Porsche Carrera GT vs Dodge Viper vs Lamborghini Gallardo: V10 titans

By Simon Hucknall

| 9 May 2023

Classic & Sports Car – Porsche Carrera GT vs Dodge Viper vs Lamborghini Gallardo: V10 titans

Judging by the phalanx of cameraphone-toting teenagers around us, I doubt that the National Trust car park at Beachy Head often hosts such an automotive spectacle.

One car, the Lamborghini Gallardo, is clearly recognisable to some, but the Porsche Carrera GT and Dodge Viper draw mystified gazes, until a badge ID exposes the brand – if not the model – of the Stuttgart car.

The outrageous-looking American remains a curio.

Porsche Carrera GT vs Dodge Viper vs Lamborghini Gallardo: V10 titans

The days of exotic multi-cylinder engines are numbered and the Porsche Carrera GT (onboard), Dodge Viper (middle) and Lamborghini Gallardo remind us why we’ll miss them

Either way, they’re ogling a trio with combined outputs of 1495bhp and 1261lb ft, and with nearly 19 litres of total displacement.

But what truly sets this threesome apart is that those figures are generated from no fewer than 30 cylinders, divided equally between the three cars and standing as testament to a layout now in its death throes.

Today, the V10 torch is carried only by the Lamborghini Huracán and Audi R8, whose glorious engines are derived from that of the Gallardo.

The Porsche Carrera GT’s engine bay is a cradle of uncompromised innovation

And in the contorted web of car-brand ownership, Lamborghini was previously owned by Chrysler, whose Dodge arm gave the world its first V10 production car, the Viper RT-10, which at the moment is managing to make the two supercar heroes here look somewhat demure in comparison.

That Chrysler tasked Lamborghini with developing the Viper’s engine shouldn’t suggest there’s any link between the Viper’s and the Gallardo’s powerplants, which other than cylinder count and all-aluminium construction are as different as spare ribs and porchetta.

The American unit was derived from the iron-block Magnum V10 used in Chrysler trucks, with Lamborghini contributing the brains (engine management and cooling, plus re-casting in aluminium), while Dodge supplied the brawn (a 7997cc engine with good ol’ pushrods operated by hydraulic lifters).

Carrera GT badging adorns this classic Porsche’s carbonfibre sills

And, proving that there really was no substitute for cubes, even with a lowly 49bhp per litre its sheer displacement delivered 400bhp at 4600rpm and a mighty 450lb ft of twist from just 3600rpm.

But the Viper was far more than big-cubes-on-wheels.

Inspired by Chrysler president Bob Lutz’s desire to shake off the company’s dowdy image, the Viper was revealed in concept form at the North American International Auto Show in 1989 and went on sale in January 1992.

With its tubular-steel frame dressed with unstressed resin-transfer-moulded panels, overall weight was kept to 1522kg.

Inside, the Carrera GT is unmistakably a Porsche

It even did without such niceties as doorhandles, a roof or side windows in the name of lightness, with a Heath Robinson-style cloth targa panel and sidescreens supplied if you were really desperate to shield yourself from the elements.

Practicality was not what the Viper was about, though.

Bob Lutz’s dream of a Cobra for the ’90s brought European levels of chassis sophistication, with independent rear suspension by double wishbones and a trailing link, and double wishbones up front.

The 612bhp Carrera GT strains at the leash on the road

Drive was sent to the limited-slip-diff-equipped rear axle, and fed to the road through huge, 335-section tyres on 13in-wide rims. Grip overkill? No, as we’ll soon discover…

Turn to the Gallardo and contrasts don’t come much more stark.

It clearly represents a different age and price point (it was launched 11 years after this first Viper, and at £117,000 still cost around 50% more than the Dodge did in third-series form), but its design and engineering ethos was aimed squarely at Ferrari buyers rather than those hankering after a Corvette or even a TVR.

The Porsche Carrera GT feels harsh at sane road speeds

Lamborghini, under Chrysler, had already had two shots at replacing its ageing Jalpa predecessor: the first in 1988 with the V10-powered P140 show car, and then again in 1995 with the Giugiaro-designed Calà concept.

But it wasn’t until Audi purchased the company three years later that the project received the funding it deserved.

Audi’s Luc Donckerwolke provided the svelte and relatively compact design, which used an all-new aluminium body to keep weight to a minimum.

Five overlapping instruments sit behind the Carrera GT’s steering wheel

Power was transmitted through all four wheels via either a six-speed manual gearbox or Lamborghini’s optional paddle-operated ‘e-gear’ automated system.

Then there was Sant’Agata’s quite unique take on the V10. The 4961cc, all-aluminium unit was mounted longitudinally amidships, with a dry-sump system employed to keep it as low as possible in the engine bay.

The Gallardo needed to beat Ferrari at its own game, and with 492bhp and 376lb ft it made the V8 360’s 400bhp and 275lb ft look almost puny in comparison.

The Porsche’s six-speed ’box is controlled via a 917-style wooden gearknob

It weighed more, at 1520kg, mainly due to its 4WD system, but bragging rights were now definitely sitting with Bologna. Not here today, however.

The Carrera GT was born from the remnants of a stillborn Porsche racing programme, which morphed into an ambition to produce the most complete supercar ever.

Regulation changes had rendered the V10 engine in its unnamed 2000 Le Mans challenger obsolete, so the unit was redeployed in what was to become Porsche’s first card-carrying hypercar since the 959 of 1985.

Motorsport-inspired centre-locking wheel nuts on the Porsche Carrera GT

Viewed here, you somehow know it’s a 200mph-plus car (205mph, to be precise) without being told.

The low, aggressive stance, small glasshouse and long rear deck set it apart from anything else on the road, then or now.

And yet it’s still suffused with distinct Porsche DNA, inside and out, making it relatable to even the most humble Boxster.

It introduces yet another V10 drivetrain configuration.

Like the Lambo’s, the Carrera GT’s engine is mounted longitudinally between the cabin and rear axle, but it drives only the rear wheels through a six-speed manual ’box allied to a small, low-mass, carbonfibre-reinforced clutch, of which more later.

The 400bhp Dodge Viper certainly has some teeth

The big numbers are peaks of 612bhp and 435lb ft, with a fairly astonishing 302lb ft of that available from idle.

The all-aluminium unit sits within a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic tub dressed with carbonfibre panels.

Even the seats are a carbonfibre-and-Kevlar mix, weighing just 10.3kg apiece and contributing to an all-up kerbweight of 1472kg.

Costing £330,000 when it arrived in the UK – and only 49 did, out of a production run of 1270 – this was a Porsche that could deal with the brazen affront posed by high-end newcomers such as the Pagani Zonda, as well as searingly powerful range-toppers from the establishment, such as Ferrari’s Enzo.

The Viper’s truck-derived V10 engine was developed with Lamborghini

And, yes, it was fast: amid a plethora of extreme road-test data for the GT, Autocar achieved a 30-70mph time of 2.7 secs, making it the fastest-accelerating car the title had yet driven between those two speeds.

But we’re not on a test track today, and Mark Sumpter’s Carrera GT, which he has owned from new, looks seriously vulnerable in this environment.

It’s perhaps at its most dramatic seen from the rear, along the expansive engine panel with its mesh inserts covering the 5.7-litre V10.

The dashboard in the Dodge Viper is workmanlike, with only the essentials available and no airbag, but the seats are comfortable

Raise it, and the GT’s exquisite technology is laid bare: the narrow angle between the cylinder heads, the carbonfibre bracing, the Sachs pushrod spring/damper units – it’s more akin to something you’d see in Silverstone’s paddock than an East Sussex car park.

No detail on the car is remotely devoid of quality.

Drop into the firm, supportive leather driver’s seat and carbonfibre abounds.

There’s an ultra-slim centre stack to your right (all GTs were left-hand drive), from which sprouts a manual gearshift, topped with a wooden knob referencing the same item in a 917 racer.

The unforgiving Viper can argue about who is in control

A larger-than-expected steering wheel faces you, framing a pod containing five overlapping instruments, as per the Porsche norm.

Then you fire up the GT and realise that driving it at anything less than, say, six- to seven-tenths is barely scratching the surface.

I’m advised to only apply throttle once the car is rolling, to avoid damaging the heavy (in operation) and rather abrupt clutch, but doing so is easier said than done when the V10 is already providing north of 300lb ft at tickover.

Lacking a roof and even doorhandles, practicality is not the Dodge Viper’s strong point

Pussyfooting around, the ride is unyielding, as if the race-spec dampers and rose-jointed suspension, which clonks over every break in the road surface, have seized up.

But then the road becomes wider, emptier and better sighted, and the GT comes to life.

Compared with the Lambo and Viper, its V10 sounds more frenetic at any revs, but above 5000rpm it takes on an altogether more vicious, urgent timbre, accompanied by explosive mid-range thrust that’s nothing short of mesmerising.

The Viper (closest) has a second-gear lockout at low revs to boost fuel efficiency, and demands respect on the road; Gallardo is far more civilised to drive

The gearshift is light, quick and precise through a narrow gate and the carbon-ceramic brakes, which were lifeless to start with, are now full of feel and power.

The steering is sublime: it’s not Ferrari-like in its speed, but wonderfully linear and smooth, with just the right level of feel and feedback.

Grip and body control are immense, and only death-defying speeds would allow you to approach a smidgen of the GT’s capabilities.

‘The Lamborghini Gallardo requires minimal effort at anything below breakneck speeds’

All of which makes the Lamborghini seem quite tame in comparison.

Andrew Phillips’ first-generation Gallardo is a fairly recent acquisition but, illustrating how usable and well-made these Audi-funded models are, he has already taken it on a glitch-free southern European tour, along with his wife (and dog!).

It still looks remarkably modern, despite being launched two decades ago, yet you can trace its sharp-edged, angular design back to the Countach.

The Gallardo’s V10 was conceived to trump Ferrari

But there’s no sign of that model’s flamboyance when you plop down into the deeply bolstered driver’s seat.

Austerity reigns in the cabin, with the levelled-off steering-wheel base being the only hint of drama.

But despite the unrelenting blackness of the surroundings, ergonomically it’s only a notch down from the Porsche, and you can see why Andrew had no qualms about taking on a 2000-mile journey immediately after buying the car.

That’s borne out when you drive the Gallardo.

All-wheel-drive helps the Lamborghini to feel very sure-footed on the road

It simply requires minimal effort at anything below breakneck speeds, its V10 finding extra urge from 3000rpm and developing a hard-edged and addictive roar from 6500rpm.

While it lacks the ultimate aural theatre of the Porsche, you can imagine schlepping easily across the Italian Alps, its four-wheel drive keeping everything in check, and arriving relaxed and comfortable at your destination.

Andrew’s car has the e-gear system, which needs a quick lift between slowish changes to avoid you and your passenger nodding like Churchill dogs, but it’s otherwise seamless.

The Gallardo’s cabin is surprisingly understated, and the e-gear ’box needs nursing a little at low speeds

The steering is quite mute and relatively low-geared for a supercar, but it’s accurate enough and there’s grip aplenty, bleeding into gentle understeer as you push harder.

In my Viper notes, ‘RESPECT’ is writ large at the bottom of the page.

I scribbled that immediately after driving HPC Classics’ car because the Dodge feels so open about its mission to send you into the scenery if you take one too many liberties.

Handled with care, however, here lurks a thoroughly well-sorted car.

There are faint echoes of the Lamborghini Countach in the Gallardo’s tail

You may not think so initially, as you reach inside for a handle to open the door (a button on the keyfob performs the same function) before making yourself at home in the left-side driver’s seat.

There’s really nothing to the Viper’s control centre: six dials (two main, four ancillary across the upper dash), a cigarette lighter, heater knobs and a couple of foglight rockers. That’s your lot.

The leather-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel is minus airbag and, other than the (very comfortable) seats themselves, nothing else is textured in the broad cabin.

‘The Gallardo needed to beat Ferrari at its own game, and the V8 360’s 400bhp looked almost puny in comparison’

Hard plastic surfaces proliferate, all with rather approximate fit and finish.

Who cares? Release the heavy clutch, and you wonder why on earth the Viper came with six gears, when four would have been ample given the 8-litre V10’s ship-pulling surplus of torque.

The shift itself is surprisingly light and precise, which, along with well-weighted and communicative steering, makes the Dodge feel honest to drive, unencumbered by any electronic interference.

‘More than a decade separates the Dodge [right] from the Lamborghini [left] and the Porsche, but the V10 engine beguiles in all three’

That purity does start to get quite exciting sometimes, because this is still a one-and-a-half-tonne, sub-five-to-60 car.

When you accelerate hard over bumpy or cambered surfaces, it can feel as if the Viper is sprouting devil horns, and every nerve and sinew is focused on keeping it on the straight and narrow. It’s character-building, for sure.

This could never be a straight comparison. More than a decade separates the Dodge from the Lamborghini and Porsche, and while a Viper and Gallardo will now cost from £50-70k, the Carrera GT is worth well north of £1million.

The V10 engine beguiles in all three, but the Lamborghini’s blend of year-round usability and genuine supercar looks makes it the most compelling choice for the money.

Images: Tony Baker

Thanks to: Simon Drabble; Miles Hardy, HPC Classics

Factfiles

Porsche Carrera GT

Sold/number built 2004-’06/1270
Construction carbonfibre-reinforced plastic monocoque, carbonfibre panels
Engine all-alloy, dohc-per-bank 5733cc 68° V10, Bosch ME 7.11 sequential multi-point fuel injection
Max power 612bhp @ 8000rpm
Max torque 435lb ft @ 5750rpm
Transmission six-speed manual, RWD
Suspension independent, by rose-jointed double wishbones with pushrod-operated inboard spring/damper units, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated composite ceramic discs, with servo and anti-lock
Length 14ft 9¾in (4513mm)
Width 6ft 3½in (1921mm)
Height 3ft 8¾in (1166mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 11½in (2730mm)
Weight 3245lb (1472kg)
0-60mph 3.7 secs
Top speed 205mph
Mpg 15.8
Price new £330,000
Price now £1.3million*

Dodge Viper RT-10

Sold/number built 1992-’96/6709
Construction tubular-steel spaceframe chassis, composite glassfibre body
Engine all-alloy, ohv 7997cc 90° V10, electronic fuel injection
Max power 400bhp @ 4600rpm
Max torque 450lb ft @ 3600rpm
Transmission six-speed manual, RWD
Suspension independent, by unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated discs, with servo
Length 14ft 7in (4448mm)
Width 6ft 3¾in (1923mm)
Height 3ft 8in (1118mm)
Wheelbase 8ft (2443mm)
Weight 3355lb (1522kg)
0-60mph 4.6 secs
Top speed 165mph
Mpg 15
Price new £55,000
Price now £50,000*

Lamborghini Gallardo

Sold/number built 2003-’13/14,022
Construction aluminium monocoque, aluminium panels
Engine all-alloy, dohc-per-bank 4961cc 90° V10, sequential multi-point fuel injection
Max power 492bhp @ 7800rpm
Max torque 376lb ft @ 4500rpm
Transmission six-speed manual, 4WD (optional single-clutch e-gear system)
Suspension independent, by double wishbones, coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering power-assisted rack and pinion
Brakes ventilated discs, with servo and anti-lock
Length 14ft (4300mm)
Width 6ft 2¾in (1900mm)
Height 3ft 9¾in (1165mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 4¾in (2560mm)
Weight 3351lb (1520kg)
0-60mph 4.1 secs
Top speed 192mph
Mpg 14.5
Price new £117,000
Price now £70,000*