Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-59
Heh... this is all very humorous. I guess people just forget that the Viper was designed to feel like a modern day muscle car, and that's all there is to it. Anyone who has driven a classic muscle car knows that comfort and features isn't what matters, it's all about the power under your foot.
I think it is funny how people say that the viper is faster than the Vette. Well it should be. The vipers have a way bigger engine. I seen a corvette and viper drag down a quarter mile twice. the corvette lost by.22 and.28 of a second, and the drivers switched cars after the first drag race. HMMM...
The Viper is simply a one of a kind car. I was lucky enough to obtain a used '98 Viper 2 years ago and have never regretted it. Though it was at my dodge dealer for repairs for a month for an oil leak and another 4 months for a broken crank shaft pulley, I still consider myself lucky to own one. Nothing anybody can say about this car can take away the fact that it is a true sports car.
What a Viper is, or ever was for that matter, is not so important. Though I never owned one myself, I have always admired the Viper. But I loved the 427 Cobra too!And the Viper was, to me, a mid-90's "civil Cobra" in essence.
As for fit and finish, every Viper that I have seen, appeared every bit as good in these areas as the C4 Corvettes, that were out when the Viper first came out new.
Now for its performance, well in both SCCA and FIA events, as well as other sanctioning bodies world wide. Why did the Viper hit the ground too competitive, only to be weighted down and air restricted?It may be the "most penalized" car of all time?And it still was the car to beat (coupe) as long as there was a "factory" team. The new ZO-6 Corvette boys and the rest of us can all cheer!And one of the reasons is the big bad Viper.Confused?Well when the "General" decided to race their sports-car in the late ninties. They started with an engine close to size of a stock Corvette (5.7 liter),well after losing all of the time to the Viper (much heavier than stock, negating its brakes,plus air restrictions).The engine grew, and grew, and grew. Finally it was at least 7 liters. The 7 liter would never have been without the Viper. By the time the C5-R had a 7 liter "Team Corvette" had drawn mighty near. It also didn't hurt that the"factory"involvement in "Viper racing" was drawing to an end. The 7 liter was/is a big part of what GM learned in those first races, and it has a lot to do with "Team Corvette's" sucesses to this day.
With no Viper to chase, where would Corvette be today?A standard 6 liter?A sensational new 7 liter?I personally doubt it. I personally believe that a 5.7 liter of some sort would still reside in the regular Corvette and ZO-6 instead of the 6 and 7 liters powerplants.
When the factory quit racing Vipers, the Corvette picked up where the Viper left off and started winnig roadracing titles. I am glad to be able to claim both cars for the "red, white, and blue"!Saleen S7 too!
In the production car turned race car classes the car fared well and still does okay.But it was much more of a force before the Vipers were attacked by the "ink pen bunch" with their NASCAR mentality=(All cars start and finish at the same time)=RETARDED!It is a wonder the drivers have room to sit with all of the weights the Vipers are required to carry.And the plugged air inlets don't promote much performance either!
Isn't it 500 hp?
The top spec EVO has 400 bhp from a 2.0 engine and can hit 60 in 3.5 seconds and top out at around 170mph.This machine is standard from the factory aswell. See top-gear this car made a lambo look silly in a race and the lambo was being driven by touring car race driver. It might not be an exotic machine as thr viper (i am a fan!!) but from a 2.0 engine it delivers impressive figures.
The EVO must have a turbo or supercharger right? Well in that case you do know that a small engine with such power is more likely to fail and have bad MPG (not saying the viper has good mpg lol), but anyways the little four banger would probably blow itself up or burn up its turbo or supercharger faster than the viper would need a tuneup. Plus how can you compare the sounds of the two engines...
A four banger all souped up?
Or the throaty roar of a V10?
There are so many late model Corvettes running around its just another car. Anyone can drive a Corvette just hand them the keys. I could hand the keys to my mother to drive mine to the store. Not so with the Viper. I drove my sons 2000 RT/10 having owned Corvettes, Camaros etc. I felt I could just jump behind the wheel. There is just no comparison. The raw power, suspension, handling, braking from the instant you get on it. I was totally unprepared for what I experienced. You cannot let your guard down for a second. This is a track car more so than a dragstrip car although it is that as well. To own one of these cars you need to spend some time in a professional driving school. I would compare this to car to exotics costing substantially more before comparing it to a Corvette. By the way these posts must be old. I know that my son never goes to the dealer. His last visit was to remove an elaborate aftermarket alarm system that failed and the car would not start. The car was at the dealer almost 2 weeks only to go back to the factory alarm. As soon as the new car warranty is up it is more of an opportunity than a liability as you are free to upgrade.
To the guy who posted the comment on the 80th Jan. If you read the earlier comments someone said"there is no 2.0 that can keep up with the viper".Well that EVO in question can! Sure its turbo-charged, but is a totally insane motor. Plus the guy didn't compare the engine sounds, he was comparing performance figures, in which the EVO is very close to. Anyway everyone in England know that TVR are better than the viper! Take your pick of the new models and I suspect they will better performance figures and have a better sound to them!! Long live TVR!!!
Well does the EVO corner as well as the Viper? Or does it have that exotic feel too it? Or the pure feel of power flowing through the rear wheels?
(I never really noticed the comment about 2.0s never beating a viper, I was just responding to your single review cause it seemed pretty whack to me, when read without the 2.0 never winning comment.)
TVR? If you live in US, then I don't think you're buying a TVR. I've only driven the Griffefth or the 500 or something, but that was Gran Turismo! lol.
Does an Evo handle as well as a Viper?
Isn't that like asking does a Prius get better gas mileage than an Escalade?
The Viper's sole purpose is to be a muscle car.
When you tell someone you beat an EVO, do their eyes glaze over because they don't care? Would you get the same reaction if you told them you beat a Viper? The EVO has been modified beyond rational limits, and still falls short. How many of them go past 50,000 miles? Or any of the other "tuner" car with 400 hp for that matter? The Viper has a bullet proof motor that runs mild compression and does 100 mph at 2,000 rpm all day long, and I got 26 mpg in mine coming back from Atlanta. Todays youth is spending big money to make their car do ONLY one thing... go faster. The Viper does that from the factory, plus it stops and pulls over 1.0g on the skid pad; that's what it was made to do. How many FIA, or 24 hours of LeMans Championships has the EVO won? It's been 11 years since the Viper was rated at 400 horsepower, and today it leaves the factory with 510. I'd say the EVO is a little behind. This thread is about serious cars, don't bring a sling shot to a gun fight.
The first review seemed bogus. You either own a Viper or a newer Vette certainly not 2 late models. Possibly an early generation Vette as most Viper owners own multiple vehicles. My son drives a Viper and a Range Rover. The Vettes are getting faster, but the suspension, handling and braking are not there. The Viper is a low production vehicle which is better compared to exotics. There are so many Vettes out there not so with the Viper. The reviews keep comparing the Viper only in its stock form. It usually does not stop there. In addition why go a dealer? My son takes his to individuals specializing in racing and then goes and has another dyno. Since purchasing his he started out adding smooth tubes on the intake, Roe Racing VEC2 engine management system, Corsa Cat back exhaust, MGW short throw shifter and a TNT nitrous kit 100 shot. I am sure he is not finished. He got rid of the soft top and bought a 3 piece hardtop which takes up very little space and fits in the trunk in case it rains. The air conditioner works decent in Florida however being over 6 ft my head is against the roof even with the seat lowering kit. I hardly see the need to melt one of these into a beer can. They can be run hard and driven home from the track.
I'm sure any serious race car driver that does endurance or road race courses would tell you they'd rather be in the Viper due to its handling and engine characteristics. The EVO simply cannot compete with a car that has tires three times as wide as the EVO's. Also, the Viper is lower to the ground and can use the giant engine to put real power to the ground without even straining itself.
Admittedly, I drive an Impreza, and it is one fine machine to rev the crap out of, and go from point A to point B with a huge grin on my face, but I know the motor won't last if I tried to copy the same driving habits and performances of a Viper and its driver. Then the name... I own a EVO? pffttt Okay wow...
I own a Viper, want to take it for a test drive?
Can I be your friend?
It would be nice if you wish to compare the Viper to perhaps a Ford GT, Saleen, Mercedes SLR Mc Laren, new Porche 911 to name a few. Then the value of the Viper can be compared. You would be spending twice as much and upward to compare with the Viper. I do not understand the EVO and whats with the wing? Driving in a Viper on the street gets very tiring with all the Civics, Neons blowing their pop offs etc. and cars out of tune. With one recent exception I was impressed with the new GTO which stayed with me pretty well as we entered the interstate together.