I am one of the low mileage guys so here's my take
I really enjoy the Viper ownership. Always wanted one and when the right one came along, it was a no brainer to buy it.
Fact it as much as I love to drive it....I don't have to do that to get my 'fix'. Just being around it makes me happy. Keeping the miles limited is also important to me. I will own this car for a very long time and I have the type of personality that needs it to be pristine.
Those that drive their car a lot need to understand that there are others that wont. Doesn't mean that we don't get the same enjoyment out of the ownership.
Where I live also plays a role. Using my toys start in May and end in September/October. During these months I mix it up between a few cars, bikes and boats. When it comes down to numbers its very unusual if I get anywhere near 1000 miles on any car. The Viper got less than 100 miles on it this last season. This doesn't mean I would even think about it not owning it
Its pretty interesting that these threads always get started by those that drive their cars a lot. They just don't seem to appreciate the fact that there are others that wont. Almost like they are pissed of that someone owns a car and doesn't drive the snot out of it
You don't see low mileage owners starting threads about not understanding how anyone wants to put tons of miles on these relatively rare and unique cars
I don't think miles will necessarily hurt a car but miles are miles and will ultimately wear anything mechanical out
Value plays a smaller part but there is no question that a low mileage car will be a whole lot easier to sell down the road.
I for one would not consider buying a used car of this caliber with more than 5K miles.
So this is my take. Deal with the fact that someone feels differently. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong. We all own these cars for different reasons and that's OK
Matt
I agree with everything that he said here.
I have owned many other lesser sports cars ranging from a Camaro, to a Nissan 350Z, to a couple of Audi TT's, but nothing ever as special as the Viper. Those all functioned as DD's for me at the time, but I would never consider driving the Viper daily for a whole variety of reasons. It draws huge attention to itself (often negative from jealous individuals), and therefore I never leave it unattended for more than a few minutes, let alone in the commuter train station parking lot all day where it's bound to get dinged up and filthy. Plus I live in the Northeast where there are only a handful of months that you can really drive the car safely and without salt on the roads.
To add to this, I somehow managed to buy the car a little over a year ago when my son was only 6 months old. It took me 4 months to get my wife to allow the purchase as she didn't want it to take me away from sharing in the responsibilities of raising our son, so I had to promise that owning a Viper wouldn't change anything. Needless to say, there's no way to install a baby seat in a Viper, my wife dislikes the car and doesnt understand my love for cars period, and it's extremely hard to find the time to get away for a short drive anywhere in the car with a toddler at home, and with a brand new house, a demanding job, etc.....
Lastly, like many others on here, I have no plans to ever sell the Viper and choose to keep it as pristine as possible. I immediately installed a clear bra on the car after I bought it, and I drove it over 1,500 miles in my first year of ownership, between all the car shows that I took it to, etc. so my 2008 went from 1,900 miles to about 3,500 miles to date, and that will likely be staying at well under 1,000 miles a year from now on. Because I drive it so infrequently, I get so excited and giddy the night before I know I'm taking it out making sleeping difficult, and it makes the driving experience very special every single time. I enjoy that feeling much more than if I drove it so often that I got used to it and became more numb to the experience of driving it. Every drive in my Viper is a reward to myself for my hard work and a treat when I need to put a smile on my face. With that said, I might take her out for a little drive tomorrow as it's been a while since I drove it.
Point is, there's nothing wrong with driving these cars infrequently and keeping mileage low. For some who live in warmer climates, who don't care about driving it in bad weather, who are retired or single, or those that don't have kids, or those who don't have multiple cars, it's a no brainer that they drive their Viper quite often. But just respect that there are others like me who have personal situations and/or preferences that cause us to keep the miles down, and I don't see why that should matter to you anyway.........we all enjoy our cars in our own ways. To me, the mere fact that I own a Viper is enough to put a big smile on my face most days.
