The Original Dodge Viper Is Still The One You Want

Yeah, the new Viper (RIP) is nice. It's sleek and actually good to drive (I'm told). But I'm not interested in that one. I want a first-gen Viper. The one that had no airbags or traction control. That's the good shit.

Since about September, I've been looking through online listings for first-gen Vipers. Cheap ones usually start at around $35,000. I kind of love the idea of how raw a car can get without it being some stripped-out track monster.

And the most recent video from Regular Car Reviews just made up my mind, in case there were any other lingering misgivings.

Here is a car that's basically a fat engine, big tires, a steering wheel and some brakes with a seat strapped to it. It's loud and brash and so overwhelmingly bad that it's actually poetic.

People say that this is a car that wants to kill you. I'd disagree: the car itself has no agenda. If you act like a yahoo behind the wheel and you spin into a guardrail, that's on you. I just have to drive one now and test out this theory.

Which will probably lead to me buying one. Probably. In acid-green, because I'm an asshole still in my 20s.