2006 Dodge Viper coupe

In the category of ultra-high performance American sports cars, the Dodge Viper is joined this year by the exotic Ford GT, a car priced considerably higher, and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with 505 horsepower and a price of "only" $65,000 (but don't expect to get one for that.) Though the Viper can run with Europe's best, it lacks the refinement of a Porsche 911 Turbo S or Ferrari F430. It also lacks the lofty price tag. Most owners don't mind, as to them the Viper is not about fancy leather and high-tech gadgets—it's about raw power. In the eyes of most fans, the Viper represents the evolution of the '60s-era muscle car, a purely American machine brought to market to rekindle the good old days when Mopar versus Ford versus Chevy was all that mattered.