Jay Leno is well-known for his many automotive ventures and his fully-stocked garage, such as the classic Ford Bronco that packs in excess of 760 horsepower and his custom Lincoln Navigator. In the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage, he introduces us to a beautifully kept 1993 Dodge Viper.

We previously discussed why the Dodge Viper remains a great used buy following the nameplate's demise in 2017, and Leno's first-generation example just makes us wish it could make a comeback even more. The black beast you see here has a 400-horsepower 8.0-liter V10 engine, which Leno described as "unbelievable" for the time. Torque output is rated at 465 lb-ft.

Leno has owned this Viper for every one of its 27 years and it cost around $50,000 at the time. At around 04:45, Leno points out one of the Viper's many quirks: air vents on the hood that many people often mistake for exterior-mounted radio speakers. Under the hood, Leno made a few alterations such as the intake and a new exhaust system.

With less than 10,000 miles on the clock, it has clearly been driven sparingly and Leno remarked that maintenance hasn't been that bad. However, Chrysler replaced the pistons and rings after just 1,000 miles. When new, the Dodge Viper was said to reach 60 mph in around 4.2 seconds.

Inside, the Viper's basic plastics are typical of some sports cars of the period. There aren't many features either with no air conditioning and no airbags, but Leno says he loves the steering wheel design. The white dials still look appealing, though. By far the best part of the Viper is the sound of the V10 engine being stretched, and with a manual gearbox and loads of wind buffeting, it's as immersive of an experience as you can hope for.

Leno says that lots of people burn themselves on the exhaust pipes when getting out of the Viper. Old-school, visceral, and without tons of electronic nannies intervening, Leno's Viper is another gem from one of the world's most passionate car collectors.