[Vic]

Hawkeye-

Welcome! Congrats! Wish mine was new again. I've got 11,500 smiles now, in about 13 months. Its been the most satisfying car experience I've ever had, out of like 15 other cars. Nothing has the personality of the Viper. Sure, other cars have their own personality. But the Viper is not a copy-cat sports car. Its an original creation, loaded with individuality. That still impresses me, after a year and a month of ownership.

Answer to your point #1. Yes, now and then. Frequency of challenges varies depending on where you are driving, time of day or night. If I go out late Saturday night, I will find a race without fail. Its out there, if you're looking.

Learn to feather the gas on a start, to control the spin. Make sure its pointed straight before you spin 'em.

Most cars don't have enough torque to break 'em loose in a turn, (unless you rev 'em up, or catch a shift) But the Viper can break em loose if you just punch it hard in a turn, even at lower rpm's. Something like 70% of its maximum torque is available just over idle speed. This can catch you off guard. Try to find a big empty lot, and practice spinning the car around. Learn the limits. The tires are cheaper than a crash repair. (average $25K). So learn the limits, so you don't crash. I think it has been said that something like 37% of new Vipers are crashed within a few months of ownership. Inexperience, big HP, big torque, cold tires, all add up to a high incidence of early ownership crashes. Don't jump on it until the tires are warm.

Has anyone told you the Arrow break in procedures?

EDIT- Oh, yeah, Sun Ra Kat brings up a good point about the blind spot. Focus your door mirrors so there is only a little overlap with the center mirror. That way your blind spot is almost covered. The GTS has a big blind spot, and one time I gently tagged someone in my blindspot, when I first got the car. Now I'm used to having my side mirrors pointed outward, and I think its much safer.