberg
Longing For Home by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Watcha Gon' Do by Chris Shards
Hot Stuff Goin' On by The Best Ofs
Old Grump by Smartface
Bad Habits by Jules Gaia
All Wound Up by Tigerblood Jewel
Power-punch by 2050
Bytes by Sineyourlifeaway
Staying Classy by Elliot Holmes
1AM OMW by Ballpoint
Tiger Beast by Tigerblood Jewel
Out of Flux by Punkd
Game over by 2050
Grisly Brill by Venom
0:00 - Rebellion
5:00 - A Man From Texas
6:41 - First Bite
8:04 - Freedom Personified
9:05 - The Oil Crisis
10:52 - The K-Car
13:06 - Lutz
15:45 - We Need to Build One of These
16:45 - Building a Team
17:52 - Working in Secret
19:45 - Sealing the Deal
20:59 - Vipera
22:51 - Herb's Heavy Hitter
24:52 - The Heart of the Beast
26:41 - Leading the Pack
27:41 - A Basket of Snakes
30:22 - It's Still Ours
Skip the waitlist and invest in blue-chip art for the very first time by signing up for Masterworks: masterworks.art/thesquidd Purchase shares in great masterpieces from artists like Pablo Picasso, Banksy, Andy Warhol, and more. See important Masterworks disclosures: masterworks.io/cd
Gotta say, that transition from the video itself to the sponsoring part was probably the best I‘ve ever seen. It took me quite a few seconds to actually realize it😂👌🏻
To me the CORVETTE ZR1 IS A BETTER CAR THE VIPER
I love the viper in video games but in real life only to take a picture but not to own
How about a video on the Mitsubishi GTO?
Loved the video. Strange that you did not incorporate the VIPER GTS racing heritage. It was the reason I bought my 1999 GTS. Also the car was incredible as far as modifying it. Getting 800 horsepower was easy, and some folks went bonkers and got as much as 2000hp from it. Of course it needed suspension tuning, 1000hp half shafts, etc to make it less of a handful when you pegged it. A stock hyabusa was easy prey with a lightly modified boosted viper. Just IMHO the video should have taken a short look at the GTS incredible racing history, it caused Leman to rewrite its rules in 2000 since the V10 was so indestructible. For your consideration. V/R, Max
Fun fact- I was at the North American Auto show in Detroit in January of 1991. The Viper was there. You could only barely see it through the crowds...but then the crowds thinned out, no one was checking out the car- or any cars. Everyone was crowded around the few TVs in the place as we all stood shocked and watched the the beginning of Gulf War.
Thats a pretty sobering prospective
I’m reporting DEAD BODY FOUND EMERGENCY MEETING on your tactical doggo SUS
History
It sounds like watching the superbowl at a restaurant, no one cares about the food, they're just fixated on the game
The gulf war did not start in january 1991 tho
As a 15 year old boy in 1989, I remember seeing the Viper concept at the Chicago Auto Show. I asked my father, if I can get something like that when I turned 16 (after I get my Driver's License). All my father did was just laughed, and laughed, and then laughed some more. Now, as a 48 year old man that is going through a mid-life crisis (with a chunk of cash to burn), I may go look for a Dodge Viper to buy after watching this video. I want to drive the car to my father's house and say "who is laughing now, daddy?" And yes, I am aware that this may very well be the "last" car I buy.
The second gen is still a good value. First gen got pricey for what they are, and 3-5 are the expensive ones, but man. You can't go wrong with a 2nd.
Yeah I was just looking and found some gen 2s for like 40-50k which is honestly a steal
@@the.squidd : I was kind of joking when I posted the comment. But now, I have really been looking around on the internet for a few hours now. I may very well buy one in an attempt to cure my mid-life crisis. 😅 Thanks for a great video.
@@kensteinberger6968 : After looking around on the internet, there is a brand new 1992 Viper RT-10 that is on sale for $250,000 (with only 210 miles). And yeah, there are quite a few 2nd Gen. for reasonable price out there. I will keep looking around. 😃
Dude do it! As long as you're a semi competent driver and it's got decent tyres on it you'll have a ball - I know I do!
I was 18 when the Viper came out. I thought it was the sexiest, most angry, violent-sounding car ever produced, as if somehow, someone had made the vehicular representation of an axe murderer. The fact that this car has all the safety of a falling elevator and enough torque to accelerate sideways made it even MORE desirable to me. The V-10 made a sound I'd NEVER heard before. It didn't have the rumbling burble of a V-8, nor did it have the shrieking rasp of a V-12. It sounded like Wolverine was murdering a Hydra agent during a bar fight, after having been injected with 5 gallons of raw adrenaline and two fifths of Jack Daniels. The shape was other-worldly and familiar at the same time, and its imperfections were what made it perfect. The Viper is and always will be, to me, my 'Amy' car: As pretty as Amy Adams, as comical as Amy Poehler, as offensive as Amy Schumer, and as gritty and reckless as Amy Winehouse...
Best comment award
Goddamn!
EVER THINK ABOUT CREATIVE WRITING AS A SIDELINE??? HEHE
Least American comment 😂
That just might be the best description of a viper that I've ever read. Well said, Sir....
Born in 1991 and growing up naturally loving cars. I seriously appreciate this video and the work you put into it. In 2004 I was able to purchase a 1995 Canary Yellow Viper with 10k miles on it and I still have it to this day. Just makes me appreciate it even more now because I knew when i was a kid I REALLY wanted one :) Thank you SQUID!
Congrats Lenny! You own a legend!
How'd you get that beast at 13? Congrats on owning one though, that's crazy man!
The math really isn’t mathing, you bought that at 13?
You sure you didn't miss a number? Born in '91 but bought a Viper in '04?
@@reinbeers5322 probably crashed it and has scrambled his brains
I will never forget the first time I saw a viper. I was 6 years old and my dad and I had just pulled into an old diner where a collection of car guys were standing around talking next to there cars. A bright yellow curvy race car instantly grabbed my attention. My dad could tell I was enraptured by the looks of it so he approached the man standing next to it and asked if I could sit inside it. He smiled and opened the passenger door for me and said hop in. We want for a short drive around the block that had my eyes full of tears and my arms riddled with goosebumps. It was cold with the top down, loud with the side exhaust and faster in a city block than anything else I'd ever experienced. As I hopped out after the ride, in burned my leg on the side pipe and as I winced the man laughed, looked at me and said, "yeah, it's a viper! It'll bite ya." And just like that I was hooked for life.
The Viper is the car our 6 year old selves would draw.
their cars, duh.
@@amsterob It's an awe-inspiring car at that
What could pair better with such an excellent video.. going to the comment section and reading Viper stories :) Long ago I had promised myself I would go crazy and buy a Viper if an investment of mine took off. It fell through, but years later my ship came in. Do I dare to be so impulsive as to consider buying one now? I'm not even the same person I was then.. but I wouldn't mind reconnecting with that guy sometimes.
@@ozymandias1758 buy shorts in the NASDAQ when the market opens today, and then buy us both a viper next week ;-)
Dude I am not even American, just your average petrolhead and your intro to the Viper got me in tears. The content you create is out of this world. This will be my first membership in youtube, that is for sure. Congratulations!
Thank you so much Felipe! I think a good story is a good story, no matter what country you're from. My goal is always to tell a good story, I'd hate to waste a viewer's time!
Right there with you, bro. I am American, this choked me up. A squalling engine is a glorious anthem no matter where we come from.
@@the.squidd y
While I was at University on a Football scholarship, I was able to work at Sir Bob Lutz's estate doing landscaping during the summer. I never got to meet the man, but I knew of his importance in saving Dodge and building the Viper. He had already moved on to Interstate Battery but had the 2nd RT10 off the line in his garage & I would often go gawk at it, dreaming...Nothing but appreciation for that death machine!
Radddd
The Viper will always have a special place in my heart. Even though i grew up in a small town in the forests of central Germany the Viper was the first exotic super car i've seen in real life. There was this weekend in the middle of the 90s and i was riding around on my bicycle on the very, very bad main street of my home town when i heard the most infernal sound ever. I was looking around and i saw this black car coming up the road. As i have been a car nerd for as long i can remember, even 10 year old me instantly recognized it was a Viper. And due to the aforementioned bad roads it was literally crawling to a point even i, on my three gear bicycle, could keep up with for a while, marvelling at this insane car for a few seconds longer. I will never forget that day. A few years later when Gran Turismo came out i couldnt wait to get my own Viper in the game. The Oreca Viper became my absolute favorit car in game, on par with stunning Toyota GTone.
I spent three days learning to drive on a racetrack in a Viper. It did not try to kill me. And I didn't even spin out. "The best thing about the Viper is it does exactly what You tell it to do, and the worst thing about the Viper, it does exactly what you tell it to do."
One day I wish my dreams could come true to own a 94 Viper and NB Miata in with matching go faster stripes
@@6Sparx9I'd have the biggest smile on my face every time I see the pair together. Best of luck to you!
Innit.... Throttle goes both ways, man.
Awesome Viper fact. John Donato was the original Viper drivetrain engineer. He’s in the clip at 17:24 which is a Viper team reunion. When everyone started throwing turbos making insane power John helped by rebuilding transmissions with stronger gears made of better metal from a full size truck. John would rebuild these transmissions shot peened with meticulously attention. Those gears were eventually phased out and so you couldn’t buy them. John to this day however will rebuild you a Viper transmission with only the best. PPG gears able to hold mountains of torque. He’s an extremely nice humble dude I’ve had the pleasure of exchanging emails with on my twin turbo Viper. It’s awesome that the passion never died and an original Viper engineer is still working to make the car better.
John has been a friend of the family since he arrived at AMC headquarters from Kenosha in the early 80s. My dad worked there and they became friends through a shared passion for fast cars. My dad owned John's old Javelin race car for many years. A cherished memory is one of him coming over with a Viper prototype and taking me for a ride. I was still a teenager and I was blown away. We got on I-275 and he said "watch this"! He would speed up and all the cars around us would speed up. He would slow down and all the cars around us would slow down! Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of that car!
@@davenorgrove3193 very cool story! You're probably one of the few outside dodge who has gotten a ride in one of the preproduction models!
the energy of the intro could’ve made me drive full speed into a brick wall screaming “HOOO RAHHH” the entire time just in the name of america
Part of what made the Viper so special was that Chrysler earned it. They put in the work to make a fleet of regular cars so that they could have the financial base to build the Viper.
“we aren’t the smartest engineers, we aren’t the best machinists, and we aren’t the most talented designers. However -Germany, japan and Italy- we are still America, and that means we have the fastest car. Which, by the way, we made entirely out of bad ideas done cleverly.” -Chrysler in the 90s
Germany, Japan, and Italy: Weird flex but okay
@@thedoomslayer2468 only Japan can say weird. Germany and Italy are stupid themselves.
@@thedoomslayer2468I don’t get how it’s weird
@@DavidVandemark ww2
How the hell is this not made by some well-known filmmaker or production company. The production quality and information presented are possibly the best I've ever seen. When you watch a video of this quality, you would be surprised that you have less than 10 million subscribers. What you are doing is absolutely insane, keep up the phenomenal work man.
Hey thanks friend. I don’t think I’m doing anything anyone else couldn’t do! But I appreciate it!
@@the.squidd Yea man I agree with original commenter, this stuff is on Lemmino and tales from the bottle level, keep it up and I'm sure by the end of this year you will be at 1-2 mil :)
@@the.squidd I'm surprised discovery or moto trend hasn't come to you with a offer of a 10 session contract. This is better content than they have put out in years.
@@zeanyt2372 Hah! I have had a couple of offers from some places I'll leave unnamed but no, I have worked for other creators my entire career and its time I made my content my way.
@@the.squidd alright then. If your forging your own path, more power to you. :) I'm blown away by your work, it shows your skills. I'm seldom emotional, but I can't help but be with every video I've seen (all but 1).You are officially my favorite automotive documentarian on KZhead. You deserve the highest honors and most prosecutors award in your field. I'm ecstatic for what you'll do next. And I'll be here to pay witness to your fantastic work. I wish I had more for you than hollow words, but for now it's all I can afford. Thank you for your contributions to the world of automotive media.
Dude you make the greatest introductions EVERRRRRRRRR!!!! It promises everything, yet promises nothing at the same time. This is Advertising 101, the entire thing is a marketing masterpiece!!!!
My first design job, I was a chassis designer hired May 1989. Coolest project of my career, met Carroll Shelby, Reeves Callaway and the man himself, Iaccoca.
The quality of your videos are out of this world, you definitely deserve more!
aint about deserving anything. Gotta put in the hard work to build something and I've only just begun.
@@the.squidd I respect your words and effort.
@@m.7093 he didn't exactly copy him, probably inspired. can't really assume that fast 🤷♂
@@m.7093 You guys... I worked there. I didn't steal anything, their video and mine share almost nothing, and also, Ideal Media literally steals everything. Their entire brand is based off of IP theft.
@@m.7093 I’m sorry you feel that way
I owned a 99 Viper for about 10 years... beautiful car, and not overly complicated like most sports cars of today or even back then. It wasn't a very forgiving car to drive fast, you had to respect it. Most accidents came from people locking the wheels do to engine-braking on a downshift, and once you lost control on a viper it was hard to recover.
My buddy was kind or crazy enough to let me drive his Viper and I completely was surprised by the engine braking....then I remembered the engine was 488cid and was like oh yeah LOL
@@jasonquartermile425 Can we compare it to the Porsche Carrera GT ?? Because both cars are regarded as deadliest sports car ... Porsche CGT also was famous for killing people because of it's raw power ..
Great video. Was the poster car for me as a child. Was my all time obtainable dream car. I was able to pick up a 2000 GTS 2 years ago and it does not disappoint. Anyone that hates the viper and says its a terrible car has clearly not had the chance to have some good seat time. I must say the first week or so of owning it, I wasn't sold. As soon as I got use to the offset pedals and found the perfect pedal to seat ratio the car felt amazing. Even though its lower HP than some of my previous cars, that down low torque definitely needs to be respected. It can be a handful. Modern sticky tires greatly improve it.
Congrats on attaining your dream James!
That original viper is to this day one of the most intimidating and aggressive looking cars of all time. The name is literally perfect.
I loved working at SRT on this vehicle. It was described as a very inexpensive race car. My very first "talk" on how to drive it was eye opening. Since inception there have been 36 accidents results in 6 deaths by experienced drivers. One was a flip in a Uturn in front of the building.i drove them the entire summer solving air leaks at 150 mph. Never forget it. Got out of two tickets from cops that just wanted to touch it or sit in it.the advice? Never ever hit it while turning. The back eng will be gone immediately.and you, if lucky, facing traffic behind you.
Robert, I wonder if you knew or remember a short guy who worked on the Viper project as well. His name is Mike Francis. He's the father of a good friend of mine, and he has some great stories! Before being let go, he was allowed to take one home. He took his three sons to school in it. All three schools, elementary, middle, and high school, emptied out for the staff and students to bask in it's glory! He's got pics of it; the one he had was blue with white stripes, IF I recall correctly!
I always wondered why most accident vids were of people spinning out.
Part of the rules of ownership... NEVER GO FULL THROTTLE UNLESS YOU ARE POINTED FORWARD. 😁
the production quality, research, storytelling is truly world class ! you will definitely reach great heights of recognition and popularity one day, that's for sure. even until that happens , please know your videos evoke joy and wonder in my and other's daily life
It's one of the main reasons I do it. Knowing that I can make someone's day better, even if just for a few minutes, makes my heart swell. I'm truly thankful that you guys watch, and that you enjoy the content. It's a lot of work, but when I read comments like this it makes it all worth it.
@@the.squidd keep going! The work is definitely unimaginable for me, all these research, scripting, then editing... But it succeeds to reach us every time without failure
Axomiya?
The way you rolled the ad into this video was pure genius I didn't even know it was an ad. You are a marketing genius.
Okay, I am hooked. I am not much of a gearhead. Haven't even owned a vehicle for the last ten years but your videos are so well made that I can't stop watching. You talk highly of the craftsmanship put into the cars you document. Well the craftsmanship you display with your style of making videos is also outstanding. Looking forward to seeing you do one of your videos on the journey of Tesla from its roots to the present.
Thanks!
I'm a Brit. I like Jag, I like Aston, I like Caterham. I also like our neighbours cars Beemer, Ferrari, Lambo. That said I frigging love the Viper. They're unbelievably rare over here with only a handful of official imports handled by ProDrive. I've seen a few in the flesh and they don't disappoint.
I think even if you downright hate American cars (which I'm sometimes guilty of) you just have to love the Viper. It's raw brutality and absurdity is downright universally loved by anyone with a pulse and a need for speed.
I remember buying a 1:18 model from Bburago back in 1992. As a little kid, I was stunned by what in the world that car is?! It looked out of this world. I held F40 in my hands, but then saw this thing and instantly knew this is the one I want!
My first car was a '77 Cordoba (450ci w/ the 4-barrel carb). I think of that car and tend to think about the cigarette boat on the intro to Miami Vice. It is one of the examples of Chrysler's folly in the video, but that thing was my Grandfather's in-town car from maybe 79-90 when he gave it to me in exchange for helping him paint the house. As inappropriate a ride as it might have been during the OPEC crisis, when gas prices were $.80-$1.20/gal in the early 90's (and being 19 years old), that was a dream car. Lots of cargo space, stupidly lush interior (Corinthian leather, right?) and a ridiculously overpowered power plant (+ a previous owner who maintained it perfectly)
It's amazing how I can easily sit half an hour and watch this without being tired at all. Top quality content!
I promise I'll make some short ones too hah. These are way too long.
@@the.squidd please dont shorten them, the detail and intensity of the videos are what a lot of people look forward to, i havent been more hooked onto and connected to more deeply than how well you are able to depict the growth of the auto industry, these are the videos i look forward to
@@the.squidd Dont you dare! This is perfect! It keeps me glued for the whole 30+mins!
@@the.squidd Make them short or long, I'll enjoy all of them
@@rsett4964 No. This is too long
I mean I would argue that the last viper was better in every way without letting go of its roots. The used prices speak for themselves. It's what people really want.
I would agree wholeheartedly. The 3rd gen was the Viper refined yet still wild. Wish they had backed the racing program for longer, wish more of the public bought them, but overall it was a beautiful improvement of the type. Also loved how the redesign purposely looked more snakelike!
@@Dindyracer The last Viper was as modern as the original formula was ever going to get. The car's ethos, it's reason for being, was also a dead-end. Since the Viper came and went, only TVR has probably gotten the closest to being a manufacturer of brutish take-it-or-leave-it cars that never pretended to care about the real stakes involved in being modern and road-legal.
it was a great run, tbh, but the whole goddamn EPA and ITHSA regulations had unfortunately came for the kneecaps, and rendered the Viper only produced up until 2017.
In 2004, I was 8, I had a first encounter with a Viper GTS.. and immediately fell for it. To this day I absolutly adore this car, even if I won‘t ever own one. At least I had the honor to have a seat in a Viper GTS-R in 2009.
I’ve heard this story many times and it never gets old. This is probably the most thorough viper origin video. Proud to be a viper owner! (I don’t really own a viper, just speaking it into existence) Also the V10 being a truck engine is a myth
The Viper gets a bad rap far too often. I think the main thing that made the car "dangerous" was that it made so much torque so quickly. My 04 makes 400+ ft-lbs from 1500 rpm on, which I think people just aren't used to. The whole "no safeties" thing as well isn't exactly unique to the Viper. I think the best comparison I've heard recently is that the Viper is like a motorcycle. Both are wildly capable in the right hands and stupidly fast for what they are, but both will also injure you very badly if you aren't paying attention. Vipers don't actively try to kill you. I've daily driven one for almost 100,000 miles and nearly 10 years, and if you just drive it like a normal car, it drives like a normal car.
I believe too the fact that it came from a pedestrian car company made buyers assume it would behave like a normal Dodge, or even a normal sports car. Low and behold its this fierce supercar that doesn't hold your hand. Your buyers were less the refined Ferrari and Porsche owners who knew about handling fast cars, and more big rich Americans that just think they can push that skinny pedal as hard as they want.
Viper is my all time favourite American sports car. When my dad went to work at Chrysler in mid 1990’s I was so proud and excited because he was working at the company that created the Viper.
my dad was also a dodge/chrysler employee around this time.. at first we were in northern canada & then just before the viper was released we moved to the capitol city of our province.. there i got to see a viper & sit in it.. i didnt even wanna touch it, but was assured it was ok to sit in... took until 2005 for me to get my first ride in one... a day i shall never forget!
My dad went from VW/Audi to Chrysler in the mid-to-late 1990s, but even before then, I was a fan of this car and I still am. I even bought a Viper SRT-10 die-cast for his birthday one year since neither of us could afford a real Viper.
My neighbor down the street had a 2nd Gen after crashing his first Gen in the Santa Cruz mountains. He knew I was into tuner cars and asked if I wanted a ride. He takes me flying up and down the hill where we live. Dangerous speeds and around one corner looks at me and says the tires aren't warmed up yet and guns the pedal we fly around the corner and it felt like we were gonna die. He drives it back to his driveway and it was one of the best rides of my life time. Waiting for my turn to do the same to a fellow car enthusiasts one day.
Yo, I'm American and that 3 minute intro gave me chills constantly while watching it. MURICA!
I was living in Rochester Minnesota in the early 90’s. Soon after Vipers arrived at Dodge dealerships one of the top guys of the local Dodge dealership let his young daughter take a new Viper out for a day. I saw her eastbound turn north onto Broadway, going maybe a little bit too fast. Within a short time of that she flipped the Viper upside down in a ditch. Both people in the car had their seatbelts on and weren’t seriously injured.
All I can say is this video just brought my Dodge muscle car heart back to life.Thank you for doing this amazing car justice and its rightful place in American muscle car lore. Well done!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this video! It means more to me then you'll ever know. When the Viper came out I had just became a service manager and at 25 years old the youngest President of a Chrysler Service manager Guild to date. Chrysler sent a bunch of service and parts managers to the Indy 500 that year. (In Style) We left that morning in a charter jet that was entirely First Class. We had Steak and eggs for breakfast on the plane to Indy with Champagne to wash it down with. Once there a police escort got us to the track and our seats on the starting line. We were only in our seats for 15 minutes and decided to walk under the track into the infield and check it out. Indy was absolutely unbelievable. From the Museum to the 3 hole golf course to the Viper owners club cars to the rowdy fans on the roofs of their motorhomes cheering on the race. It was an amazing experience. With 2 laps left we went under the stands on the infield side of the track and ended up right by the winning teams pit only separated by a short chain link fence. After the race they opened gates on both sides of the track and we walked across the still warm yard of bricks with the tree still lit up with the finishing order in the background. Truly surreal! Then got back to the airport for the flight back to Minnesota. What a day and what a time to work for Chrysler. Thanks for bringing back memories.👍🇺🇸🏎️
So glad you got to experience that! As a life long motorsports photographer I've been so lucky to be so close to so many motoring moments, and I always wished more people could stand where I stood and experience up close the power and finesse of proper racing. Thank you for watching and sharing your story friend!
This channel deserves far more sub! I had the experience of trying a Viper in the 90s. It was everything the video describes. Fast, overpowered RWD, clunky gearbox and LOUD AS HELL!
As a lifelong viper fan and now viper owner, I tip my hat to you. This is the greatest video about the viper that I’ve ever seen. Hell, greatest video about America 😂👌🏼
😂🤜🤛
Laying in my bad being sick, best thing that could happen to me is this notification!
I'm sick too and I agree
Yo same my guy Sick gang
Same here
Same here damn
I remember the first time I saw one in a showroom, I was 5. It has been my dream car ever since and I will get one the moment I can afford it. I drove a gen 3 that my uncle had at his dealership and the power was amazing and raw.
Very well presented. People with dreams is what America has always been about. The Dodge Brothers started something that can’t be extinguished, only modified to fit the future. That takes vision, common sense and action. Then this too shall come to pass….. it’s a new world today and faster and safer than ever before. Keep moving forward. 😎
I haven't seen automotive journalism in such a beautiful way since the days of Top Gear. Your stories are truely a piece of art. The production value is impeccable. Thank you 🐙! Thank you for putting this and all the rest of your masterpiece together for us to see and enjoy.
Certainly, my pleasure!
@@the.squidd Can we compare it to the Porsche Carrera GT ?? Because both cars are regarded as deadliest sports car ... Porsche CGT also was famous for killing people because of it's raw power ..
Christ on a cracker SQUIDD, you're getting to flawless levels of documentary dude, Another year or so and you're going to be the gold standard for car histories. Keep the awesome coming brother, would be great to see something like the history of Vector or Venturi in the future, cheers on another great one.
Vector is SO fun. Would absolutely love to do them someday.
@@the.squidd you're too humble man, and to hell with the haters I've seen posting...you have a good channel going and I can tell you've put your heart into it
@@shuruff904 After this many years on KZhead I love haters, it means they watched and were engaged. Better than making boring content that doesn't get someone to feel anything.
Another great story. Back in the 70s & 80s I never thought that we would have great performance cars again. I'm so glad that we are seeing the best performance cars ever.
I remember that first time I learned about the Viper. In late 1995 at 12y.o. I just getting into cars I was browsing the magazine rack when I saw a new car guide for 1996. Inside was a small article on the Viper. It was red with yellow viper logos on either side of the hood, yellow wheels, red steering wheel, red shifter, red parking brake handle, and red seats to. I read that article over and over I practically drooled over the pictures. It instantly became my dream car, and is still to this day. The first time I saw one in person was when I got word through a classmate that there was one that just got delivered to the local Dodge dealer. I asked my mom to take me over to look at it she agreed, and we asked the salesman about it he said it's over here. It was a 1997 GTS, and loved it even more. I've been close to them even sat in a couple, but never got the chance to drive one. I lust for a second gen GTS, and of course it has to be blue w/white stripes.
Same. 2nd Gen Blue / White is the one for me.
The Viper is still one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on the road, first gen is still the best but anytime I see one I get a bit excited.
Yet again. Research, imagery, and frankly, one of the best pieces of scripwriting on youtube, speacially on a car channel. Your videos are so damn good, man.
Thank you so much Thomas! I put a lot of work into this and I'm glad people like it.
@@the.squidd I'm watching it again. The passion you put in each of the words you write. We can feel it. We can feel you mean it. The ending gave me butterflies and brought tears to my eyes. You're a gifted writer, storyteller, videomaker and researcher. You're a legend, bro.
I played in a poker game that had several Chrysler guys as a part of the group. One of the guys was a VP for Chrysler and he showed up with a pre-production version of the Viper one night. The start of the game was delayed that night since we all wanted to look at the car. Thanks for bringing back some memories for me.
I have to admit, as an European I finally get the Viper… Always loved it but mostly because of the design All the best to everyone
The fact the viper had its own TV show tells you everything you need to know about it. When's the last time a production car got its own television series?
I’m pretty sure Chrysler paid for the show as part of the marketing, but it was actually quite good and watchable in its own right.
Night rider, dukes of hazard, speed racer, Initial D
Oh and Mad Max
@@MaxRamos8 I get what you're going for here but I said production car... who tf made the Mach 5? Lockheed Martin? lol
Here in the UK we had a similar looking mad car called the TVR Cerbera with the 4.7 V8 that had loads of power that had no ABS or stability control with a 0-60 in less than 4 seconds and had a habit of crashing and killing its owner's.
Oh yes, I absolutely plan on covering TVR at some point. One of my favorite manufacturers.
Wasn't the Cerbera the car it's CEO said was immoral to let loose?
I'm coming à bit late, what is funny is that over the English channel French created iconic and fun cars using boring engines. It's all about the chassis
@@swaggynator3879 Didn't stop him from putting a V12 in it though.
The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. You guys also had big, unwieldy 3 deck ships of the line that struck fear into the hearts of men. Or WO Bentley who went faster by putting a bigger engine in something. "Fastest lorries in Europe? Damn straight Ettore."
Fun fact. The comment of the Viper sharing Dodge Dakota hubs is very true. I have a set of Viper wheels on my Dakota in fact. 6x114.3 gang!
1 minute into the video and i forgot its a youtube video and not a movie
Dude, I’m the biggest car freak that you’ve ever met. Your videos are truly the Best F-cking auto videos made, PERIOD. This, like all of your others brings tears to my eyes, literally. Your talent oozes from these and I gotta say a sincere THANK YOU
Thank you for taking time outta your day to watch them Brannon!
I'm proud to be American. I'm not actually American but this video makes me feel like that's all that matters. Fantastic script Squidd. Absolutely top job, your best yet!
Thanks Kapil!
America is the world
Proud to be an American and the Viper is America
Lol it's an infectious thing us americans are. I dont blame ya for feeling that way. What a great comment though 👍
We're Americans land of Immigrants we might not have the best past as a nation but if you want to became an American you can not many countries allow you to do that.
A car that was designed to bring back the American spirit in secret because it would have been too ridiculous to approve of. I wish there were more cars that were less managed and restrained because every time they happen; they always make an impact. Love your videos, Bro! I can't wait for the next one!
Thanks Ben! Yeah it is a shame when corpo overlords water down potentially great cars. I think that's why supercars are so alluring.
Such a well made video, growing up a Dodge only kid, literally makes me cry just watching the intro and i could watch it a million times over
I’m amazed by this video. This is so well put together and tells a story of my single most favorite car that I never knew.
No bs asking for likes or subs, just wonderful content and a well deserved sponsorship. I absolutely loved the story telling in this one, def one of my favorites of your vids. The way the visuals aided in the telling of the story and the other factors that tied the whole thing together was amazing. Keep up the great work man.
Yeah I don't believe in any of the "tricks" of KZhead. I just want to make good content that people enjoy. Glad you like it!
Its actually a crime that this channel has little subs the production quality is truly incredible
Man I can't believe I have as many as I do! I feel like I exploded.
When I went to Peterson Automotive Museum, I saw this car in the vault and saluted it. God bless America.
Glad I found your channel just subscribed 👍🏻 thanks for showcasing this amazing American 🇺🇸 icon
Absolute masterpiece, the Viper and this video. Very few out there that can be engaging and entertaining for a full 30mins but my eyes were glued start to finish.
Honored you gave me your time Sean!
The Viper and the Chevelle still to this day are my two favorite cars ever made. And the GTSR Concept has got to be among the most stunning and just flat out mean looking cars ever. I truly adore it beyond words.
I spent several years buying, selling, trading, 2 years ago I sold my 76 280z( would have been a fine car) to get my dream car down the street, that had just gone up for sale. 2 door 72 Chevelle Malibu. Its going to take time, but I'm never letting go of it now that I have it.
I was HOOKED all throughout this video, I watched the video sponsor only realizing halfway through it that it was a sponsor. This video is now my new favorite video, thank you.
Thanks for spending your time on it! I am always grateful anyone listens to me ramble for any amount of time.
I'm 30 years old and nothing captures my heart quite like the Viper. The next generation is gonna miss an iconic piece of machinery
The Viper was hands down the first car I truly fell in love with. Before I knew anything about cars or even what the Viper could do. It was my favorite matchbox car I had. Looked cool and the name just sounded awesome. The older and older I get the more and more I love it for being unapologetically it's self. I pray one day I just get to drive one, and would kill to own one. And if it takes my life I know I'll die a happy man.
I hope you get to drive one someday!
It may be a death trap on the normal road with a normal driver, but as a track car it is godly in all ways
Watching Tyler Hoover drive one in Car Trek 8 here on KZhead was a thing of beauty. Get someone who knows how to drive behind the wheel and you can see what that car can do.
How a car video can make you up with a whole nation! Work of greatness for sure. With love (also hope and faith, those who read between lines know we will need it) from France.
The Dodge Viper, the McLaren F1 and the Lamborghini Aventador are inspirations for me. I study so that I can someday be a proud owner of a car that makes you question if you're going to make it back home because you're trying to push the car to its limits. Jokes aside, you can only truly feel alive in those moments where you're 100% there and not thinking of anything else and driving is what scratches my itch.
There is no doubt in my mind that your channel is gonna get bigger and bigger. Every aspect of your videos are top quality. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, I hope so! I'm having fun and wanna keep doing this!
on the use of the V10 engine, one of the more plausible rumours I've heard is that one of the stipulations of the bailout was "to not spend any more money developing V8 powered passenger cars". Hence, the Viper got the V10, the Prowler got a V6, and for concept cars it's even more obvious, the Atlantic had an _inline_ 8, the Phaeton had a V12, even the Thunderbolt had an unspecified "8 cylinder" engine.
Another fun one!
Not gonna lie, I love that straight eight look though.
Fun theory but the timelines don't quite match up. Chryslers last loan (Not really a bailout like automakers got more recently) at the time was from 1978 and by 1984 it was paid back in full. The first Viper prototype saw the light of day 5 years after that only a year after first being conceived. Even if "No more V8 passenger cars" was part of the stipulations for their loan they would have been freed from that by the time the Viper started development. If it was a company stipulation it never would have left paper in the first place.
Jeremy Clarkson's analogy to the F14 Tomcat is spot on. Pure power, and pure analog!
I remember going to Texas automotive museum and was shocked to see that the viper was in the middle of the podium while the other cars were put on display, I asked my dad why and he said because it's the meanest and most beautiful car you'll drive.
Sitting here in my hippie hoodie, pizza in the oven, the incense burning with my favorite German beer in hand watching another masterpiece from @THE SQUIDD. What an excellent way to spend my evening! The Viper was my dream car growing up in the 90s and this just brought all those great memories of sitting at my desk ignoring the world around me, feverishly drawing another Viper on lined paper. This was nostalgic! Thanks again @THE SQUIDD!
Awesome that you enjoy it so much friend, what beer were you drinking?
@@the.squidd Warsteiner Dunkel, hands down my favorite.
Props, the amount of work putting into this masterpiece was incredible.
This channel has the smoothest ad transition I have ever seen. I'd been watching half the sponsorship before I even knew I was watching a sponsorship.
As a Viper RT/10 owner, I've been waiting for this one since I saw your video on the 930 turbo. Thank you! You're the most skilled automotive documentarian on KZhead by a good measure. The story of the Viper is difficult to tell BECAUSE you must first understand the stories of the cars and men that came before it. It's a detail that's often overlooked, and this nailed it!
Thanks Tom! Lucky you with the RT/10! Hope it is as fun to drive as I imagine it is.
Why Viper is cancelled?
@@tomparker3654 Because of automotive safety regulations that went into effect in 2018. For Dodge to continue selling the car after 2017 they would have had to completely redesign the A-pillar. Considering the 2017 Viper still used a lightly updated version of the chassis that went into production in 1992, it was infinitely more financially sustainable for Dodge to discontinue it than design a completely new chassis for a car they sold only a few hundred of per year.
This channel is so underrated, the first video I saw was about the R32 but the editing has always been top tier
Glad you enjoy it!
I come back and watch this video every couple of months, it’s probably my favorite on this website. I would love to have a viper occupying a slot in my garage someday.
As an engineering student who loves cars this video is incredibly inspiring, got my energy to make it through the week again. great vid!
Im not even American and i feel proud. Thats what your content does for me. Your GOING PLACES SQUID. Please considering making one for the FDRX7. Love the content . Props from Jamaica 🇯🇲
Me prepared to watch this the video thinking it was going to be about Carroll Shelby and then realizing it's about my all time favorite car and instantly start crying, The Dodge Viper means more to me than that alot of things it was the first car I fell in love with, it was the car that taught me how to read and write, it was my essay, my first die cast model when I say I love that car I LOVE THAT CAR and bonus points for using the TV show footage as well this video was so well done and just makes me love the car so much more....Thank you
Thank you so much for giving it a watch. Always happy when I can do someone’s favorite car justice !
Fantastic video! The Viper and/or Ram SRT-10 are my dream vehicles, and it's nice to hear the story of the 1st Gen Viper laid out this way. For now, I've got to make due with that Magnum V10 as it was before the Viper team swiped it, but I'll be in the real thing some day
Damn what a powerful line "The Dodge Viper rebelled against the very _concept_ of *boredom."*
One of my favorites!
Man... Viper has been my favorite car since I was 7yo, this video sums up everything that made me love this car so much. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to watch Gabriel!
3rd video in a row since i found your channel. Genuinely love the inspiring descriptions. "Kentucky bourbon poured into a gasoline engine" may be the best thing I have ever heard.
I just binged all of your videos, i have to say a few things. The video quality is, amazing, the edits, the "storyline" is so concise and entertaining, the jokes, the style, everything about these videos and channel in general is amazing, i am angry you channel is so underrated, i really hope you will keep making videos, and honestly, if i could, i would become a member of the channel, you made me like cars again, thank you, and ill be waiting the next video.
Thanks friend! I dunno how I'm underrated I haven't even been at this a year yet, I'd say I'm pretty well rated! Appreciate the love!
@@the.squidd com on dude, 120k, sure it might be a lot for a year, but the video quality is better than many channels, i kind of compare your work to Real Engineering's in a way that, you both cover a set topic, voiceover is great, imagery is great, editing is great and both have a special kind of satisfying voice. In my opinion, youre still underrated.
Dude I literally can’t get enough of these videos I want hours and hours of videos about my favorites. The Rx7. The Ferrari F430. The GNX. The Datsun Z. I can’t get enough
Well I’ll keep making them then
i remember the day i bought my viper. The sheer speed and precision made it the best
I made 2 model cars growing up one was a Diablo the other was a Viper. I would still love to have either one but the dodge is probably my favorite of the two.
Someone at my high-school gave their grandson a viper as their first car. The bright red immediately stood out in the parking lot. It was just a cool car at the time but learning about it after Im amazed he didnt die.
Those parents didn’t like their kid very much 😂
This is how you do a great video on the Viper. The Viper is the best internal combustion car America has ever made. I'm old enough to remember when it was new, and the impact it had. I read most of the car magazine articles. I love the old Top Gear clips with Jeremy Clarkson. Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
Late 90s and the ORECA Vipers ripped appart the Competition in FIA GT2 Class and i still shake my Head over the Dodge Ram SRT 10. It was so cool to watch the Viper TV Series and to sit in one at a local Car Show in Germany. Its such a cool car.
This show should be on discovery network, Holy molly your channel should be at millions of subscribers by now, I really enjoy your content and how it makes me look cars even more.
I've always had a soft spot for that death machine known as a car lmfao. While the Lamborghini Diablo SV is my childhood car, the Viper was and is still one of my favorite cars. Unapologetic, unforgiving, loud and aggressive but wonderful to look at and listen to as well. Raw is what it was and it still catches my attention whenever I see one in person to this day. If anger, angst and rowdiness were all bottled together it would be this car lol. Also wow I have to mention this video made me feel a certain type of way lol. Came here right after watching the McLaren F1 video and gotta say you earned a sub from me. Love learning about the history behind some of my favorite cars and I would love to see more videos. So many great beasts to cover and can't wait to see more!
Thank you so much friend! Yeah the very brash and unapologetic nature of the viper really makes me love it too. It’s a car built for pure fun.
The car that was on many educational folders. The car that appeared on Married with Children for the 1,000,000 mile award for Al's dodge. Then there was Gran Turismo 3 with the beautiful red 2000 Team Oreca (a French team) Viper GTS-R which won it's class in the 24hrs of Lemans.
I drove that Viper on GT constantly