The very snugly fitting, hugely bolstered seats in the Viper are a good example of what I mean. They are manually

I find the Viper's cockpit to be more exciting and better assembled than that of the '05 Corvette. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

adjusted, moving only fore-and-aft and reclining. In the Corvette, multiple power seat adjustments exist, including power side bolstering. The all-business Viper does away with the extra weight of servomotors and additional hardware needed to match the Corvette's cab full of spoils.

Adding to the Viper's no-nonsense approach to performance are power adjustable, drilled aluminum pedals set very closely together in a long, narrow foot well. Some care is needed to not catch the edge of the accelerator when applying the brakes; however, for race-trained drivers, the pedal setup is perfect for heel-and-toe downshifting.

While on the subject of pedals, I must comment on how effectively they functioned. The throttle had a tremendous amount

Many high-performance cars are equipped with grabby, fast-locking clutches - not so the Viper. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

of travel and added horsepower in a very progressive manner, making it easy to drive the monster with professional-like smoothness. The brake pedal exhibited some over-sensitivity at slow speed, related no doubt to the massive binders at all four-corners. Otherwise, braking was perfectly predictable and linear. And finally, the clutch; many high-performance cars are equipped with grabby, fast-locking clutches - not so the Viper. Whether pulling away from a stop or swapping cogs, hooking-up the mighty V10 was always smooth and fluid.