Let’s See if a 20-Year-Old Stock Viper Still Has It

If there’s one thing that’s for certain in the automotive performance industry it’s that tech moves fast. It’s no secret that newer vehicles certainly do things more efficiently in a variety of different ways. As technology evolves, we find that engines begin to be able to do a lot more with what they have to offer. No longer does one need a ton of cubic inches to make, say 300 or 400 horsepower. For example, if we were to take a muscle car out of the 1970s, there’s a good chance that it would struggle to compete with a lot of typical family sedans of today.

This time, we check in with a ride that’s not all that old. However, we do have to go back 20 years but the Dodge Viper pictured in this video still creates 450 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque at the crank in stock form. With a lightweight platform like the Viper, that should still be plenty of get up and go to compete with a lot of the sporty rides that we see on the highways today. How has the machine held together over the last two decades, though? Has wear and tear got the best of it or will it still be able to shine bright?

In this particular demonstration, we check in with a YouTube user by the name of Four Eyes who wants to see if his 20-year-old bone-stock Viper still has it. He does say that he plans on upgrading quite a few things and shooting for 700 hp at the tires. However, before he gets to modify the car, the Viper’s new owner wants to see what the baseline looks like for the sake of comparison and seeing how an old-school ride like this stacks up against new school muscle machines.

Down in the video below, we follow along to the dyno before heading out to the streets to do a little bit of comparison. In a series of side-by-side drag races, we watch how the 20-year-old Viper stands up against a 2011 Audi S4, 2007 Mustang GT with some slight modification, and a 2021 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack widebody.

Will the Viper have what it takes to stand up to these modern machines or is it going to show its age? There’s only one way to find out.