Viper Limo Stretches Craziness to a New Level

The first-generation Dodge Viper was an instant icon, both adored and feared by owners and fans. The car lacked anti-lock brakes, boasted a monstrous 8.0-liter V-10, had no roof, and had side-exit exhausts that had a penchant for searing the calves of those exiting inattentively. This was a menacing machine, a rolling ball of obscenities that was uniquely American and loved because of it.

When the second-generation Viper rolled out in 1996, some of those character flaws-such as the searing side-exit exhausts and the lack of a roof-were remedied, but calling the car "tame" was still a misrepresentation.

How do you make a second-gen Viper even wilder than it already was? Try adding a few yards of bodywork between the wheels, upping the seating capacity from two to 10, and tossing in a kickin' sound system. Behold, this 1996 Dodge Viper Limo, currently offered for sale on Hemmings by Gateway Classic Cars.

This brute was originally built by Unique Movie Cars Las Vegas, a shop that specializes in film and TV cars that also handles the occasional custom build in its spare time. You've probably seen at least one of their cars on screen before: The massive list of movies and shows their vehicles appear in include A Few Good Men, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ocean's 11, Smokey and the Bandit, and Knight Rider, just to name a few.

The Viper limo, however, appears to have been a custom project rather than something for the silver screen. According to the listing, the car can seat up to 10 occupants comfortably; you'll have two up front, two in bucket seats at the very rear of the car, and then six sharing two benches that face each other running the length of the middle. Every occupant does get a seatbelt, which feels like a definite plus.

There's also a pretty serious-looking sound system in the car, which is a must for a party-hardy ride like this. Note that trunk photo, which shows two Optima Red Top batteries tucked into the corners, presumably to power the speakers and amps, the latter of which we can see a few of residing on the bottom of the trunk.

Aside from the obvious additional bodywork, the most noteworthy modifications come up front in the driver's area. Although we noticed what appears to be a manual shift lever, the listing reports (and photos of the pedal box support) that this Viper limo has been converted to an automatic-an option that was never offered on any Viper generation from the factory.

Even more significant, and possibly a bit disappointing? The 450-hp, 8.0-liter V-10 has been dumped in favor of a carbureted 360-cid V-8. The V-8 is actually a version of Dodge's LA small-block, which is the engine architecture that the Viper's formidable V-10 was eventually based on.

Are we a little bit bummed that these occupants won't get to experience the tractor-like fury of a V-10 doing its best to separate the rear tires from their alloy wheels? Maybe a little. Do we also understand the need to make something this unconventional behave in a little bit more civilized fashion? Begrudgingly, also yes.

As far as handling goes, this Viper limo does retain power steering and power brakes, which ought to make transporting your guests a bit less tiresome. What's more, with that long of a wheelbase, any slides that break the rears away will probably be felt in three to five business days.

The asking price for such a creation? $169,000. If a Viper Limo is something you'd like to see in person, we're sure the folks at Gateway Classic Cars would welcome you into their St. Louis, Missouri, showroom.

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