New Viper Smokes Another Road Test...!

[Joseph Houss]

Heat issue addressed .... and eliminated! As per PVO! I can't wait!

[qburge]

I can't believe they would let every car magazine
in the world test their new design and have not
addressed the "heat" issue earlier. I think it was
Car & Driver had a spoofed up photo in their article
of someone cooking eggs and bacon on the doorsill of
the new Viper. If I ever get one (SRT-10) I'm requesting
a omlette and sausage with mine!

[Vic]

qburge-

What kind of performance numbers did they get with it?

-Vic

[Tom Shapiro]

SCI didn't do any actual performance numbers. Just estimates from PVO (0-60 in 3.9 and top speed of 180mph) I found the overall article frustrating. SCI's editor Eric Gustafson did the write up. In my experience you're either a VIPER GUY or your not. He is definitely NOT. Alot of the article was a re-hash of the technical side of the SRT-10 that has been written up in most of the other mags. Here are a few quotes from the article, some I liked, most I didn't.
ON THE 2002 GTS ACR- "Fit and finish in certain areas was dangling way down at the kit car level, found fault with the handling dynamics of the car, steering is slow, lack of handling cohesion made it difficult to be comfortable pushing the car to the limit, wouldn't have minded having an electronic nanny waiting in the wings to catch us if we slip up."
On THE RT/10- "We found no fault with the Coupe's appearance, by comparison the RT/10 looked like an exercise in bad taste."
ON THE SRT-10- "Feel and quality of interior materials has taken a few big steps in right direction, BUT still not on par with its German rivals. Not quite as enchanted with its appearance as we were with the GTS but the SRT-10 looks leagues better than the RT/10. "The new Viper is a shockingly fast car. Thought it would give the Porsche GT2 a real run for it's money. Bigger engine pulls harder from lower rpm delivering acceleration that will take your breath away in any gear except 6th. Loved the brakes. Truth be told that truly pushing its envelope on the road is lunacy. You'd need a racetrack to fully exploit it's road handling potential. Thought ride was a bit too harsh, complained about the sidesill/footwell heat problems, and then closed by saying Dodge created the SRT-10 to keep the Viper fraternaty happy and missed huge opportunity to recruit new buyers. They still don't think its a legitimate contender to the Porsche 911 Turbo, but getting closer. Let's go over that again, it can give the GT2 a run for its money, but not a legit contender to the 911 Turbo. What am I missing? I'm not missing that Gustafson ain't no Viper guy.

[Eddie N]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>...and then closed by saying Dodge created the SRT-10 to keep the Viper fraternaty happy and missed huge opportunity to recruit new buyers. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

that one statement shows how really clueless this guy is.. the situation with the SRT10 is the exact opposite..

- eddie -

[qburge]

I liked Mr. Shapiro's answer about the SCI article
but the only thing I disagree with is his statement
about the editor not being a "Viper guy"! Opinions are
like a**holes, everyones got one and they all stink!
The editor of that magazine has probably driven and
owned more vehicles than anyone here, so his opinion
should have a little merit. For 80K+ some folks are
looking for perfection from the factory. I don't own
a Viper and probably never will but from where I stand
it looks like you folks that do buy a pretty good ground
pounding sports car and then do whatever it takes fix
what you feel are it's shortcomings and eventually end
up with the perfect beast. The guys and gals that do
that are the "Viper guys" Just remember there ain't
no substitute for cubic inches!!

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Eddie, as you just admitted elsewhere, you are not ownership material anyway. And gburge, if opinions are as you say, perhaps you should listen to Mr. Shapiro a little more carefully as he DOES own one, unlike you. Criticism from someone who currently owns a Viper is a lot more respected than from someone who admits he never has and might never own one. A lot of us who do own the current version and who have the next version on order attended VO1 and drove this car, and regardless of what the Monty Python of car reviewers may have written, this car is already SOLD OUT to current Viper owners, arguably the toughest group in the world to impress. And as the owner of a 69 Corvette with sidepipes, what in the WORLD makes you think that moving the pipe outsde the body of the car will stop it from being hot, it will be even more hot!
-----------------
"I think that if you are in the passing lane, and not passing, your license should be revoked, and you should be forced to ride the bus until you promise to never delay the rest of us again." .. George Carlin

<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Lee00blacksilverGTS on 11-22-2002 at 09:03 PM</font>

[qburge]

Just got the January 03 issue of Sports Car
International and their driving impression was
pretty favorable except for the "heat" issue.
They said all the nagging problems and short
comings of all the previous Viper models had
been fixed with this model. Maybe they should
start routing the side exhaust completely outside
the body of the car like those big black pipes you
used to see on Corvettes in the late 70's, I got
second degree burns on my hand from accidently
touching one when getting out one day. A mistake
you only make once!

[Dixter]

Yea, I still have a tender spot on the side of my leg from
the scar that pipe made. Like you said, you only do it
once and you never forget it.

[Eddie N]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Lee00blacksilverGTS:
Eddie, as you just admitted elsewhere, you are not ownership material anyway. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

i admitted that i was not an owner, where are you getting this "not ownership material anyway" comment from? did i say something to offend you? besides, i didnt "admit" to not being an owner.. that makes it sound like i was trying to pass myself off as an owner, which i have never done once.. i simply stated that i was not an owner.. so tell me, what makes me not ownership material?

not to mention, you proved my point about the SRT with out even knowing it.. i never said that i didnt like the SRT, but you assumed my comment meant that i didnt, since you know for a fact that most people on this site dont like the new styling (remember treys poll?)...

the fact of the matter is i DO like the new SRT10.. i'm not very vocal about it since it doesnt bother me if everyone else on the planet bashes the car because everyone has their own opinion, but the only one that matters to me is mine..

i was just pointing out that the author isnt as in touch as he obviously likes to think he is...

[99 R/T 10]

I call mine the "kiss of the Viper", actually looks like a heart, and your right. You only do it once!

Mike

[qburge]

This is the last time I'm posting in this forum.
But just for the record I would like to say I do
love Vipers, and as any car on the road Vipers do
have a few shortcomings, Corvettes also have their
"heat" problems too. Do you know how hard it is to
get rid of a case of athletes foot riding around
in the tub of a Corvette all summer long in the deep
south? Also Lee00 I'm sorry my attempt at a little
dry humor got your panties in a bunch, nobody could
ever accuse you of being thin-skinned. When I do get
my Viper I'm not going to be ready to go fistcity with
every negative comment someone makes about it I'm going
to enjoy it and pity the poor fools that don't have
one.

[Vreracing]

qburge please keep posting.

I like the good news as well as the bad.

This forum seems to give people this kind of a reaction.

Don't take it personally.

[Vic]

qburge-

Stick around.

We need people with opinions, and we need posters.

The last thing we need is for people to go away. New membership is EVERYTHING the VCA is about. We represent a special group, and the object is to increase the ranks. Increase the number of owners, increase sales, increase the VCA.

When I look back, it seems to me that before I bought a Viper and I was posting here, part of the attraction of Viper ownership was having a great group of pals to interact with. Unfortunately, I was initially negative about the Viper, but I didn't get flamed to death and run out of town. Later, after learning more about the snake, it bit me, and I bought one. (Cheer here)

I came to feel that Viper ownership was for me, partly because of the kind responses and positive character of the VCA. JonB basically told me I was full of spit, but that was ok, because I was, and had no idea what I was talking about. So its ok to tell people the truth, but we don't need to run 'em out of town.

Everyone who drops in here does so because of interest in the Viper, and this interest can lead to conversion.

[/soap box]

[Tom Shapiro]

Qburge absolutely keep posting! I wasn't trying to say your slant on the article was wrong. I agree with you that Dodge should have addressed the heat issue well before those cars were released to the press. It was a real marketing screw up. I drove the SRT-10 at VOI 7 and loved it. In my short 3 laps around the autocross the big thing I noticed was the incredible brakes, the fit of the seat, more power and the curvaceous view over the hood and front fenders. When I got back into my 98 GTS the hood actually looked flat! I didn't notice the heat issues with the car I drove. Could have been adrenaline or most likely different cars than the press drove. Can't wait to get mine. The real frustration is that if Mr Gustafson was writing this article on a redesigned $80k Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, or a 500hp Corvette, that could give the Porsche GT2 a run for its money, he would be falling all over himself spewing out how great these cars are and for only 80g's. What a bargain. Buried somewhere in the article would be mentioned something about heat issues, but who cares this thing can compete with the GT2! Venting over. Time to strap on my new Echo PB 650 backpack leaf blower. 640 cfm at 210 mph. Can blow my year and a half old grandson down at 20 feet! Awesome!