Is the guy in the photo supposed to be the Stig's fat cousin?

Crapola, I'd love to have that weekend job. What will I be doing? Changing the oil in the lawnmowers. I'm in tears.

@416Hammy: Yep. He's the Stog.

@416Hammy: Hahaha, not far off.

Texan Stig, yo.

I remember that episode of Top Gear when they were in the States. They had an American version of the Stig, a real lard butt. The Brits thought that was funny; yeah it was funny.

Uh, after talking to Mr. Roboto, he's pleading a little bit of lens distortion there. He is two meters tall in his helmet and 104kg. Cyborgs are always measured in metric - that's what I learned from Battlestar Galactica.

US, Florida, actually, Stig was referred to as both Fat Stig and Big Stig.

wouldn't he be the Stag? Or does that sound too masculine and lithe - whereas the guy in the photo is a bit more porcine and doughy?

Crikey that must have been a fun weekend.

You know I'd try going on and on about how much I love the Viper, instead I'll quote Clarkson who summed that car up:

"It's as stupid and as wonderful as owning a pet elephant."

And dammit, I want a pet elephant. Oh and a Viper.

Don't forget the Stig's African cousin.
back On Topic though - Those guys had a brilliant weekend - even though the Viper wins on the track, I'd wager that the R8 rules on public roads. The Viper strikes me as too focused to be great on the street.

I saw a R8 on the road the other day....looks pretty darn spiffy in person...it actually did not stand out real bad.

i had the hip hop wannabe named whig test my slant six dart.

my dart will crush both of these kiddie cars.

Decisions, decisions. The monster? Or the beast?

The "Mr. Roboto" bit is a pretty shameless rip of Top Gear's Stig. And frankly, that undermines the site, journalistically and creatively, for me. It's amateur hour. As for the cars, I'm digging the Audi R8. I'd buy one if I were much, much wealthier.

@Siggichurchill: Oh, let them have their fun. Let's not forget we all owe a debt to Marcus Stiggelius, the mysterious Roman test driver in Plautus' less successful car comedies.

I don't care who he is... I want his job.

It's a shame that the Mr. Roboto schtick was a Stig ripoff because other than that I enjoyed the write up and thought it was well done. I'm actually kind of glad they didn't have telemetry from the Viper. The last thing I need is to want one more.

@Siggichurchill: If James May can steal my haircut, then we can steal their not-perfectly-original idea of an anonymous tester.

Parody's the idea here: It was covered when Mr. Roboto was "introduced".

[www.speedsportlife.com]

We're committed to two things: integrity in reporting, and amusing our readers. If Mr. Roboto proves to accomplish neither, we'll drop him in the smelting pot, Terminator-style.

I am in awe. I am giddy. I had forgotten how much I love the Viper. My inner nine-year-old thanks you for letting him out. I had a ride in a Viper a couple years ago (a Chrysler test-drive event) and I was left impressed by the car then, the odd sensation of isolation because of the bathtub cockpit, followed by being surrounded by the noise and fury of that V10. But it was probably being driven 4/10ths, at the most.

Also, I'd like to see Dodge take one last stab at extreme glory before they kill the Viper, and let it go to 11. Literally. 11 litres.

Great article. Love the wide assortment of great photography as well.