Pick Of The Day: 1999 Dodge Viper Gts

The Dodge Viper was the brainchild of Bob Lutz, whose idea was to create a modern version of the Shelby Cobra. While first conceived in late 1988, the Viper was shown as a concept only a year later at the North American International Auto Show. It was so well received that chief engineer Roy Sjoberg was directed to develop it as a standard production vehicle. After a few budgetary delays, the Viper went on sale in January 1992. Our Pick of the Day is an example of my favorite from the model’s entire 26-year run: a 1999 Dodge Viper GTS listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Fort Worth, Texas.

The reasons I like the second-generation GTS Viper the most are twofold. First, it was the basis for the model with which the Viper factory racing team won three consecutive class victories (1998, 1999, and 2000) at the 24 hours of Le Mans. Second, just look at the car.

This specific Viper GTS is said to be a survivor in excellent condition, finished in Viper Bright Silver Metallic paint accented with blue stripes. The fact that it’s in great shape should not come as a surprise, as it has been driven a total of just 17,215 miles.

The completely factory-original interior is trimmed in black leather and looks faultless. One of the coolest things about the GTS is that it really feels like a race car inside. From behind the wheel, you can easily feel like you are racing at Le Mans, especially at night.

Under the hood lies the naturally aspirated port-fuel-injected DOHC 20-valve 8.0-liter V-10 producing 450 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque. This gives the Viper GTS a 0-60 time of four seconds flat and a top speed of just under 180 mph. The Viper — especially the GTS version — was the first American supercar ever built. Everything under the clamshell hood looks to be in excellent condition.

Over the past few years, the Dodge Viper has become a serious collectible, especially the late-model special-edition models. In many ways, this Viper GTS is the very first of those special-edition cars, but somehow, in comparison, it is still an excellent deal. Also, don’t forget that every single Viper made was literally hand-built in Detroit, something we are never likely to see again in a model from any high-volume car producer. This example has an asking price of only $84,995.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com