Long drives in a Viper

[Mynewluv]

I haven't had the privilege of driving a Viper yet but I can not stop thinking about them. I have a C5Z now and love that I can take it on 4 or 6 hour trips with no discomfort. The GTS and SRT10s are what dreams are made of but if I decide to buy, will I still enjoy 6 hours worth of driving at a time? What about the girls? Do a lot of them start complaining on long hauls?
I want to make sure I'm pointing myself in the right direction.
You guys got me droolin' over these Vipers!

 

[wikkid]

Drove to chicago from ft lauderdale. 22 hours, and im 6'3". Still had no problem. Not as confy as the vette, but its all on how much do you really want it. I raced my Vette, i use the Snake as a cruiser.

 

[Dom426h]

Have a seat in one and see for yourself. I personally think that the Gen2 seats are very comfy. Actually too cushiony for me so i am switching the drivers seat out for something a bit more fitted to me and performance oriented.

I love long drives in the GTS. Man... just the sight of that curvey clamshell hood between you and the road... gets me every time

 

[Steve M]

The only thing I didn't like was a lack of cruise control...other than that, they aren't bad at all for long trips.

 

[Mutts02GTS]

I'm 6' 2" and I find my GTS drivers seat very comfortable as well. I love long drives in my snake. I installed an aftermarket cruise control and it made the long hauls more enjoyable. My wife still is surprised by how much attention a ten year old car brings when she goes on drives with me. Best purchase I ever made!

 

[Richard Koch]

I drove mine from Washington state to Charlotte and back which was 6,000 miles. I am 68 ands have had back surgery, but the seat was supportive. My longest day was 834 miles and 14 hours. Other than wishing for cruise control I was OK driving that far. It is never boring, even on the long straight roads in the west. Running a steady 85 keeps you alert and really eats up the miles. I rolled over 95,000 miles as I got into my garage and it is looking like I will break 100,000 miles this coming year.

 

[Paul Hawker]

Vipers are pretty comfortable for long drives.

What sets them apart from others is just how engaged you are for the entire length of the drive.

The throttle response is immediate, both in how the car reacts to throttle and brake, but also the auditory and tactile feedback it provides.

Not much steering input is necessary to effortlessly slide through slower traffic. You feel empowered. Your vehicle is more connected to the driver than in more "comfortable" cars.

You are the driver, the Viper responds to your requests for changes in throttle or steering. A push on the brakes gives you a very controllable rate of speed decreases.

The unique feature of a VIper is the interface between driver and vehicle.

If you are the lazy type that wants to dawdle down the highway with the road being isolated into silence, the engine muffled to not be heard, the suspension filtering out all the feeling from the steering, or the wind being hushed to where you cannot notice if you are in a headwind or tailwind, then that type of comfort is not part of the Viper ownership experience.

 

[eucharistos]

all good posts

i will add that bumper to bumper / stop and go / gridlock traffic gets old in a viper

 

[latamud]

I've done Ohio to DC a few times. I drove the Power Tour earlier this year, Detroit to Dalls and had a blast.

 

[robiferretti]

Doing a 4000 mile drive in my ACR in a few months, St Louis to Vegas through Pacific NW. Will report.

 

[Jmch]

my first long trip was 300 miles bringing mine home.. I am 6'6" and while the car is comfortable I still need to get out and limber up after a couple hours. that's more my freakish stature than the fault of the car though. I do think it rides nicer than I originally expected but like previously mentioned there's no lazy driving a viper.. total immersion everytime but it's an unparalleled experience just running through a full moon night with the top off. Vettes are awesome but I've never felt the same in a vette as I do a viper.. but that' could just be due to my lifelong dream of owning one.

 

[Allan]

I drove back and forth to Las Vegas twice to do the SRT Track Experience. It's about 1250 miles one way for me. I enjoyed the drive, aside from having to watch out for the cops. I don't think the car is uncomfortable at all. What I think *****, is that once you reach your destination, you typically have to get out of the car and leave it parked somewhere............but then there's always the drive home.

 

[ROCKET62]

4-6 hours in a Viper is like 8-12 hours in any other car. It may not be as comfy - but the smile on your face will erase any comfort issues. Maybe not so much for the wife or significant other .....

 

[viper67wife]

Most of the women I've talked to love going with the guys - once you train us how to get in/out without burning themselves on the side pipes. I have no issues with long rides, we routinely did 5 hours to Pitt Raceway for a weekend. The Gen1 has a whole different set of issues with long haul (windows in the trunk mean not much space for luggage), as well as towels for the indoor rain showers. The "newer" Vipers seem to have solved those issues (glass, rising out of the door to keep you dry? Who would have thought of that!!), as well as larger trunk space.

Enjoy!
Diane

 

[Sybil TF]

The only thing I didn't like was a lack of cruise control...other than that, they aren't bad at all for long trips.

You can install cruise fairly cheap from what I have seen but if this guy's gal complains about the ride then I would leave her at home!!

 

[hemihead]

I agree with everybody's comments above, on the open road the car is very comfortable, stop and go traffic jams are not very much fun nor are construction zones when you're driving on uneven or broken pavement or worse yet if you have to drive on rumble strips for awhile. I drove mine home to Michigan from Virginia and drove through heavy rain downpours. Between the leaky roof (standard on RT10's but you won't have this problem in a GTS), and the old tires the car proved to be a real handful for a newbie. Make sure you have fresh tires before taking a long roadtrip.

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Was a passenger in a Gen 1 from Ohio to North Carolina and back, loved every bit of it!

No car seat is ever going to be that comfy recliner at home but will always remain similar to that dreaded airliner seat that you can just not tilt backward far enough to feel really comfortable in on long flights. Especially trans Atlantic flights of which I have already experienced a good number so far

 

[Mynewluv]

Wow, great replies guys AND girls! Looks like I'll be keeping my eyes on the prize!

 

[DeceptioN]

Just did Northern California to Central Florida. Ride wasn't bad.. but if you need to pull over for a nap... good luck.

 

[BlackSnake99]

It's a family joke of ours that my 16 year old son (who is almost 6'5) will fall asleep literally within minutes of starting a drive in the Viper. He is usually asleep before we get out of the neighborhood. He says that it is 'warm and comfy'.

 

[Clyde]

Took my Gen 3 on a road trip from San Antonio to Sedona and back in 5 days this Oct! Loved every minute of it. I'm 6'2" and the only thing I missed was cruise control, but you quickly get over that and just drive!!!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[swexlin]

100 miles each way to Carlisle and back. I echo all the other comments here. The seats are especially comfy (never could understand the criticism the Gen 3/4 seats get). The only time I use cruise control in my other two cars is to briefly rest my foot. I don't really like it because I want to be able to react instantly if I need to. In the Viper, I've found a way to brace my right foot with my left to ocassionally give some relief.

Oh yeah, and 70 mph in 6th yields over 20 mpg as well!

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Oh yeah, and 70 mph in 6th yields over 20 mpg as well!

Now there's one for all those hybrid lovers out there

 

[eucharistos]

Doing a 4000 mile drive in my ACR in a few months, St Louis to Vegas through Pacific NW. Will report.

that should be an outstanding drive, looking fwd to pics

 

[denniskgb]

The only thing I didn't like was a lack of cruise control...other than that, they aren't bad at all for long trips.

I have cruise control by snake oil, wireless. Love it

 

[v10enomous]

On a scale of 10 my GTS gets about a 3.5 for comfort. Sorry but there are far more comfortable sports cars... No cup holders, heat, noise, no glove compartment and I can't reach the damn compartment between the seat backs while I'm sitting in the car. I have to shoehorn myself in and then I burn my leg trying to extricate myself out with the screws in my hip. Walmart sells better stereos and the windshield wipers were designed by Comedy Central. And finally the car makes my face hurt every time drive it because the grin on my face pushes my ears to the back of my head

 

[ninjakris]

Just finished 750 miles in 12 hours in my 03. Not too bad. I was expecting my back to hurt the next day but I was fine. Having good seats helps.

 

[Timnineside]

My Gen 4 is far superior to my GTS but I wouldn't think twice about taking either one on any trip. Long trips are much better and I find it more disappointing just driving short trips.

The GTS is a car you have to learn to use. Remembering the seat belts are on the opposite side, only drinks with caps, anticipating cabin heat, Tylenol, and do your stretches prior to driving.

Just go buy one already!

-Tim

 

[robiferretti]

that should be an outstanding drive, looking fwd to pics

I always document my road trips, have quite the photo video library

2006 NY - LA in Ford GT
2010 NY - Vegas RS4
2011 Vegas to Miami - 2000 Cobra R
2012 Pacific NW trip - 2009 Viper ACR
2012 Sweden - Amalfi Coast Italy - 997 GT3 RS

 

[Camfab]

The windshield wiper comment is so true. I got caught in rain one time, and when I turned on the wipers I couldn't help but laugh.