Bburago 1:24 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR and Maisto 1:24 1997 Dodge Viper RT/10

The Viper is now going out-of-production again for 2017 and so for a proper send off is a look at two more blue Viper models in 1:24.  Now I have reviewed the Maisto 1:24 2013 SRT Viper GTS in blue and highly praised the car despite a few problem areas in detailing.  Now here's a look at the first two generations from the Bburago and Maisto brands.

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Maisto 1:24 1997 Dodge Viper RT/10

Back then Maisto had lots of fun creating yearly changes for each models: there was two different Ford Explorer's, two Ford F-150's, three models of Lamborghini Diablo's, and three different Ferrari F355's, all in 1:24 scale.  The Dodge Viper RT/10 also went through yearly changes.  The starting point was the 1994 model in red with three-spoke wheels and opening doors, hood, and trunk along with steerable front wheels.  In 1996 more colors are offered along with new 5-spoke wheels from the GTS to match the color of the body and dual racing stripes.  For 1997 the RT/10 gets more of the GTS look with thicker dual racing stripes in white along a blue body just like the coupe.  The 5-spoke wheels are chrome while the dual exhausts now exit out the rear.  A final stage in 1998, one that Maisto did not continue on, is the GTS's vented hood and engine and long-overdue interior and top upgrades.  These variations were needed to keep the hot Viper sales alive and it worked.  The Viper RT/10 went from crude track car for the street to a more suitable car for the street and track.

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From a distance the Maisto 1997 RT/10 looks to be a suitable car for the price with opening doors, hood, and trunk along with a nice color in blue with white stripes, yet there are faults to be found.  At the front the headlights have the correct lens design but inside there's nothing to be found.  The lower bumper has the crosshair grille and round foglights.  The hood has the dual black air vents, while the front fenders have vents to exit the engine heat and Viper RT/10 stamped on the sides of the hood.  The rear has large round taillights with signal and reverse lamps below in the same red color as the taillights.  The targa bar behind the front seats is plastic and has a vast color difference in bright light, plus not to mention the door frames do not tend to line up properly.  The trunk opens which is nice, but looks rather crude without a liner to cover up the tooling stamps.  The 5-spoke wheels are nice, though on my tester one of the rear wheels was starting to loose its chrome.  The base underneath shows off the engine and drivetrain details, but just like the exterior you'll either have to add the details yourself or upgrade to the 1:18 scale model.

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Speaking of which, open the hood and you'll see an engine pan that is all-black without the famous red valve covers.  Again the details are there but its up to you to add your own details or upgrade to a larger scale.  The interior has dual bucket seats with proper cushion details and are separate components from the interior pan.  Dual round speakers sit between the seats.  The console has the shifter and parking brake, gridded floormats, and three-spoke steering wheel with the Viper logo.  Since the dashboard is flat Maisto used a Bburago trick by just adding a sticker for all of the gauges and central controls.  One day i'll hopefully add my own details to make this car worth the value, but otherwise it comes up short of my expectations.

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Bburago 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR

Now let's bring you to a Viper model that is really worth it.  Bburago has done a considerably nice job with detailing on their models before the Maisto takeover.  Now their models almost mirror the Maisto models, though a few unique ones stand out.  This is one of them.  I found this as a model kit that was vastly reduced in clearance (from $25 to $8 dollars!) and it was worth it in the metallic blue color.  The ACR is called American Club Racer and is based on the racing series where Viper owners can outfit their car for track duty.  The ACR's job is to give the customer a Viper that is ready for the track straight out of the showroom.  The 8.4L pushrod V-10 was upgraded for 2008 with better heads, dual throttle intake, variable valve timing, and the elimination of the cross-flow exhaust to improve sound and reduce cabin heat.  The exhaust still exit out of the side and the engine powers the rear wheels through a six-speex manual transmission.  Output is 600 horsepower and 560 Ib-ft of torque.  Now the ACR differentiates itself from the standard Viper with upgrades to the suspension, stickier tires, and additional wings to make it fast around the track.  Despite the late introduction the ACR had a short life thanks to the Viper model being discontinued in 2010 before being revived in 2013.

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The look of this beauty in blue is simply amazing.  The black stripe on the hood and front bumper rides up to the roof and down to the trunk and up the rear spoiler, and along that stripe is a visible stripe of blue.  The blacked-out 5-spoke wheels look nice, if a bit small at the rear, and snap into place (I added silver to the center hubs).  The mean aggressive front has the detailed headlight lamps, lower grille that is see-through, side fins in black, and a lower carbon fiber chin spoiler.  Why it has foglights detailed I have no clue so I blacked it out, and the kit has an extra red Viper logo brake light so I used it for the front as well.  The hood has plenty of ribbed vents that are functional and show a bit of the red valve covers.  On the sides are the ACR badges (all lables are water-soluble in this kit), functional side vents,  and side exhausts.  What I don't get is why the gascap is not silver like on the real car, so I added the detail myself.  At the rear is a large rear wing, a black valence panel with taillights and lower signal and reverse lamps, Dodge plate, and Dodge and Viper stamped on the rear bumper.  The latter is plastic and the color doesn't blend well with the metal body color.

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Underneath you'll find a base that is smooth and barely has any details, but look close and you can see the chrome exhaust leading from the headers to the side exit, oil pan, and rear differential and half shafts.  The nice thing about this casting is that even with all of this covering the engine is a full block (in chrome) and attaches to a transmission and to the rear axle by the driveshaft.  Nice.  I just wish brake rotors and calipers were part of the equation as well.  Open the hood to show off that magnificent V-10 motor with red valve covers, chrome fuel rails, and silver dual intake manifold.  It's a beaut!  The intake leads up to an airbox with the Viper V-10 badge (in red) and the airbox that feeds air from the front scoop.  I also added the Viper labels on the valve covers and finish off silver on the plumbing and fluid resovoirs.  For a 1:24 scale model this is a nicely done engine bay and is the main focal point on any Viper.  Now the interior, as expected, is coal black and rather cramped.  A few extra details like silver on the pedals, shifter, and the silver Viper decals on the front seats helps break out of the all-black look.  The seats have the proper bolstered look, the center radio and HVAC controls are there, and the three-spoke steering wheel.  The gagues are a bit angled downward and the auxiliary controls are not as detailed as the main gauges are.  Still it's ok for a track car.

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While the Maisto 1997 Viper is a bit of a disappointment, Bburago makes up for it with this wild and almost unique model of the 2009 Viper ACR.  Strangely enough I now have all three Viper generations in all of the same blue color!

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