Gen 3 and Gen 4 difference

Blockbuster

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Is there any difference between the Gen3 and Gen4.
Thought interior and exterior except the hood?
Fits bump / fender from Gen3 to gen4?

Thanks
 

Steve-Indy

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In my opinion, they are quite different driving experiences !!!

Engine, tranny, tires...a world apart when comparing stock, out-of-the-box Vipers.

To me, the interior is only the location where I plant my **** when driving the Asps. I am happy with the general fit, finish, paint, color, etc...admitting that others pay much more attention to same than I do.
 

Garron

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Gen 3 feels like a dump truck hit you off the line and continues to accelerate at an above average pace.

Gen 4 feels like a lttle slower off the line, Then you hit 3000 rpm and you will be scared for your life.
 

Dan Cragin

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Gen 4 has:

Vented Hood
Electric cooling fan
New Engine
Venom engine control
TLEV emissions
Double disc clutch
New T6060 Transmission
New differential
New tires
 

slysnake

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So, basicly, their saying the body panels and interior are pretty much the same. I do know they upgraded that plastic door sweep that is so easy to break on the GenIII. But you can't tell the difference just to look at it.
 

Paul Hawker

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The driving experience is a little bit different on the 08+

Transmission shifts much smoother with greater feeling for precision when selecting gears.

Rides smoother and handles better due to non run-flat tires.

Engine pulls much stronger at higher revs.

New rear end pulls smoother off the corners. Seems to track better, and more consitantly with better placement.

A bit more refined car, also some improvement on build quality.

Some notice a lag from the throttle by wire, and prefer the previous throttle cable.

The extra 95 hp shows up at both road courses. On the drag strip it changes from a low 12 second car, to a high 11 second car in most hands.

08+Vipers have a smooth idle, very little neutral gear rattle, and a nice rush of power above 3,500 rpm where previous models tended to flatten out.

New hood design removes more engine heat and prevents pressure from building up underneath the car. This reduces lift, and makes the car more stable at higher speeds. In addition, where earlier verts had heat swirling into the interior around the A pillars, the new hood allows for much cooler interiors with the windows open for city driving.
 

ViperGeorge

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One more thing, the Gen 3s are generally easier to modify than Gen 4s. The Gen 4 Venom controller (PCM) is a lot more sensitive to mods and will often throw an engine code if you try to mod the engine in any way. Many people replace the stock PCM with the Mopar controller and, though not technically street legal, the Mopar controller will not throw engine codes as readily as the stock Gen 4 PCM. However, since it does not perform all the on-board emission tests you may have trouble getting your car inspected in some states.

The Gen 3s handle mods very well and there are many heavily modded examples driving around. My own Gen 3 is supercharged (and in the classifieds by the way).
 

chorps

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My convo with a DCX engineer a few months ago (slightly redacted to leave out names and unrelated info):

Hey XXXXX

The production powertrain and chassis of the 2003 and 2006 cars are basically the same. There were small improvements/refinements made during that time, but no major spec changes.

The 2008 car is considerably different. There were a ton of improvements ranging from small fit/finish and NVH kinds of things to the following major changes:
- Much improved clutch pedal effort (new dual-disk clutch w/more torque capacity)
- Much improved shift efforts in the new TR6060 trans
- Much improved limited slip diff (no more one-wheel peel coming off corners during hard track sessions)
- New 600 HP Gen IV engine (vs 510 HP Gen III)
- Improved ride/handling (new springs/dampers and non-run-flat PS2 tires).

With the 2008 cars, it is possible to get a nice HP boost with some exhaust mod's and relatively inexpensive MOPAR cal (I think near 640 HP; XXXXXX could give you more details).

If XXXXXX is going to go nuts modifying the powertrain, there may be more options for the 2003-2006 models. First, they have been around longer. Secondly, the aftermarket has to deal with electronic throttle control and all the safety & emissions features that can lead to faults, when providing kits for 2008 cars.
 

Smog Dog

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I don't think anyone has mentioned the different exhaust, which is a big deal. Not having the cross over pipes under the seats helps keep the cockpit cooler and saves a little weight.

Bill
 

2BADD-4U

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The driving experience is a little bit different on the 08+

Transmission shifts much smoother with greater feeling for precision when selecting gears.

Rides smoother and handles better due to non run-flat tires.

Engine pulls much stronger at higher revs.

New rear end pulls smoother off the corners. Seems to track better, and more consitantly with better placement.

A bit more refined car, also some improvement on build quality.

Some notice a lag from the throttle by wire, and prefer the previous throttle cable.

The extra 95 hp shows up at both road courses. On the drag strip it changes from a low 12 second car, to a high 11 second car in most hands.

08+Vipers have a smooth idle, very little neutral gear rattle, and a nice rush of power above 3,500 rpm where previous models tended to flatten out.

New hood design removes more engine heat and prevents pressure from building up underneath the car. This reduces lift, and makes the car more stable at higher speeds. In addition, where earlier verts had heat swirling into the interior around the A pillars, the new hood allows for much cooler interiors with the windows open for city driving.


Great Info!
 

gb66gth

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Don't forget , the GenIV has a swing arm oil pick up in the sump. Gen III, not.
 

purplesnake

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I qualify this response in that I have only driven my 08 a few miles due to weather. I owned an 05 for 3 years and loved it. I asked an extremely reputable shop in my area, that does work on exotics, the difference in my 05 and the 08, I now have and this was his response. He said the driveline difference was like between night and day. Engine changes, dual disc clutch, transmission difference off the charts, much better rear-end, and finally much better tires. He claimed that he has never seen changes so radically change a car with the same body. I can't wait for spring!:burnout:
 

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