There are a handful of misconceptions about the Dodge Viper. Whether it be by misunderstandings, misconceptions, or just plain ignorance, there are a lot of people out there that know surprisingly little about the car (especially in relation to other cars). One of the more egregious misconceptions is the belief that it’s heavy, which couldn’t be more wrong. Despite having a massive V10 and a steel chassis, Dodge actually managed to keep the weight down throughout all of the Viper’s generations. For today, however, we’re going to be focusing on the 5th generation snake.
Now, before we proceed, there are a few disclaimers I need to make. Firstly: If you believe any vehicle weighing over 3,000 pounds is heavy, then be my guest to have that opinion. I do think it’s wrong (seeing as most performance cars weigh 3,000 pounds), but that’s your belief to have. Secondly, I am referring to the 2013-2017 Viper in this article. No generation before or after. And lastly: I will be using Motor Trend curb weight numbers for the cars. This is for the sake of consistency, which is –obviously– very important in a comparison article like this. Speaking of those MotorTrend curb weight numbers, the Viper’s are as follows:
2013 SRT Viper Weight: 3,343 Pounds (1,516 kilograms).
2013 SRT Viper GTS Weight: 3,362 Pounds (1,524 kilograms).
Comfortable with all that? Sweet. From heaviest to lightest, let’s start off with…
10: The Lamborghini Aventador (European Spec)
Some might be surprised by this, others won’t be (me). To those who aren’t surprised, how much heavier do you think the Lamborghini is? A notable 200 pounds (90 kilograms)? A prominent 400 pounds (181 kilograms)? Try 474 pounds or 215 kilograms heavier than the SRT, and 455 pounds or 206 kilograms heavier than the GTS. That’s 3,817 pounds (1,731 kilograms). Which, according to Motor Trend’s numbers, is what a 2012 Lamborghini Aventador (Euro Spec) weighs. Want a more recent example? Try the 2015 Aventador SV (‘Murican Spec). That vehicle comes in at 3,900 pounds (1,769 kilograms). No matter how you slice it, the Aventador is definitely heavier than the Viper.
9: The Ferrari 812 Superfast
This one actually caught me off-guard. I kinda expected this to be heavier than the Viper but only by about 200 pounds or 90 kilograms (for a total of 3,500 pounds/1,587 kilograms). As it turns out, it weighs 3,845 pounds (1,744 kilograms). The F12 Berlinetta before it? That weighs 4,003 pounds (1,815 kilograms). Perhaps you could argue the F12/812 are GT cars, so they would always be heavier than the Viper. However, even that’s not a “get out of jail for free” card. Some 3,500 plus pounds would be understandable. 3,700 plus pounds would be pushing it, but 3,800 plus? That’s a tad on the heavy side for a GT car that’s darn nearly a supercar in my eyes.
8: The Porsche 918 Spyder
One of the “Holy Trinity” cars. The 918 Spyder, along with the LaFerrari and P1, arguably pushed other automakers to make more hybrid-performance cars. Thing is, even now, adding batteries to a car that already has an ICE engine just adds weight, and the 918 is no different. Tipping the scales at 3,791 pounds (1,719 kilograms), the 918 isn’t exactly what you’d call a lightweight (despite all the carbon fiber and other exotic materials used in its construction).
7: The Aston Martin Vantage
No, not the old one. I’m talking about the brand-spanking-new one. Much to my surprise (and perhaps to some of yours), this car is heavier than the Viper. I was fully expecting a 3,200-ish pound vehicle, but what I actually found definitely surpassed that number. Try 3,741 pounds (1,696 kilograms). The Viper-fan in me was a little bit… well, quite pleased when I saw the Vantage was –without question– heavier than the Viper (especially when I fully expected the opposite). Even still, 3,741 pounds certainly exceeded expectations (and not exactly in a good way).
6: The Mercedes AMG GTR
Once again, another vehicle I expected to have laid off the bratwurst a little more. Without sugar-coating it, the AMG GTR has a weight of 3,680 pounds (1,669 kilograms). 3,400-ish pounds or 1,530-ish kilograms was the number I was expecting but alas, the Mercedes has a bit more heft than I originally assumed.
5: The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
No, I wasn’t expecting this to be lighter than it turned out to be. The opposite actually. I thought this would be heavier (not by much in the end). The ZR1 is a bit lighter than the Merc, giving us a number of 3,650 pounds (1,655 kilograms) with the high-wing option (the low wing sits at a puzzling 3,669 pounds or 1,664 kilograms). How much heavier did I think it would be? 3,700 pounds plus.
4: The Lexus LFA
Out of all the cars in this article, this is the one I was most looking forward to springing on you. I hope it was a good surprise! Really though, this isn’t a prank. What were the Viper numbers? 3,343 pounds (1,516 kilograms) for the SRT and 3,362 pounds (1,524 kilograms) for the GTS. The LFA? 3,559 pounds (1,614 kilograms). *Mic drop*
3: The Lamborghini Huracan Performante
I love the aero-wizardry on this car. If I remember correctly, they basically made diff-vectoring but for the air. I mean come on! How cool is that! Anyway, onto the heft of this beast. The Performante weighs a modest 3,493 pounds (1,584 kilograms). I didn’t think it would reach near 3,500 pounds but it’s certainly not one of the cars that challenged my assumptions the most.
2: The Nissan 370Z Nismo
Bet you thought I forgot about this sports car, didn’t you? Well think again! I was trying my darnedest to find a car that was a bit “left-field” relative to the cars on this list and the 370Z just so happened to fit the bill! With a weight of 3,416 pounds (1,549 kilograms), it somehow weighs less than the Huracan Perf yet a little more than the Viper. Not bad for an over-decade-old Z car.
1: The Ferrari 488 GTB
Yep. Even Ferrari isn’t immune to the Viper’s light but potent venom. Now let me tell you that I had seen information before that led me to believe this car would be lighter than the Viper (the information pertained to the 458 Italia but technicalities). However, much to my surprise, MT’s numbers told me otherwise. The 488 GTB tips the last of the scales at 3,412 pounds (1,547 kilograms). Just a smidge below the 370Z Nismo… apparently.
There you have it! Thanks for bearing with me and hopefully reading to the end! Feel free to comment below and tell me your thoughts! Which car surprised you the most? Oh! And before you say “what about the ACR”, the ACR is 3,379 pounds (1,532 kilograms). This means the Viper is still the lightest car on this list.