I have a 00GTS,black with silver stripes,and a black SRT that should be arriving next month. In a perfect world,I will be able to keep both,but for many reasons,I can only keep one.
Wow, does this sound familiar to me or what? I too had a '00 GTS in black with silver stripes and had to decide between keeping it or going with the SRT (in black). Read on...
I'm leaning toward keeping the GTS for the following reasons:
1/ They don't make them anymore and I bought mine new.
An excellent argument for keeping your GTS. The chances of you being able to buy a new GTS a year from now are slim to none, although there will probably still be a few untitled cars still around.
2/ I prefer the style/design of the GTS/Coupe
No arguments here either. The GTS is a classic styling that is very unique and always will be. However, if you have not had the opportunity to spend some time with an SRT, do so before you make your decision. Even the detractors (Jerry) will tell you it looks better in person. Maybe not quite up to the GTS, but you will be very surprised when you see them side-by-side.
3/ While the SRT has a little bit more HP and torque, it would be pretty easy and cheap to get the GTS to the same level
Say, isn't that what the Corvette guys keep saying?
Seriously, for the price difference you can smack a stock SRT with a modified GTS. What you won't be able to duplicate is the refinement, handling, or true convertible top.
4/ While the SRT has better brakes and handling, since I don't race/open track (have race cars for that),there is no way that you can drive a GTS to it's limits on the street, so what the point?
It sounds like you enjoy your car more for the exotic looks than anything else, and that is great. Many owners bought their Vipers for that exact reason. Indeed, you can modify a Vette or a Stang to beat a Viper, but you can't match them in looks. If you are 100% sold on the looks of the GTS over the SRT and don't think the improved performance is an issue, than this is an absolute no brainer: Keep the GTS.
Why, I am glad you asked! When I ordered my SRT last year (about the same time you did), I was positive I would turn it after I took delivery (selling it as barely used - not some MSO deal). The pictures were underwhelming at best, and there was no way they could compete with the GTS, especially in black with silver stripes! My first encounter with an SRT was at a Viper Days event in Iowa a year ago. The Dodge guy wouldn't let us anywhere near it. Still not overly impressed, although it did look pretty trick going around the track as a pace car. No way would I give up my GTS for it.
Then came Nashville and VOI 7. I was about to get turned on my ear. There were several floating around and you could actually get a better look at them and even sit inside one if you were lucky. I did and was definitely impressed with the ergonomics. Much more comfortable than my GTS and I really liked the gauge layout. Still not enough to sway me from my GTS, which was giving me such a blast at VOI. Then came Sunday, and the opportunity to DRIVE the SRT, albeit only a few times around the longer autocross. This, my friend, is when the GTS became endangered. I lucked out and had the Skip Barber head instructor as my copilot and he encouraged me to nail that silver SRT in every way I could. At one point as we approached a tight turn he yelled "Dukes of Hazzard!" and yanked the parking brake as we pivoted around and then yelled "PUNCH IT!!" as we finished the slide. For a novice like me, that was a thrill all by itself. He then had me push that car MUCH harder than I have ever done with the GTS, and certainly take it to where I was convinced we were toast. After the long straight he could feel me start to go for the brakes and said, "Not yet...not yet...not yet...NOW!" Well, I was pretty sure we were not only going to bust through the cones, but would also go out of the parking lot and into the next county. I was carrying a LOT of speed into that corner. What happened? That car absolutely PLANTED and then took that turn like glue. I guarantee my GTS would not have held at that point.
I got out of the car and decided that I would sell the GTS when I got home. Mind you, I didn't even get to see a black one up close (they were at the other autocross course), but the performance and just the feel of the SRT blew me away. When it finally came time to load up the GTS and send it off to its new home in Georgia (where it is living like a king), I really didn't feel as much regret as I thought I would. The car had served me well and was every bit as awesome as I knew it would be. Nonetheless, I was excited by this new Viper and what it promised.
When I first took delivery of my black SRT in January I had mixed emotions. Did I do the right thing? Was this car really all that great? I knew for a fact that it wouldn't get as much attention as the GTS. While I was VERY impressed with how much better it looked in person, I was having just a little bit of second thoughts when thinking about my beautiful black/silver GTS I gave up. Well, it is three months later and I can tell you that I made the right decision. And then some. While the GTS is and was an
incredible car, I enjoy the SRT even more. It is more refined in every respect, the braking is phenomenal (and like you, I had no ABS either), and the car actually DOES get the same looks and whistles the GTS got. And while Jerry likes to jab it as a "chicks" car, I find that also to be an asset: While the GTS struck a few people as "too much testosterone", the SRT still looks wicked but has a broader appeal. And the fact that the ladies dig it is definitely a big plus in my opinion. Having a real convertible is a blast, and it is pathetically easy to operate. The side exhaust is a kick and the refinements are obvious.
It is important to note that I LOVE the GTS and RT/10 above all other cars ever made. Should my good luck collapse, I will invariably find the least expensive RT/10 so that I can stay in the Viper Nation. However, as long as I can afford it, I will keep the SRT and never look back. It is an awesome machine and looks pretty darn good even compared to the GTS:
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Good luck with your decision - you can't go wrong either way.
Chris
