Dodge Sidewinder Concept, a Viper V10 Convertible Pickup Abomination

The full name of the vehicle is "Dodge Dakota Sidewinder." When somebody mentions the Sidewinder, the mind naturally wonders toward the legendary air-to-air missile. However, it also fits the killer character of this concept truck.

Honestly, we're not sure what they were thinking. The year is 1997, "Quit Playing Games" by the Backstreet Boys was everybody's favorite jam, Titanic was released and the Spice Girls were all over the place. In other words, a convertible pickup with a V10 engine made perfect sense.

The Chevy SSR wouldn't enter production for another six years, but if you think about it, most of the original SUVs were convertibles too. The beating heart of the Sidewinder was an 8-liter V10 out of the Viper GTS-R. This made 640 horsepower, which is impressive even by today's standards.

Hooked up to a 4-speed manual, the engine spun those oversized 22-inch wheels fast enough to get the abomination from 0 to 60 miles per hour (97 kph) in 3.9 seconds and on to a theoretical top speed of 170 miles per hour (274 kph). It was also said to be pretty light at 2,700 lbs (1,225 kg) or about the same as a Toyota 86.

This kind of styling isn't for everybody, but we think it's a really cool throwback from the 1990s. All the major elements can be seen from 100 feet away; it's not fussy or understated. The front really does look like a combination between a Viper and a Dodge truck, while the removable top looks like a hat.

Dodge has some of the craziest modern concepts. And because many came out before the Internet, they've been largely forgotten. If you like the Sidewinder, check out the M80 and Copperhead.