2014 SRT Viper Review,

\For humans, flying has been one of the greatest dreams ever. Automotive aficionados have a different perspective though, with their dream being to drive a race car on public roads. Well, no other modern-day vehicle has come closer to completing this quest than the Viper. Of course, its raw character usually meant that this American Idol was nearly impossible to live with, but now there's a new one which promises to leave its Tourette behind.

The Chrysler Group's halo car has returned after a three-year hiatus and it appears to have experienced a truly spiritual journey. For starters, its name is different - while in the past it was offered under both Chrysler and Dodge labels, the vehicle is now called the SRT Viper.

Under its new Fiat ownership, Chrysler has pushed the Street and Racing Technology performance division past its usual form and all the way to a standalone brand. The Viper now leads this offensive.

When work started on the new Viper, the intention was to come up with an updated version of the last model. Let's just say they've overdone it a little, with the result sporting dramatic changes on almost all fronts.

The performance specs are even more serious now and yet this is not the most impressive side of the SRT Viper. Instead, that title goes to the car’s claim of becoming a civilized offering. Something that resembles an actual car, not a piece of machinery that wants to kill you for its personal enjoyment.

Speaking of this aggressive gene pool of the Viper, one can't really blame the thing. After all, the Viper came to the world back in the early 90s with the purpose of being a modern-day Shelby Cobra.

The first-generation Viper had two incarnations, with the second-gen model following the same scheme. This is why the SRT Viper is called the fifth embodiment of the model, but we still regard it as No. #3 on the list.

To say that the first Viper was basic would be an understatement. The thing had no roof, side windows, or air conditioning. Consideration for human comfort was also missing. What it did offer was a bonkers experience. Nothing less than that could result from that mix: an eight-liter V10 Dodge truck engine re-imagined in aluminum by Lamborghini, all wrapped in a body with reptilian styling.

The second-generation Viper took performance even deeper into its core. While some labeled its predecessor as a bit of a shed-built supercar, the American crushed all of Europe's supercar members – it can pride itself with the lap record for the fastest mainstream supercar on both Laguna Seca and the Nurburgring. By the way, you'll find maps of both circuits hidden inside the SRT Viper's cabin.