Though the Viper can drink fuel at a rate quite beyond that of any other production car in our experience (5.6mpg during testing at Millbrook), its average of 15.0mpg overall is almost respectable.
But here come the flaws. Visibility varies; with the hood in place it deteriorates from average to awful. To become disgraceful requires night, when the lights would disgrace a 90mph shopper. The hood is fiddly and long-winded to attach, the side-screens steam up, water leaks in and the boot is simply pathetic. Worse, should you have a puncture, there’s nowhere to put the full-sized wheel. Hood up, the constant drone of the V10 is tiring and curiously able to create headaches in seconds; hood down, wind noise is deafening on the motorway.
What’s more, some of the materials used look out of place in a car of this price. It may seem ambitious to ask more than £50,000 for a car without windows, but the seats are leather and a sophisticated alarm and punchy stereo are standard.