Although there are newer Vipers out on the market, and rumors of a fresh redesign continue to swirl every year, none have had the blunt-force-trauma impact of the original SRI and SRII cars. It was the Cobra Daytona coupe reincarnated, but this time with 8-liters of V-10 fury under the hood and a suspension that could actually dance. Even today, this 2002 Dodge Viper RT/10 the final year offered of the original exotic commands more respect on the street than just about any production car ever built. And with sizzling Viper Yellow paint, a sporty black leather interior, loads of options, and only 19,080 actual miles on the clock, this bone-stock, impeccably preserved example is a barely broken-in collector\'s piece that\'s ready to devour asphalt by the quarter mile.

Viper fans are very particular about their cars. Yes, they use them to their potential, but they are also fanatical about maintenance and the cars are seldom used as daily drivers. With just 19,080 original miles, this 2002 RT/10 looks almost new in every respect, showing off a brilliant, original Viper Yellow paint job that could easily compete with a Ferrari or Ford GT on the eyeball magnet scale. Devoid of any stripes and featuring a color-matched, removable hard top, it\'s slick as can be and looks like it\'s going 200MPH when standing still, and despite the somewhat light-hearted color combination, this one looks downright brutal. The design is a master-class of streamlined curvature over a sporty body, and the dramatic lines are as crisp and clean as they were the day this beauty left the factory. The paint is incredibly strong, showing a factory-fresh finish with no scratches, scuffs, or road rash present anywhere that we\'ve seen, meaning it\'s definitely been babied since new. The removable hard top does show some texture in the clearcoat (which is normal, and can easily be remedied with a claybar and cut-and-buff treatment), while the rest of the finish features a deep, lustrous gloss and a presentation commensurate to its extremely low mileage. Hand built by Chrysler employees specially chosen for the job, it exhibits better-than-average build quality throughout, and seeing one of these on the street is still an event that brings in the crowds. Nobody (and I mean nobody!) tangles with one of these at the stop light grand prix.

The 2nd Generation Viper benefitted big time from a more civilized interior that included actual roll-up power windows, air conditioning, air bags, and an effective stereo system. Note that I didn\'t say it WAS civilized, just more civilized than the SRI, and that\'s a big part of this final-year Viper\'s charm. You still need to manhandle this car, show it who\'s boss, and it isn\'t for the faint of heart, but this one actually can pamper you a bit as well. Fortunately, the hardware is up to the challenge, with grippy black leather buckets that are in excellent shape, a dash full of white-faced gauges, and a stubby 6-speed shifter that you can punch through the gears without fear of breaking anything. An Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo provides entertainment while you\'re waiting for your next track session, the A/C system blows nice and cold, and the fat leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel transmits signals directly to your hypothalamus. There\'s a bit of storage under the rear hatch, but if you\'re worried about carrying capacity in your Viper, perhaps you\'re shopping at the wrong store. And in addition to the optional hardtop, this beauty also features a soft top, so if you ever have the audacity (and guts) to drive this beautiful monster in the rain, you\'ll be covered. Literally.

The 8.0-liter V10 got a horsepower boost in the RT/10 that ensured that the baddest snake on the street remained that way. There are thousands of aftermarket upgrades available, but this one remains bone stock further testament to the former owner\'s excellent treatment of this collector piece. Even stock, it brings 450 horsepower and 490 pounds of torque, so it\'s certainly no slouch on the street. There\'s no mistaking the bright red intake and valve covers, and this one shows off the efforts of a very conscientious owner who kept it immaculate under the hood. All of the original equipment is intact, and it hasn\'t been raced or abused (it was owned by septuagenarians up until 2019 and although seniors are certainly capable of keeping the hammer down, they don\'t mistreat cars like teenagers), although we\'ll admit it takes a lot of will power to drive this exotic conservatively. The all-independent suspension works well on the street or the track, and those 18-inch five-spoke wheels are wrapped in brand-new giant 275/35/18 front and 335/30/18 rear Toyo tires that stick like flypaper.

Documented with its original window sticker, dealer invoice, owner\'s manual, and maintenance records, this Viper is about as \'like-new\' as they come. The legendary stories are true and th

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