Style : DESIGN : Born to Run

The Dodge Viper is the Arnold Schwarzenegger of sports cars. More incredible hulk than irresistible hunk, the pumped-up convertible is sure to take the country by storm when it debuts in January. Boasting some of the most distinctive styling in recent memory, it is a provocative variation on the back-to-basics theme. “We’ve harkened back to an era of simplicity,” says Neil Walling, Chrysler’s director of advanced and international design, “but we’ve done it without imitating the past.”

With its classic synthesis of long, sweeping hood and stumpy rear deck, the Viper ignores current aerodynamic sensibilities and flatly rejects the contemporary cabin-forward look. Despite its rumored $50,000 price tag, the Viper isn’t another it-came-from-outer-space supercar. Its spiritual antecedents are D-Type Jaguars, Los Angeles-built Scarabs and other ‘50s and ‘60s sports cars.

The Viper is designed for the street, but its racing heritage is unmistakable. Note the integral roll bar and formidable, exposed exhaust pipes running under the doors. Says L.A.-based Carroll Shelby, Chrysler’s longtime high-performance guru: “It’s an honest-to-goodness, wind-in-the-face roadster--a Cobra for the ‘90s.”

Created by Shelby in 1962, the Cobra was one of the first--and most memorable--of the muscle cars. The Viper is the latest. Critics call it a comic-book car, and there is an element of caricature to it. The bulging body seems to be straining to keep all of the car’s undeniable muscle--a 400-horsepower V-10 engine--under wraps. But for better or worse, the Viper demands attention. As Walling says: “It’s a very sculptural, emotional, love-hate design.”