Viper "fun to drive" factor relative to other cars

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

Viper = fun to drive.
Cobra Kit Car = fun to drive
big block muscle car = fun to drive

The lighter the car, the greater the horsepower,
the coarser the feel to it.
and the less "gadgets" on the car
are, in my opinion,
factors that raise the fun factor.
 

Dr Roof

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

The viper is the best car in the world to drive. Outside of it's insane Power the WOW!!!!!! Factor is best. Everytime someone passses you or you stop for Gas Everyone says wow look at that Viper! And you suddennly have a big smile on your face! The VIPER is the ultimate fun!
David
 

red98GTS

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

Jeff>>>you realize you're coming into a Viper message board where everybody (almost) already owns one, right? OK....just wanted to be sure! Ha!
Seriously, though, I think most of the club members and owners will tell you that this car has as much "fun factor" driving it as could possibly be had in a sports car. I have driven 289/427 Cobras from the 60's, newer kit Cobras, C5's, and I own a 3 series BMW for a daily driver. The Viper is quite unlike them all. My suggestion would be to find a sympathetic club member in your area and have him take you for a ride. All the talking and so on isn't going to mean a thing to you. The 98 RT would be a great choice, if you decide on that one. Before you buy, though, don't be afraid to ask questions here about WHO you should buy from. VERY important....right guys? pete the ex glass guy
 

genXgts

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

If you not comfortable being the center of attention, at lights, wherever you park it etc, then don't consider a Viper.

If you like to fly under the radar, or dislike conversation with strangers, avoid this car. It's unreal, I'll be talking to a passenger in my car, and have people yelling and screaming various assorted tidbits as I'm driving, cars turn around and hunt you down, they box you in on the freeway to stare, the list goes on as far as others reactions to your car. As far as your reaction to the car, that's more important....

97 and newer Rt/10 is identical in all mechanical regards to a 96 and newer GTS. The 96 Rt/10 is known as the "Gen 1.5", having full GenII suspension with a GenI motor with some exhaust gains over pre-96 Rt/10. Total worth 415hp I think. Someone will surely correct me on those specifics.

I find my GTS as raw as a car can legally get, I knew that going in. Spent literally hundreds of hours on this site, searching every single facet of the car. From stock exhaust spewing carbon bits on the rear stripes at the rear, to front foglight lenses popping out of the car above 170mph, as well as passenger door glass for good measure. It's all in here, keep on searching topics and get the full scope of this car. Some very proud owners on this board, so dig deep to find some faults with the car as there are many. Non functional air in heavy traffic, cooling issues, cruddy radio, next to zero ground clearance (had to have my driveway reshaped at the lip to get the 2.75" $12,000 fascia to clear it!!

All those quickly vanish from the cortex when at WOT and you leave 99.99% of production cars in your wake, including most Ferrari, Porsche, and Lambo cars. Yet to meet the other .01%, bring it on, losing is a good thing......

On a unrelated note
sarcblink.gif
, Have you read about any of Doug Levin's cars yet???

let us know what becomes of your search,
 

red98GTS

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

Jeff>>>just a thought here>>>>should you narrow down your choice of car to the GTS or RT/10 and you decide what year you're going to go for, why not give Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse Dodge a call. No, he isn't there in Austin, but when and if you decide to buy a Viper, this may be the best piece of advice you will ever get on this board, and he can help you find the car you want and get to to you. Do what you want when it comes time, but many satisfied Viper Club members will back me on this one. Deal with somebody you can TRUST, and Bill is your guy. Just something to think about. Pete the ex glass guy and hot rodder
 

KenH

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

I also agree that there is probably no better vehicle for serious driving fun outside of some of the unobtainable ultra exotics and since I cannot afford one of those, I am only guessing that they would be more fun. Some of the other owners on this board can speak from first hand experience though
smile.gif


The Viper feels raw and that is what I find fun about it. It's the only vehicle I have owned that actually intimidates me at times. As a car, it is more capable than I am as a driver and that definitely keeps it fun. It's one of the highest performing vehicles, but also one of the hardest to drive to its full capability. Whether you find that fun or frustrating will be up to you. My last car was a modified twin turbo AWD VR4 and it was almost impossible to get into trouble with that car or have a bad launch off the line. The Viper is the complete opposite. No safety net at all. You can look like a god or an idiot just getting off the line.

As has been mentioned, the Viper does get attention and you will need to be prepared to deal with it. I had a bicyclist catch me at a stop light today and offer me a dollar to smoke the tires
rolleyes.gif
. It is almost as though you have bought instant celebrity status with both the good and bad that brings. While you say you don't care about it, what matters is that you will need to be prepared for it. Some people actually get freaked out by all the attention or are afraid to take their Viper anywhere where it is out of their sight and are eventually happy to get back into a car that they can just drive and forget.

I drive mine daily and have put about 8000 miles on it in 10 months (even with another vehicle to drive). I have about a 10 mile commute each way to work. I find it to be a very comfortable car to drive in almost any situation except for heavy stop and go traffic. You also have to get used to just how low and far out your front facia extends. I drag every time I take mine out of my driveway.

The choice of RT/10 vs GTS is mostly about styling preference and the usual open top vs hard top debate. There is no significant performance differences between the two (assuming GenII RT/10).

Since you are concerned about your Ford quality experience, do keep in mind that the Viper is a low volume, hand built car. That pretty much guarantees that it is going to have it's share of quirks. Viper owners prefer to consider it a badge of honor. Also keep in mind that if you don't have a warranty on the vehicle, some repairs can get fairly expensive. That is generally the downside to owning any 'exotic' more so than the price of the car itself. This also applies to modifications. What will get you a supercharger for your Cobra will buy a set of headers for the Viper.
 

J DAWG

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dr Roof:
The viper is the best car in the world to drive. Outside of it's insane Power the WOW!!!!!! Factor is best. Everytime someone passses you or you stop for Gas Everyone says wow look at that Viper! And you suddennly have a big smile on your face! The VIPER is the ultimate fun!
David

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

See, now anybody who needs twice as much horsepower in this car as it originally came with, is obviously not in touch with reality. But I guess, requiring 459 hp really isn't very practical either. Oh well Dr. Roof is right. The reaction factor in this car is priceless. Enjoy that DLM car. Nice ride.

P.S If I ever run into you on the street David, just promise me you will only give it half throttle
 

TriJim

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

Jeff -- Perhaps you know the local Austin Viper owners, but I am new to the area and was recently introduced to David Weaver (lead Viper Tech)at Maxwell Dodge on 183N. He patiently answered questions about my Prowler and intoduced me to a Final Edition GTS. I think David knows most of the local owners and may be a nearby source of information.
 

varanus

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

cobratoviper

I just met an owner of a cobra that was sc by him and he was looking at vipers. he runs high 11's in the cobra. He was amazed at the torque and said it was easily an 11 sec car (i have headers, 3.55 gears). Plus he said he was always fiddling with the cobra and with the viper it was just as quick with a lot less fiddling around.
Definitely go to a viper meeting and check one out.
 

red98GTS

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

KenH.....Well said!....I though you summarized it perfectly! pete the xgg
 

DanElam

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

Nothing attracts attention like the Viper when it comes to looks, except maybe a Lambo. I wasn't one that really cared about looks until I get the Viper and then it sort of became fun. We loaned the Viper to a county fair recently and people were still calling a few days later asking if they knew where they could go to see the Viper.

I wish the Viper sounded like my Cobra - sometimes I get in the Cobra just to hear the sound. No one comes up to the Viper and asks me if I can crank it so they can hear it.

It really depends on what you want to do. Would I drove a Mustang Cobra R or BMW across the country? You betcha! I probably wouldn't subject myself to the trip in a Viper though and couldn't conceive of it in the Cobra.

The Viper is expensive to maintain, can attract unwanted attention, and has poor all-weather handling characteristics. One of the car magazines once wrote that you can't get in a Viper and not have a good day. After this many years, I can say that is true (except when it rains).

When it comes to daily driving, it's hard not to like any of these cars, but the Viper does especially well. I get to walk to work and spend a lot of time in airplanes. When I get to drive, it is for fun. The Viper is perfect for that. It handles well and is very predictable. It is also one of the hardest cars to learn to drive at it's limits. I can take a 600HP Cobra R or tricked out BMW 3 and throw it around the track almost from the time I sit in it. You can't do that in the Viper: you hve to work your way up to it. Now that I have it down, the Viper is very predictable. Compared to the FFR Cobra, it feels downright civilized, but compared to everything else, it is still a raw driving experience.

That being said, there probably is a limit to my Viper ownership. I am thinking of an older Aston-Martin or something else just for a different experience. The Viper is fun, but not as much fun as it used to be. A 2003 isn't in my future: if I wanted a Mercedes convertible I would buy one.

Good luck! Have fun!
 

LETHAL GTS

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Re: Viper \"fun to drive\" factor relative to other cars

I've been lucky enough to have a father that is a car nut. He's had a new Vette every year from '74 to '84, He's also had a Ferrari 308, Panterra.
He's currently has a new '03 SL500 AMG, '02 SLK32 AMG, 00' M55 AMG SUV and a couple 320 SUV's.
He has a new '04 SL55 AMG on order.
I have driven them all, with the exception of some of the earlier Vettes and the SL on order.
I drove a '01 Vette.
I owned a '80 Vette juiced up to 350hp.
Now I have owned a 94 RT/10 for 6 years.
I thought about trading my Viper on a Z06 Vette, until I drove one.
I guess what I'm getting at is out of all the sports cars my father and I have owned over the years, there is only one that will really leave people with there mouths left hanging open, that is the Viper! It's the looks, the torque, the noise, the total awe factor.
However, even though it'll smoke most everything out there (stock vs stock).
I don't think I would like to make it my daily driver. You have your hands full driving these machines.
Basically you would be driving a race car with plates and A/C.
I know there is a lot of people on this board who do drive them daily, but personally give me the SL500 AMG or the SLK 32 AMG.
They are smooth, easy to drive, you don't have to worry about shifting, easy street with power.
But having a few other daily drivers of my own ('02 Chev 4x4, '03 Honda Pilot), the Viper is the perfect TOY for me.
I am totally in love with this car. I love the raw power.
I have a couple friends, one owns the '01 C5 and the other owns the '02 Z06.
The '01 guy says his car feels like a Pinto compared to my car and the other with Z06 says "man that's a lot of car".
Bottom line, don't buy a Viper for a daily driver, much better out there for this purpose. If it's excitement you want and lots of it VIPERRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!
Just my personal opinion.
TJ
 
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