Since I purchased my GTS a month or so back I’ve had a number of Viper owners ask me how the car compares to earlier model Vipers. So I decided I would start to put down some of those thoughts in writing for anyone who’s thinking about ordering a Gen V down the road.
For starters, here's a little background on the car and driver for frame of reference.
Model: 2013 Viper GTS Launch Edition
Owner: Middle aged racecar driver/business owner
Date: May 21, 2013
Mileage: 1,200+
Maintenance to date: None
Problems to date: None
Now on to the impressions.
When I bought the GTS, I expected it to be good for “spirited” drives on the back roads, club events and an occasional track day. Surprisingly, I’ve found myself driving the GTS most of the time, as though it were my daily driver. I’m not sure if I can explain why… But I’ll give it a shot.
From the seat of the pants, it feels like the GTS has an additional 60-70 HP over my Gen 4 Viper. The lighter flywheel and shorter gearing may explain part of that feeling. But the Gen 5 also seems to have a much wider power curve than earlier cars. For comparison, my Gen 2 (lightly modified) has great low-end torque, but tends to run out of steam above 5,500 RPM. In contrast, my Gen 4 feels a little anemic at lower RPMs but goes like a bat out of hell once it gets on the cam. The Gen 5 combines the best of the prior generations with a mountain of torque from 1,500 – 6,500 RPM.
The transmission is silky smooth. It has a distinctly American feel to it; those who are used to German cars may not immediately take to it. When changing gears it feels just a little bit “heavier” than say a current Porsche. But it is equally precise and smooth, and gearshifts are just as quick. The throw is also shorter than a Gen 4 Viper (and, needless to say, much shorter than a Gen 2 Viper). I’d have to say that it’s one of the best manual transmissions I’ve used to date.
The suspension is also much improved for spirited driving on everyday roads. By that I mean that it absorbs road imperfections better than the Gen 4, while retaining the same overall feel for the road and with a higher peak level of grip. On the other hand, you still have to be careful when putting the power down on a bumpy section of road.
This past weekend I took my first relatively short road trip in the GTS. My son and I drove up to “Viper Car Sunday” (the SoCal VCA was featured at “Supercar Sunday” in Woodland Hills, CA). It was about a two-hour drive each way and, in between, we also took a leisurely 28-mile club drive on the Mulholland Highway. I was surprised at how well the car handled the bumpy So Cal highways. It seemed to absorb the bad stuff better than my last Porsche Turbo (997 version).
Finally, there is one oddity in the suspension that I will probably “fix” by some minor upgrade(s). Specifically, the car does not respond well to trail braking. I’ve found that I have to switch my brain to “rear-engine race car” mode, completing 99% of heavy braking in a straight line. That’s unusual because most front engine, rear drive cars respond well to a more gradual release of the brakes as you begin turn in. Talking to Dan Cragin on Sunday, he mentioned that the Gen 5 suspension allows more dynamic toe change (vs. prior generations). I believe that explains the issue. Though the difference appears to have been intentional, I think lap times will likely be better if you are able to use more of the friction circle (which is what trail braking does for you).
BTW, I haven't had the 2013 on the track yet. So, my thoughts regarding the toe change issue are untested at this point. With the race season going on right now, I probably won't have time to try the GTS on the track until the Fall.
I’ve also received a number of questions about the car’s “comfort level” and “luxury features”. This is not an easy question to answer and I think to some extent many journalists have conveyed somewhat of a superficial sense of what the car is really like. IMO, the quality of the interior materials, fit, and finish is far better than prior generations. As far as the quality of the materials used, they are on par with the higher trim levels of the Porsche 911. But these features don’t necessarily translate into comfort or luxury IMO. For example, the seats are comparable to the optional Porsche GT2/3 race style seats in terms of comfort (though a little wider in the hip). I personally like them. They are functional for a car with this level of performance. But I wouldn’t call them comfortable. With this in mind, I think that SRT should consider offering an optional seat that is more oriented toward comfort. I would be willing to bet that more buyers would opt for the “comfort” seats than the “performance” seats (which, btw, is consistent with what the majority of Porsche owners opt for).
The Gen 5’s audio and electronics are vastly improved. The GTS’s sound system is on par with the optional Burmeister system offered by Porsche. The climate control also works much better than what was offered in the Gen 4. And while my Gen 4 actually has a factory navigation system, the controls are barely functional. The Gen 5 rectifies that problem with a very easy to use and intuitive interface.
I haven’t used many of the “Apps” and other electronic features yet. I’m usually so focused on the driving experience that I really don’t tend to use those things much. I even forget to turn on the data acquisition system in the race car sometimes. So I can’t comment much on those features just yet. Maybe I will let my 12-year old comment on those later, after he’s had a little time to play with them.
In terms of noise, vibration & harshness (NVH), you can tell that SRT has done quite a bit of work to reduce the amount of noise entering the cockpit from the outside. Squeaks and rattles are also much less apparent (vs. my Gen 4), but still more than what you’d find in a conventional unibody car.
Ironically, while the cabin is generally quieter, when you are on the throttle the exhaust sound level is actually louder than in my Gen 2 with Belanger headers, high flow cats and Corsa exhaust. I think SRT may ultimately need to offer an optional “touring” exhaust system that’s quieter on the inside. Don’t get me wrong, the exhaust sounds great. And after driving the car for a month or so now, I’m not sure whether I’d opt for a “touring” system or keep the “sport” system that came on the car. But, I’m willing to be that the system that’s on the car now is louder than many buyers are expecting (maybe 50% of buyers?).
One final thing that a number of people have asked about is the traction control. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to answer that question because, out of habit, I always turn off traction control before I leave the garage. When traction control systems first started to become more widely available, I experimented with them in autocross and on the track, and found that they absolutely killed your lap times and ruined all attempts to steer a little with the throttle. So I haven’t been able to bring myself to use it—even though I know that TC systems have improved immensely since my experiments in the 90s. But I do think it is a smart idea to equip the car with TC (even if it weren't required by law). The Gen 5 is a lot of car, with immense torque and high limits that require a high level of skill to bring it back if you exceed those limits.
Hopefully this helps to answer some of the questions that other Viper owners have. I still can't exactly explain what it is about the car that makes it so appealing as a daily driver for me. Well, I'll give it a shot. I think what it is is that it's the closest you can get to experiencing the feel of a race car, with just enough refinement to also drive it 4-5 days a week and not feel completely spent (as you do feel after you drive a race car). That's quite an accomplishment really. In fact, I think that if that's what SRT intended, they actually hit the nail on the head slightly better than the Porsche GT3RS (which is actually just a little too civilized to actually feel like a real race car when driven in town, even though it certainly feels like one on the track).
For starters, here's a little background on the car and driver for frame of reference.
Model: 2013 Viper GTS Launch Edition
Owner: Middle aged racecar driver/business owner
Date: May 21, 2013
Mileage: 1,200+
Maintenance to date: None
Problems to date: None
Now on to the impressions.
When I bought the GTS, I expected it to be good for “spirited” drives on the back roads, club events and an occasional track day. Surprisingly, I’ve found myself driving the GTS most of the time, as though it were my daily driver. I’m not sure if I can explain why… But I’ll give it a shot.
From the seat of the pants, it feels like the GTS has an additional 60-70 HP over my Gen 4 Viper. The lighter flywheel and shorter gearing may explain part of that feeling. But the Gen 5 also seems to have a much wider power curve than earlier cars. For comparison, my Gen 2 (lightly modified) has great low-end torque, but tends to run out of steam above 5,500 RPM. In contrast, my Gen 4 feels a little anemic at lower RPMs but goes like a bat out of hell once it gets on the cam. The Gen 5 combines the best of the prior generations with a mountain of torque from 1,500 – 6,500 RPM.
The transmission is silky smooth. It has a distinctly American feel to it; those who are used to German cars may not immediately take to it. When changing gears it feels just a little bit “heavier” than say a current Porsche. But it is equally precise and smooth, and gearshifts are just as quick. The throw is also shorter than a Gen 4 Viper (and, needless to say, much shorter than a Gen 2 Viper). I’d have to say that it’s one of the best manual transmissions I’ve used to date.
The suspension is also much improved for spirited driving on everyday roads. By that I mean that it absorbs road imperfections better than the Gen 4, while retaining the same overall feel for the road and with a higher peak level of grip. On the other hand, you still have to be careful when putting the power down on a bumpy section of road.
This past weekend I took my first relatively short road trip in the GTS. My son and I drove up to “Viper Car Sunday” (the SoCal VCA was featured at “Supercar Sunday” in Woodland Hills, CA). It was about a two-hour drive each way and, in between, we also took a leisurely 28-mile club drive on the Mulholland Highway. I was surprised at how well the car handled the bumpy So Cal highways. It seemed to absorb the bad stuff better than my last Porsche Turbo (997 version).
Finally, there is one oddity in the suspension that I will probably “fix” by some minor upgrade(s). Specifically, the car does not respond well to trail braking. I’ve found that I have to switch my brain to “rear-engine race car” mode, completing 99% of heavy braking in a straight line. That’s unusual because most front engine, rear drive cars respond well to a more gradual release of the brakes as you begin turn in. Talking to Dan Cragin on Sunday, he mentioned that the Gen 5 suspension allows more dynamic toe change (vs. prior generations). I believe that explains the issue. Though the difference appears to have been intentional, I think lap times will likely be better if you are able to use more of the friction circle (which is what trail braking does for you).
BTW, I haven't had the 2013 on the track yet. So, my thoughts regarding the toe change issue are untested at this point. With the race season going on right now, I probably won't have time to try the GTS on the track until the Fall.
I’ve also received a number of questions about the car’s “comfort level” and “luxury features”. This is not an easy question to answer and I think to some extent many journalists have conveyed somewhat of a superficial sense of what the car is really like. IMO, the quality of the interior materials, fit, and finish is far better than prior generations. As far as the quality of the materials used, they are on par with the higher trim levels of the Porsche 911. But these features don’t necessarily translate into comfort or luxury IMO. For example, the seats are comparable to the optional Porsche GT2/3 race style seats in terms of comfort (though a little wider in the hip). I personally like them. They are functional for a car with this level of performance. But I wouldn’t call them comfortable. With this in mind, I think that SRT should consider offering an optional seat that is more oriented toward comfort. I would be willing to bet that more buyers would opt for the “comfort” seats than the “performance” seats (which, btw, is consistent with what the majority of Porsche owners opt for).
The Gen 5’s audio and electronics are vastly improved. The GTS’s sound system is on par with the optional Burmeister system offered by Porsche. The climate control also works much better than what was offered in the Gen 4. And while my Gen 4 actually has a factory navigation system, the controls are barely functional. The Gen 5 rectifies that problem with a very easy to use and intuitive interface.
I haven’t used many of the “Apps” and other electronic features yet. I’m usually so focused on the driving experience that I really don’t tend to use those things much. I even forget to turn on the data acquisition system in the race car sometimes. So I can’t comment much on those features just yet. Maybe I will let my 12-year old comment on those later, after he’s had a little time to play with them.
In terms of noise, vibration & harshness (NVH), you can tell that SRT has done quite a bit of work to reduce the amount of noise entering the cockpit from the outside. Squeaks and rattles are also much less apparent (vs. my Gen 4), but still more than what you’d find in a conventional unibody car.
Ironically, while the cabin is generally quieter, when you are on the throttle the exhaust sound level is actually louder than in my Gen 2 with Belanger headers, high flow cats and Corsa exhaust. I think SRT may ultimately need to offer an optional “touring” exhaust system that’s quieter on the inside. Don’t get me wrong, the exhaust sounds great. And after driving the car for a month or so now, I’m not sure whether I’d opt for a “touring” system or keep the “sport” system that came on the car. But, I’m willing to be that the system that’s on the car now is louder than many buyers are expecting (maybe 50% of buyers?).
One final thing that a number of people have asked about is the traction control. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to answer that question because, out of habit, I always turn off traction control before I leave the garage. When traction control systems first started to become more widely available, I experimented with them in autocross and on the track, and found that they absolutely killed your lap times and ruined all attempts to steer a little with the throttle. So I haven’t been able to bring myself to use it—even though I know that TC systems have improved immensely since my experiments in the 90s. But I do think it is a smart idea to equip the car with TC (even if it weren't required by law). The Gen 5 is a lot of car, with immense torque and high limits that require a high level of skill to bring it back if you exceed those limits.
Hopefully this helps to answer some of the questions that other Viper owners have. I still can't exactly explain what it is about the car that makes it so appealing as a daily driver for me. Well, I'll give it a shot. I think what it is is that it's the closest you can get to experiencing the feel of a race car, with just enough refinement to also drive it 4-5 days a week and not feel completely spent (as you do feel after you drive a race car). That's quite an accomplishment really. In fact, I think that if that's what SRT intended, they actually hit the nail on the head slightly better than the Porsche GT3RS (which is actually just a little too civilized to actually feel like a real race car when driven in town, even though it certainly feels like one on the track).
Most cars develop some niggling rattle or sound after a while but your car is brand new. Was not expecting to hear that at all. I await your breakdown on how it does at the track.
