Launch control- the "Ultimate Poser" option

[Lawrenzo]

1. Lot's of guys drag race their Vipers- Yet the factory chose to compete in the ALMS and let the Chally do NHRA

3. Every serious competitor has launch control- Always wanted to follow the ZR1's lead.......not really.

4. Viper is at a disadvantage without launch control- Exactly where? street race? Not many on this site condone street racing, and I see very little need for it on the street if not going 10/10ths balls out.

5. Times will absolutely be quicker and more consistent with launch control- Actually, an automatic trans will prove more consistent, and times are for magazines.

6. Objecting to it being added is sort of like objecting to Cups being standard equipment on the ACR--Cups don't do the driving for you.

2. You forget to mention that by taking the driver out of the equation that there will be fewer human errors- Frankly, I don't want to be taken out of the equation.




There's a quote I read from the Grailkeeper that I always find amusing. "The Viper comes with traction control. Your left and right foot. Learn how to use them."

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

1. What does ALMS have to do with SANCTIONED drag racing?

3. Beat the ZR1 at the SANCTIONED drag strip, not follow it's lead. Both the Z06 and the ZR1 have always enjoyed a slight advantage because they had this. I'm looking forward to seeing Viper wax these two at the strip.

4. SANCTIONED drag racing, not street racing.

5. Viper does not and probably will not ever have an automatic. As quoted recently the development costs for that would be more than the entire Gen V. So in it's absence we need launch control to compete.

6. Cups will certainly help you to faster times, no they don't do the driving for you.

2. So don't take yourself out of the equation but allow yourself to be faster on the drag strip. And by having less human error you will be faster. I think you actually said you want more human error.................?

Your entire argument is really emotional/philosophical and ignores any realization that there are some advances that will allow faster times. If you did a search you will find that there were those who objected to ABS when it was introduced.

I've been one of the strongest advocates of keeping the Vipers raw character intact, so I do appreciate where you're coming from. I would be alarmed if the V10 had been abandoned and never saw the need for nannies. But ABS, launch control, and yes even stability control will probably make most of us faster at the track. Certainly none of those are going to slow us down. And if you don't like them, don't turn them on. But the fact that they ARE now included as they are on all other super cars is completely reasonable if Viper is going to compete at a higher level.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The Viper will definitely have an automatic if it survives the direction it has gone. It will also have a downsized motor. Electronic steering will be mandated by the end of the decade and by 2025 (10 years after we are all forced to have black boxes) we will all be relegated to passengers behind the wheel. A guy would have to be absolutely blind not to see this coming.

 

[commandomatt]

In respect to my SRT8 Jeep, it's a 5 speed automatic SUV with AWD. Even though it is a blast to drive, it doesn't require any skills whatsoever to launch it like a bat outta hell. You can't compare it's experience to what most people look for in a sports car
:

You are missing my point. It was in regards to you 'posing comment'. The Jeep is a vehicle equipped with features for off road, winter and adverse condition driving. Driving one in a climate where it never snows, I assume you never take it out dirt trails and it spends its time on neat and tidy paved roads in suburbia.......that's using a vehicle where its completely out of its elements. I see these vehicles all the time in cities with the owners 'posing'...

Matt

 

[commandomatt]

The Viper will definitely have an automatic if it survives the direction it has gone. It will also have a downsized motor. Electronic steering will be mandated by the end of the decade and by 2025 (10 years after we are all forced to have black boxes) we will all be relegated to passengers behind the wheel. A guy would have to be absolutely blind not to see this coming.

Since all this is inevitable...embrace what you have now and just **** up and drive. As somebody said, you are probably not in line to buy a Gen V....and I am going to rule out any future Generation Vipers as well. You can tell you grand-kids all about the times 'when Men were Men' and drove cars like the one in your garage.

I cant wait to slide into the wheel of the new Viper....take in the awesome interior, look out over that beautiful hood and with nannies engaged or not....enjoy the hell out of it.

Matt

 

[v10enomous]

Seems like everyone has moved on from anti-antilock brake mentality and this too will pass in time

 

[Lawrenzo]

You are missing my point. It was in regards to you 'posing comment'. The Jeep is a vehicle equipped with features for off road, winter and adverse condition driving. Driving one in a climate where it never snows, I assume you never take it out dirt trails and it spends its time on neat and tidy paved roads in suburbia.......that's using a vehicle where its completely out of its elements. I see these vehicles all the time in cities with the owners 'posing'...

Matt

You don't seem to be familiar with the SRT8 from the sounds of it. It was never designed for off road use. It has Bilstein shocks which lower it not raise it. 20" rims with low profile on-road performance oriented Goodyear runflats. All wheel drive with no low range gearing or locking hubs, etc etc etc. It would only "pose" if it were in driven to the backwoods.

 

[commandomatt]

You don't seem to be familiar with the SRT8 from the sounds of it. It was never designed for off road use. It has Bilstein shocks which lower it not raise it. 20" rims with low profile on-road performance oriented Goodyear runflats. All wheel drive with no low range gearing or locking hubs, etc etc etc. It would only "pose" if it were in driven to the backwoods.

What you have is a vehicle (design) that was always considered a great off road vehicle. A great 4 season machine. To dress this core machine up with some of the equipment you mention, doesn't change the fact that its still an SUV. If you want to take the kids to soccer practice, then get a station wagon. There are some really great ones out there that don't 'pretend' that they are anything but....station wagons.

Matt

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

The Viper will definitely have an automatic if it survives the direction it has gone. It will also have a downsized motor. Electronic steering will be mandated by the end of the decade and by 2025 (10 years after we are all forced to have black boxes) we will all be relegated to passengers behind the wheel. A guy would have to be absolutely blind not to see this coming.

All that could happen. I really doubt the automatic though as the statement was made by the engineers in Car and Driver that the development costs for an automatic that would handle the torque would be more than the development costs of the whole Gen V.

Here's something to really keep you up at night......................what if they legislate the cars we own now off the road? Maybe a forced "performance car clunker turn in program where you could get $1000 towards a new Hybrid.

Hows that for a bad dream?

 

[Viper23]

I for one dont drive my Vipers enough to learn how to maximize the cars performance, as far as the perfect launch is concerned. We do not have a race track in hawaii. However I think this option is awesome, will I ever use it...probably not. But just to know that it is there and it will help me significantly should I decided to hammer it does it for me.

And now we can stop talking about, 'well if all else being equal', my car would kick your cars ass. Well it is not. But this sure helps.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Here's something to really keep you up at night......................what if they legislate the cars we own now off the road? Maybe a forced "performance car clunker turn in program where you could get $1000 towards a new Hybrid.

Hows that for a bad dream?

It's much more likely the EPA will simply mandate that premium gas goes the way of the Dodo. Life on 87 octane would be no fun!

 

[TonyCool]

I found this thread surprising first because L/C is an option is not like you have to use it if you don't want to. The driver still can learn how to launch the car with his inbox launch control system (brain and feet). Yet you could use L/C once or twice to get a benchmark of what the car can do and what you would want to match or try and beat. Second because launch control will help with sales which is not necessarily a bad thing as long as brand exclusivity remains.

Having said that I have to admit I don't even mind the car has now TC and SC systems as long as they are not intrusive and they save your ass when you are past the point where you could do anything to prevent damaging the car or worst, then I'm all in for them. But then again I'm a newbie so I guess I missing years of being a badass cool driver to have a different old school opinion.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Chuck,

No offense , but we could take your comments and insert the year 1975 and it would all sound about the same, yet here we are almost 40 years later with cars that will flat outrun 90% of the racecars of that time. We all seem to hate change, but the reality of what we have gone through somehow escapes us. We have had the best years of performance machines ever, and with the proliferation , even during tough times, of new race tracks and Country Club racing venues, it just doesn't seem to me that passion is going to be stilled by politics . History saw us go through it before, but the automotive consumer demanded change and here we are back again with exciting , driver's cars, and though things may not be as raw as before ,there are some fun things coming for all - including all the track rats, IMHO.

 

[bushido]

Got LC on my 2010 Z06,and never used it..

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

All that could happen. I really doubt the automatic though as the statement was made by the engineers in Car and Driver that the development costs for an automatic that would handle the torque would be more than the development costs of the whole Gen V.

Here's something to really keep you up at night......................what if they legislate the cars we own now off the road? Maybe a forced "performance car clunker turn in program where you could get $1000 towards a new Hybrid.

Hows that for a bad dream?

The worst bad dreams are those with traces of reality. And that one is about as bad of dream as one can get.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Chuck,

No offense , but we could take your comments and insert the year 1975 and it would all sound about the same, yet here we are almost 40 years later with cars that will flat outrun 90% of the racecars of that time. We all seem to hate change, but the reality of what we have gone through somehow escapes us. We have had the best years of performance machines ever, and with the proliferation , even during tough times, of new race tracks and Country Club racing venues, it just doesn't seem to me that passion is going to be stilled by politics . History saw us go through it before, but the automotive consumer demanded change and here we are back again with exciting , driver's cars, and though things may not be as raw as before ,there are some fun things coming for all - including all the track rats, IMHO.

We've been here a long time Bill. You're a class act and I would never consider anything you said offensive.

It is interesting you bring up 1975 because that is exactly the experience that is bringing me to my conclusions about all these government mandates. Yes, it is true the automotive industry is currently producing the best performance cars ever. But it took them 30 years to overcome the oppressive government legislation of the 70s. The Vettes of the 60s were in the 400+ HP range. What was the Corvette hp rating in 1975, 140hp? The last year of the 454 and 455 was 1976 and by the end of the decade even the 400 was no longer in production. And it was all because of government mandates.

And Bill, you must remember the neighborhood enthusiasm a new car used to arouse. It didn't matter if it was a Gran Torino or a Buick LeSabre, the neighbors would come out and walk around the car talking about it. Then the government mandates came and enthusiasm went into the toilet. When's the last time a neighbor came over to ask about a Civic or a Maxima? I'll never forget the excitement I had watching a GM commercial in 1975. They were talking up a brand new car with exciting styling and performance for the new generation. I remember telling my dad about it. I couldn't wait to see what it was. And much to my dismay that wonderful new car was............the Chevette. Quite a lasting letdown for a 15-year-old motorhead wannabe.

Yep, you can plug my comments into 1975 but I don't see much encouragement by doing so, considering it was almost 20 years before Dodge brought excitement back to the automotive world.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

But then again I'm a newbie so I guess I missing years of being a badass cool driver to have a different old school opinion.

I don't know if you're a badass cool driver or not but when it comes to sports cars you're gonna find out that the nannies are more like placebos than nannies. The high number of nanny-equipped sports cars already sitting in the boneyards should make even the most resolute pro-nanny advocates begin to question their validity.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Like the crash of this AWD Lambo Chuck.....

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...) : theCHIVE&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13371397362031

 

[eucharistos]

We've been here a long time Bill. You're a class act and I would never consider anything you said offensive.

....

And Bill, you must remember the neighborhood enthusiasm a new car used to arouse. It didn't matter if it was a Gran Torino or a Buick LeSabre, the neighbors would come out and walk around the car talking about it. .....

2 fine comments chuck,

and the 2nd 1 also stirs deja vu,

those were the days

 

[Camfab]

What you have is a vehicle (design) that was always considered a great off road vehicle. A great 4 season machine. To dress this core machine up with some of the equipment you mention, doesn't change the fact that its still an SUV. If you want to take the kids to soccer practice, then get a station wagon. There are some really great ones out there that don't 'pretend' that they are anything but....station wagons.

Matt

So what your saying is that SRT took a classic Jeep and turned it into a poser vehicle, and if you have kids you should buy a station wagon instead. Is this correct?

 

[Camfab]

Chuck I do remember when the whole neighborhood used to come out and check out the new car on the block. Hell I can barely get the neighbors to wave anymore. Most parents arrange playdates for their kids and only care about certified organic non GMO soy yogurt. Let's not forget about the organic, fair trade, hollistically harvested vaginal coffee beans for their french press coffee in the morning. They don't care about your new car, unless of course it's a new Prius plug-in like their yoga instructor just bought to save the world.

Don't worry so much about the Launch Control Option, the boys at SRT are the least of our worries.

 

[eucharistos]

Chuck I do remember when the whole neighborhood used to come out and check out the new car on the block. Hell I can barely get the neighbors to wave anymore. Most parents arrange playdates for their kids and only care about certified organic non GMO soy yogurt. Let's not forget about the organic hollistically harvested vaginal coffee beans for their french press coffee in the morning. They don't care about your new car, unless of course it's a new Prius plug-in like their yoga instructor just bought to save the world.

camfab,

ummmm,

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Flying Viper]

I agree I love it.

Don't use it. Problem solved. I mean this isn't even one you have to turn off, just don't turn it on. Just don't complain if the guy next to you uses his & wins.

How about this, when you're next to another 10 second car, and iffy track prep conditions & winning means more than anything else, press the button & try it, if the former doesn't apply or fun or learning is more important than don't press it.

 

[GTS Dean]

I was a scratch golfer in my 20's...and 40 years later with a 15 handicap, would love to have a launch control button on my driver today.

Spend more time practicing good car driving, and less golf driving. Problem solved.

 

[Kevan]

My Viper came with a radio.....but I never use it.

(TBH- I'm not sure if it even works)