An Epic Time-Traveling Drag Race of All Dodge Viper Generations
Are you suffering from Viper withdrawal since Dodge yanked the plug on it in 2017? Well, brace yourselves for an antidote—every generation of the Dodge Viper lined up for a clash of titans in a drag race so epic, it makes "Fast & Furious" look like a soapbox derby.
For all its muscle, early Dodge Vipers were quite the rebels; think of them as the American muscle cars that snubbed the 'helmet and kneepads' of modern times. No ABS or launch control here—just you, the road, and a gas pedal that demands respect, not a tap dance.
From 1991 to 2017, the Viper evolved but never strayed far from its recipe for glory: rear-wheel drive and a naturally aspirated V10 engine. Over time, Dodge has tinkered with its power and aesthetics, but why fix something that's not broken?
Mat Watson of CarWow had one question on his mind: which Viper can slither to 60 mph the fastest? And though he only revved them up to that modest speed, the 30+ minute video spectacle gives us a rich tapestry of each Viper's vital stats, including horsepower, torque, and the time it takes to make your heart skip a beat.
The video also takes us under the hood, as owners of each generation dish on what makes their Viper the bee's knees—or should we say, the snake's fangs? You get a deep dive into why each generation of Viper owners has developed a potentially unhealthy attachment to their cars.
Whispers about a new Viper generation have been slithering through the grapevine, but given Dodge's recent pivot to electrification and federally-mandated regulations, it seems that a turbocharged V10 Viper is about as likely as a vegetarian cobra. However, never say never—an electric Viper could be lurking in the tall grass of the future.
So, whether you're a Viper aficionado or simply a fan of things that go 'VROOM,' don't miss out on this drag race that spans decades. It's a spectacle that can only be summed up as "sss-spectacular!"
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USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Augusta-based golf cart companies applaud tariffs applied to Chinese products
The world's top two golf cart manufacturers, both headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, are cheering a decision they say will help battle Chinese trade practices considered oppressive and unfair. The nonpartisan U.S. International Trade Commission has announced that Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. and Club Car LLC, and their domestic competitors, "have been materially injured by unfairly traded imports" of low-speed personal vehicles from China. The announcement underscores Commerce's stated commitment in June to impose antidumping tariffs of between 119 percent and 478 percent, and countervailing tariffs at rates between 31 percent and 679 percent. As The Augusta Chronicle first reported in December 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce concluded that China's government has engaged in antidumping and countervailing activities undercutting domestic vehicle makers. Antidumping is when foreign manufacturers sell goods at less-than-fair value. Countervailing is when a foreign government subsidizes manufacturers to enable them to sell goods cheaply. The ITC's decision "will help to protect the health of a uniquely American industry and the livelihoods of thousands of American workers who build golf cars, low-speed vehicles, and personal-transportation vehicles to serve customers around the world," said Rob Scholl, president and CEO of Textron Specialized Vehicles. "This final determination from the U.S. International Trade Commission is a clear win for fair competition and the thousands of American jobs that power our industry," said Craig Scanlon, president and CEO of Club Car. Law firm Wiley Rein counseled an advocacy group called the American Personal Transportation Vehicle Manufacturers Coalition through its filings of several unfair-trade protests. Wiley Rein announced the ITC's decision on July 17.


Fox Sports
11 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Who Is Colton Herta? INDYCAR's Youngest Winner On Golf, Drums & Rescue Dogs
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Who Is Colton Herta? INDYCAR's Youngest Winner On Golf, Drums & Rescue Dogs Published Aug. 5, 2025 1:03 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link What were you doing at 18 years old? Well, Colton Herta was winning at racing's highest levels. In 2019, he became the youngest driver ever (and still is) to win an INDYCAR race with a victory at Circuit of the Americas. Considering his father, Bryan, raced in INDYCAR, owned a race team that twice won the Indianapolis 500 and is now a strategist for Andretti Global, it was likely Colton's destiny to follow the family's racing legacy. Racing is in the blood of father Bryan and son Colton Herta. Herta, who moved from Nashville to Las Vegas in the offseason last year, talked about everything from growing up around racing and his drumming ability to his golf game and his rescue dogs. Who is Colton Herta? Who is Colton Herta? I'm a 25-year-old Southern California native, INDYCAR driver and American. How would your friends describe you? Probably, like, quiet. Not really outgoing. I guess maybe a little bit more outgoing on race weekends and for this sort of thing. But for the most part, I just keep to myself and avoid people. ADVERTISEMENT You're the youngest winner ever in the series ... does that mean you had no childhood? I guess not in the normal sense. From a young age, while kids were going to soccer practice and whatnot and on the weekends they'd go to soccer games, I'd get pulled out of school on Friday morning and go to the go-kart track for the weekend. So I guess normal in the sense that I knew a lot of kids my age from the go-kart track but definitely not the traditional sense of sports. I played normal sports growing up. I played soccer, football and baseball but never really past [ages] 8-10. Racing was always kind of a priority for me. And then, when I got older, my friends would be in high school, and I was living in England on my own. So very different. There are some similarities in my childhood that were normal and growing up, even though I did a little bit of a different sport. But then there are obviously some things that were very different. And it was a little bit higher pressure. A young Colton Herta behind the steering wheel. (via Herta's Instagram) Do you still play the drums? I haven't in a while. I can. I moved, and I never set up my drum set. I've just been too busy. And now, when I have free time. This season, I really haven't had any. Our season is pretty crazy right now. I enjoy golfing a little bit more. So I've been doing that more if I have any free time. In your prime, were you better than [fellow INDYCAR driver] Will Power on the drums? I don't know how good Will is. I've seen some videos. He seems like a really solid drummer. Do you know if you're better than [NASCAR driver] Bubba Wallace? I've seen Bubba play one time online. He seemed to be on a similar level with Will. If you had your drum set, what would you play? I never really liked playing to music. I like just jamming and messing around, learning new stuff and doing my own thing. I don't play golf because it takes coordination and patience. How are you finding trying to learn golf? It's a frustrating game. It's extremely difficult, but it's also extremely rewarding. And I think it's rewarding because ... you'll shoot 90 shots in your round and be happy with three or four of them. Those three or four are what keeps you coming back, that feeling of watching the ball fly. It's cool. And I've been fortunate enough to do some stuff around golf because of what I do. I've seen some pros play up close. I have a real appreciation for that sport because I know my inability in it and how amazingly easy they make it look. Colton Herta hits the links. (via Herta's Instagram) Living in Las Vegas now, you'd be able to do a lot more in the offseason than in Nashville? Nashville is difficult. I wasn't really into it until the offseason, too, until I moved to Vegas last offseason. So this is a little bit of a newer thing. Although I have played here and there, I never really fully got into it. I'm fully into it now. And you also have rescue dogs? Yes. If people are thinking about getting a rescue, what's the thing that people don't know about owning a rescue dog? For us, it's been pretty easy. For sure, there's probably stories and cases of dogs that are maybe a little bit less behaved or stuff because of trauma and what they've had to deal with. But for us, it's been really sweet. As long as you go to a reputable shelter, and they're honest for the most part and you know, you understand what you're getting into. And some people like the challenge of having a more challenging dog to train and whatnot. But our dogs have been really chill. I think we're lucky in that sense. Colton Herta has a passion for helping rescue dogs find homes.(via Herta's Instagram) What do you have? A Pit Bull and the other is half poodle, half Great Pyrenees. Is there a dog that you would like? My first dog growing up was a Golden Retriever. Gigi was her name. She was a great dog. I've always wanted to have a Golden Retriever. The Great Pyrenees mix — he acts quite a bit like a Golden Retriever. So maybe someday. And do the dogs come with you to the track? Sometimes. What's the key to having dogs in a motorhome? Oh gosh, I don't know. They're well-behaved, so they're good at chilling out. And I think if you have a super-hyper dog, it's not the place. But they're really good at just hanging out. Colton Herta and a rescue pup. (via Herta's Instagram) And you just moved to Vegas recently. So what are you discovering about Vegas that makes it nice? Is it kind of like a getaway from Indianapolis and the Midwest? It's very different from the Midwest. There's a lot more to do than people think. There's the obvious, but I don't really drink or gamble or do any of that, especially in season. There's a lot of great hiking, mountain biking, the lake right there, right outside of Las Vegas, Lake Mead. So there's a lot of cool outdoorsy things to do. There's a lot of good backpacking. The golf is amazing out there. And important for me, it's really close to my family in California, too. So it's easy to get back. It's a lot easier to have babysitters for the dogs if I need to go somewhere. You talk about being close to your family. But of course, your dad is in the sport, and actually you compete against him on a weekly basis. What's that dynamic like? And do you ever tell him, "Well, you should tell me that strategy. Why are you keeping that from me?" He's open about what he thinks is a good strategy for the race. Maybe if he was on a different team, it would be different. But because we're technically teammates in a sense; he's on the 27 [car of my teammate]. For me, it was such a huge plus, especially growing up with somebody like that. Not only was it the reason why I got into this sport, but I think it's also the reason why I was able to be so successful really early on. It's a big part in me being ready and able to win my third start in INDYCAR. It's had a huge, influential role. It's helped me coming up, not only get with the teams that I've gotten with and get to know the people that I've gotten to know but also just from a standpoint of driving and understanding how to make myself better. Colton Herta became INDYCAR's youngest winner at 18 years old in 2019. He didn't have it easy as a race car driver. Is there anything that you ever saw when he was racing that made you think you might not want to do this because you've seen the highs and the lows? No, because I was so young. He retired when I was 8 years old. At that point, I just thought it was the coolest job ever. And I didn't really see that aspect until I was racing and especially later, when I got into cars. Because in go-karts, it's a lot more — and I credit him for making it this way — it's a lot more fun than it is like, "Oh man, I did bad this weekend." I would do bad and then go play with my buddies. Nowadays, if I do bad, I'm just pissed off for a while. It's different now. But from that aspect, I really grew up in a really fun environment, and I think that's what made me love it. When I was a kid, I was very independent. And much like a lot of kids, I didn't want to hear what my parents told me. So if they created an environment that wasn't like that — [if there was] pressure, no fun … who knows. I probably would not be here. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. share


Forbes
19 hours ago
- Forbes
Test Drive: 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 — Last Driver's Car?
The 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is going away soon, and that's a little depressing because supposedly it's going to come back as an EV. I'm honestly shocked Porsche is doing that, because this car is so beloved and many driving enthusiasts consider the 718 Boxster, and its Cayman coupe twin, two of the best driver's cars you can buy right now. More importantly, the transition to electric cars is going to be a tough for Porsche because, like Dodge, Porsche's fan base loves internal combustion engines, and I specifically love the exhaust note these horizontally opposed 4.0-liter engines make. I'm going to miss that sound, and a lot of the other aspects of these cars when they go full EV. We've been seeing a lot of back-and-forth on the EV transition in the past few months. Dodge has already turned the corner, going back toward internal combustion engines because it knows that's what Dodge's customers want. We'll see if Porsche reconsiders getting rid of the 718 Boxster and Cayman in the U.S. like it did in Europe, but for now you can still buy one…though not for much longer if things don't change. Contact your local Porsche dealer to see about configuring a 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. Porsche 718 Boxster: Fast and Light, and Functional While the base 718 Boxster features a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower, this 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is powered by a 4.0-liter, six-cylinder engine. It makes 394 hp and either 309 pound-feet of torque with the 6-speed manual, like this test car has, or 317 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the 7-speed PDK auto. The drivetrain is good for either a 4.3 second 0-to-60 time with the manual or 3.8 second 0-to-60 time with the PDK. It's the same story in the quarter mile, where the 6-speed manual is good for 12.4 seconds while the PDK gets there in about 12 seconds. It's common with modern day drivetrain technology that manuals are a little slower than their automatic counterparts. And most driving enthusiasts don't care; they still want the manual, even with its theoretically inferior performance. The manual version of the 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 does provide a weight advantage, at 3,172 pounds versus 3,241 pounds for the PDK. In a world drowning in two-ton 'sports cars' like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Ford Mustang GTD, the Porsche Boxster is floating on air at 3,200 pounds, and you can feel it with every driver input. While the 718 Boxster retains its light weight, Porsche did swap its hydraulic-assisted steering for electric-assist steering over a decade ago. That's often a hit to driver enjoyment, but Porsche has figured out how to simulate mechanical steering feedback with computer code, giving the 718 Boxster effective front-end 'feel' through the wheel. It works well with the Boxster's inherent balance from its mid-engine chassis, building confidence through corners and under braking. There's also a practical element to mid-engine sports cars, with many offering two storage areas – one in the front ("frunk") and one in the back (a traditional trunk). In the Porsche 718 Boxster 4.0 GTS, the frunk provides 5.3 cubic feet of storage space and the trunk delivers another 4.4 cubic feet. That's a total of 9.7 cubic feet of storage space – pretty good for a two seat roadster, and plenty of room for two efficient packers on a weekend getaway. Porsche 718 Boxster: Pretty on the Inside, Too Sitting in the 718 Boxster you're presented with Porsche's traditional three pod gauge cluster, featuring a big central tachometer (complete with 'GTS' lettering to remind you which Boxster trim you're driving) flanked by a speedometer on the left and a digital display screen in the right pod. With the GTS trim's included 'Sport Chrono' package, the steering wheel provides a knob on the lower right to adjust the Boxster's driving modes. These modes range from Normal to Sport to Sport+, or an 'Individual' mode, with the changing mode briefly displayed in that right display screen. Additional data is available in that right digital display, which can be scrolled through using a rotating wheel in the right steering wheel spoke. Examples include engine temp, oil pressure, tire pressure, lateral G-forces, audio system information, and a map with navigation guidance. The 'GT Sport Steering wheel' on our test car also had a left steering wheel spoke with volume and phone controls, along with attractive contrast stitching on supple black leather. The black steering wheel and dash leather was contrasted with crimson red leather (dubbed 'Bordeaux Red' by Porsche) on the seats and door panels. Optional 'Adaptive Sport Seats Plus', with 18 directional controls and memory settings, flanked a center stack with buttons for traction and stability control, the exhaust system, auto stop-start, suspension settings, and the soft top, which will raise and lower in 9 seconds at speeds up the 31 mph. There was also a 7-inch touchscreen with Porsche's PCM navigation system sitting above climate controls that included heated and ventilated seats. While both the clarity and tactile quality of the secondary controls are impressive, a sport car's most important controls are the steering, throttle, brakes, and shifter, ideally all working together in harmony. In the 718 Boxster, they do. Despite my skepticism regarding electric-assist steering, Porsche has made it intuitive and progressive in this convertible. Combined with the engine's broad torque band (and intoxicating exhaust note), plus the engaging 6-speed shifter and confident brakes, the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is indeed one of the best drivers cars you can buy. For now. Porsche 718 Boxster: He Who Snoozes… But if you want one, you better hurry. The base Porsche 718 Boxster, with the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, starts at $76,895. That one won't include the GTS' 4.0-liter engine or Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) unless you add them to your order. The 718 Boxster 'Style Edition' and 'S' trims add some equipment for $83,295 and $88,895, respectively, but you have to pony up for the $103,795 GTS 4.0 trim to get the naturally-aspirated, horizontally-opposed 6-cylinder engine. And trust me, it's worth the extra cost. Our test car had several additional options and rang in at $121,005. Think of the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 as a super Mazda Miata, another fabulous driver's car. The Miata costs about one-third the price of the 718 Boxster, and if you never drive the Porsche you'll be fine with Mazda's roadster. So don't test drive a 718 Boxster unless you can afford it! If you can afford one, you should move quickly. Cars like the 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 are not becoming more common as time passes, so get one while you can.