After the marketing success of the first-generation Viper, Dodge got criticism from reviewers and owners alike about the Viper’s shortcomings as a consumer car. It was basically a concept car that was allowed to roll into a showroom floor, which came along with its “no compromise” attitude that owners had to put up with. For example, its exhaust was so close to your feet when exiting, the press was told to watch their step when egressing in order to not burn themselves, or the fact that the car had no roof at all. It was seen as too much of a track toy for buyers looking for a practical vehicle (as practical as a Viper could be.)

When redesigning the Viper to fix said issues, some engineers over at SRT started to tinker about the possibility of sticking their Magnum V10  derived supercar engine back in their lifestyle pickup. The redesigned Ram had just come out in 1994 and redefined what it meant to own a pickup truck. It was now a cool, sexy vehicle that didn’t say you pound cement for a living. It was a game of catch-up for the other big two, and Dodge wanted to capitalize on this.