British 5th Gear Viper vs. Vette
- Thread starter Kai SRT10
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Vic
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And how does one qualify "handling"?
There are a few criteria, other than the drifting that was displayed in the show. (Did you notice after the drifting, they said the Corvette is better than the Viper "at the limit"?)
1. Steady radius G-force, such as a 300 foot diameter skid pad. How fast can the car go before it spins out. The SRT score highly in this test. This is a better judgement of "at the limit", not a four wheel drift, but a steady state of cornering force. Its not like we have cobblestone roads over here or anything, so a smooth road and a steady state turn are valid cornering scenarios.
2. Turn-in. Does the car's front tires bite in right away, causing the front of the car to rotate quickly, or does the front end wash out, and wallow around in the corner like a hay wagon? Again, the SRT scores highly here.
3. Transient lateral Gs. The slalom. Typical cone spacing, (I forget the specifics), how fast can the car go through the cones without spinning out or pushing. Again, the Viper SRT has a great slalom speed.
4. Braking. There is more than just one test criteria here. As far as straight line braking, the SRT is a world record holder, or near it, with just 97 feet 60-0. Thats Enzo and Porsche performance stuff. Other more sublte criteria are pedal feel, and fade after repeated high speed stops. I don't know how the SRT does in this area.
5. Bump steer. It has been said that the SRT suffers from bump steer, but I wouldn't know, I don't own one.
The above is just reviewing handling issues, apart from sheer power. Add acceleration into the mix, and the SRT looks very potent indeed. Anyone see Motor Trends' figure-8 test? The SRT does great in that one too.
All told, it can't be said with any measure of objective truthfulness that the SRT is "rubbish", what with all its high scores in several categories of performance criteria. It seems that the automotive journalism in the UK is unfairly biased against American automobiles.
Sour grapes from losing the colonies, I think.
What would the test have looked like with a C6 ZO6?
There are a few criteria, other than the drifting that was displayed in the show. (Did you notice after the drifting, they said the Corvette is better than the Viper "at the limit"?)
1. Steady radius G-force, such as a 300 foot diameter skid pad. How fast can the car go before it spins out. The SRT score highly in this test. This is a better judgement of "at the limit", not a four wheel drift, but a steady state of cornering force. Its not like we have cobblestone roads over here or anything, so a smooth road and a steady state turn are valid cornering scenarios.
2. Turn-in. Does the car's front tires bite in right away, causing the front of the car to rotate quickly, or does the front end wash out, and wallow around in the corner like a hay wagon? Again, the SRT scores highly here.
3. Transient lateral Gs. The slalom. Typical cone spacing, (I forget the specifics), how fast can the car go through the cones without spinning out or pushing. Again, the Viper SRT has a great slalom speed.
4. Braking. There is more than just one test criteria here. As far as straight line braking, the SRT is a world record holder, or near it, with just 97 feet 60-0. Thats Enzo and Porsche performance stuff. Other more sublte criteria are pedal feel, and fade after repeated high speed stops. I don't know how the SRT does in this area.
5. Bump steer. It has been said that the SRT suffers from bump steer, but I wouldn't know, I don't own one.
The above is just reviewing handling issues, apart from sheer power. Add acceleration into the mix, and the SRT looks very potent indeed. Anyone see Motor Trends' figure-8 test? The SRT does great in that one too.
All told, it can't be said with any measure of objective truthfulness that the SRT is "rubbish", what with all its high scores in several categories of performance criteria. It seems that the automotive journalism in the UK is unfairly biased against American automobiles.
Sour grapes from losing the colonies, I think.
What would the test have looked like with a C6 ZO6?
tmcphail
Enthusiast
For some reason after watching that I can hear Jeff Spicoli in the back of my head saying "Dude those guys are ****"
BACKNBLACK
Enthusiast
Neil i'm curious.What is the price of the Viper in the UK?
OP
OP
Kai SRT10
Enthusiast
Hard to believe that this is the final verdict:
"I can't believe that the engineers said yes this car's great, let's put it to market. It's just rubbish. I'm sorry to be so down on this car, but there is not one thing, not one thing I like about it. It's absolute garbage."
DSR207
Enthusiast
"I can't believe that the engineers said yes this car's great, let's put it to market. It's just rubbish. I'm sorry to be so down on this car, but there is not one thing, not one thing I like about it. It's absolute garbage."
Jealousy in it's purest form...
Jealousy in it's purest form...
its ok. the brits are at the top of their sports car industry, right? heh.
lets see...
toyota elise err. lotus elise- a cart for very technical autox course. drove one a while back- will keep the viper- thank you. if i wanted an overpowered cart- i would have just that- a cart. i refuse to pay taxes on a semi-roadworthy cart. fun vehicle though. you would think that lotus could come up with their own engine and not adopt toyota's and stick an oil cooler on it. for $45k they could do better than that.
lotus esprit tt - true sports car, but with weak everything. dead. also unless driver under 5'10" will not fit. or last name komanechi (like nadia).
mini coooper- yes. a monster. not. i like the grossery getting appeal of it (imagine autox at the supermarket parking lot- yes. nice). in all seriousness- i like them, but not exactly highway monster.
aston martin - locomotive power and reflexes. yep. pure sports car. not. perfect gt - where gt stands for "going on a tangent". but very very beautiful. i will give them that.
tvr - handbuild, pathetic quality, the powerful versions are nose heavy and are a ***** to drive fast. oh wait- a russian mafia guy boght the company recently. so not really british. note: expect tvrs to carry armor in the future.
mg - what was that? i cant recall them, but they rank right up there with the minis. if the world was all technical autox courses i would've considered one. on a second thought- no.
now i will take an atom though.. the blown one. please
the problem as i see it is more cultural than anything else. brits (and europeans in general) favor small, tossable, technical cars. firepower used not to be their thing.
however, the show is done very professionally. i give them that.
alex
few cars
lets see...
toyota elise err. lotus elise- a cart for very technical autox course. drove one a while back- will keep the viper- thank you. if i wanted an overpowered cart- i would have just that- a cart. i refuse to pay taxes on a semi-roadworthy cart. fun vehicle though. you would think that lotus could come up with their own engine and not adopt toyota's and stick an oil cooler on it. for $45k they could do better than that.
lotus esprit tt - true sports car, but with weak everything. dead. also unless driver under 5'10" will not fit. or last name komanechi (like nadia).
mini coooper- yes. a monster. not. i like the grossery getting appeal of it (imagine autox at the supermarket parking lot- yes. nice). in all seriousness- i like them, but not exactly highway monster.
aston martin - locomotive power and reflexes. yep. pure sports car. not. perfect gt - where gt stands for "going on a tangent". but very very beautiful. i will give them that.
tvr - handbuild, pathetic quality, the powerful versions are nose heavy and are a ***** to drive fast. oh wait- a russian mafia guy boght the company recently. so not really british. note: expect tvrs to carry armor in the future.
mg - what was that? i cant recall them, but they rank right up there with the minis. if the world was all technical autox courses i would've considered one. on a second thought- no.
now i will take an atom though.. the blown one. please
the problem as i see it is more cultural than anything else. brits (and europeans in general) favor small, tossable, technical cars. firepower used not to be their thing.
however, the show is done very professionally. i give them that.
alex
few cars
an update:
Mini Cooper - is owned by BMW
Aston Martin - is owned by Ford
MG/Rover - is over.... collapsed a couple of weeks ago and receivers are in... no longer trading
Lotus is Malaysian owned !
There are still a few small companies turning out small production 'sporty' cars
Since the Russian took over TVR are now offering a 3 year warranty on new vehicles
Mini Cooper - is owned by BMW
Aston Martin - is owned by Ford
MG/Rover - is over.... collapsed a couple of weeks ago and receivers are in... no longer trading
Lotus is Malaysian owned !
There are still a few small companies turning out small production 'sporty' cars
Since the Russian took over TVR are now offering a 3 year warranty on new vehicles
viper GTS-R
Enthusiast
You know there show is begining to really err umm "tick" me off. Last night I recevied an IM on my MSN messenger from a vette boy telling me about all this B.S. these so called journalists say against the viper. Wait it get's better! He then goes on to brag about it. I haven't seen the video yet, I'm downloading it now but if the viper did indeed beat the C6 by THREE car lengths I bet the C6 ZO6 will get beat by 1/2-1.
Let's not forget the other episode when their very talented woman journlist/driver drove a steel gray GTS against a VW rice rocket and lost.
I'm not bias on women drivers, just wishing they would get some professional racers to test the cars.
Let's not forget the other episode when their very talented woman journlist/driver drove a steel gray GTS against a VW rice rocket and lost.
I'm not bias on women drivers, just wishing they would get some professional racers to test the cars.
fluffy
Enthusiast
All three of them are indeed professional racers.
viper GTS-R
Enthusiast
yeah really nuff said right there.
Wonder how much GM is paying them to say the slower "american muscle car" is better. PAHLEESE!!! A year ago when the C6 was just being discovered everyone was saying how the headlights looked so Ferrari...and that speedo in the windshield!?! That is so Knight Rider! I wonder if David Hasselhoff has a C6 yet.
yeah really nuff said right there.
see they couldent take it THAT far and make the snake lose the race because everyone and their grandmother would call B.S.
S
sachin
Guest
Nope I am dead serious, $85000 brand new. Check www.trader.ca in the Ontario section. I have seen more than one available at this price in the past. Granted they are not 2005 models they are the 2004, but I believe those are the last models with the 7 year powertrain warranty as well. I think that it is an amazing deal for an amazing car
Here is a link
Snakester
Enthusiast
The British (and most of the European) automotive press is so badly biased against American cars it's no surprise that they disliked these two great cars.
Still, with importers gouging so badly on the prices, the Corvette and Viper both lose their huge price/performance advantage that we enjoy here. But I would honestly expect many aspects of the Viper to be much better too if we had to pay nearly double the price for the car!
Still, with importers gouging so badly on the prices, the Corvette and Viper both lose their huge price/performance advantage that we enjoy here. But I would honestly expect many aspects of the Viper to be much better too if we had to pay nearly double the price for the car!
The British (and most of the European) automotive press is so badly biased against American cars it's no surprise that they disliked these two great cars.
Still, with importers gouging so badly on the prices, the Corvette and Viper both lose their huge price/performance advantage that we enjoy here. But I would honestly expect many aspects of the Viper to be much better too if we had to pay nearly double the price for the car!
If you think that's pathetic, pick up a copy of MotorTrend. Same Junk, just located on our shores instead of theirs.
To the silly so-called journalists in the UK? HEY HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!
Jay K.
vincent_esq
Viper Owner
Phil
Enthusiast
Well, it's simple...because they know that the Viper is super fast and it beat most of the european cars!
VIPER D
Viper Owner
I will take my AMERICAN GRABAGE any day over any british P.O.S.
VD..
VD..
DSR207
Enthusiast
This video clip is a keeper. It shows the Viper kicking butt, and the guy driving it having the time of his life, delete the audio and insert "AC DC"'S BACK N BLACK or QUEEN'S ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST....And you got a great video
vipersrt10
Enthusiast
What can you expect a couple of drunk limeys to say??
I have to agree that the gearbox is kinda chunky though, not smooth at all, least mine isnt
I have to agree that the gearbox is kinda chunky though, not smooth at all, least mine isnt
VIPER D
Viper Owner
thats an easy fix
b&m gripper shifter and mgw ripper nob
vd..
The name 'Viper' was registered to a small UK kit car company about 25 years ago way before the gen1 was ever dreamed up, they only sold a few kit cars.
The story is Chrysler instead of offering a bucket of money took them to court and tried to take the name but failed miserably...so then the owner of the name decided to clamp down on Chrysler totally banning the use of 'Viper' in the UK.
The vehicle is known as the DODGE SRT/10 all the official UK cars everything refering to 'Viper' has been removed off the cars, advertising, promotion stuff etc to the extend that when a Compe coupe was brought over and shown by Dodge at a sports car show they had to cover up Viper on the calipers and have specially printed leaflets. The Viper has died here....
copy paste and smile!
http://image32.webshots.com/33/0/39/17/285903917YtrZDD_ph.jpg
from:
http://community.webshots.com/album/200323681yzcIJD/2
LW VIPER
Enthusiast
The Viper is big, powerful, doesn't have a lot of electronics, spins the rear wheels on take off most of the time, has hot sills, sometimes hot interior footwells, and loads of wind noise, particularly with the top down. It isn't an Audi S8, or a Bentley, or a BMW M3, or even a Corvette. It is rude, and in your face. Everything that Brits don't like about Americans.
I, on the other hand, have owned two Vettes and two Vipers, and a handful of Triumph TR4, MGB, Triumph Motorcycles, and the like. All are fun in different ways. One needs to really enjoy all different types of vehicles.
What I found irritating about the video is that both of these guys were having a BLAST in both American cars, great big smiles, and WHILE they're grinning, they are bad mouthing both cars. Their reason for buying the Vette is that it is more civilized, whereas the SRT-10 is "rubbish" with poor "brakes" (not something anyone else has ever said). The bottom line is that they don't like American muscle, and the more muscle and less manners, the more they don't like it.
Pretty much all the reasons that I bought one over a Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus Elise, and all the cars they DO like.
I, on the other hand, have owned two Vettes and two Vipers, and a handful of Triumph TR4, MGB, Triumph Motorcycles, and the like. All are fun in different ways. One needs to really enjoy all different types of vehicles.
What I found irritating about the video is that both of these guys were having a BLAST in both American cars, great big smiles, and WHILE they're grinning, they are bad mouthing both cars. Their reason for buying the Vette is that it is more civilized, whereas the SRT-10 is "rubbish" with poor "brakes" (not something anyone else has ever said). The bottom line is that they don't like American muscle, and the more muscle and less manners, the more they don't like it.
Pretty much all the reasons that I bought one over a Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus Elise, and all the cars they DO like.
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