Might be leaving the Gen3 family...ordered 13' gt500

OP
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E

ExplorerThis

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Believe me its easy going from a gen 3 viper to a mustang ;)

I came from a c6 z and I can say the Z is a better machine...the looks of the viper reeled me in but the performance left me so-so. Leaving a gen4 would probably be A LOT harder.

The 3400lb viper isnt exactly super light either.
 

plumcrazy

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pulley tune and some tires, this stang is going to be tough to beat. congrats on the purchase and please get back to us with your impression when you get it
 

TR930

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$55k is a pretty good deal for a 650HP car with 2 back seats. I read the gearing was left tall in the first few gears to help mitigate the torque. This GT can hit over 60 mph in first gear just like the Viper.
 

ViperGeorge

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I've always liked Mustangs but I'd never get rid of my Viper for one. My daily driver is an 07 Saleen S281 that Saleen upgraded with smaller pulley, bigger injectors, and a tune. Still can't come close to beating the Viper because (as others have said) it can't hook up and that's with something over 500HP. Just not big enough rubber in the back. It is fun to toss around on the track but again no way it comes close to the lap times my stock ACR will turn.

Actually I've got to take the snow tires off the Saleen today. No kidding.
 

sctdev

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a quick look at some pictures of the engine shows a pretty small blower pulley already. It might take a larger crank pulley to boost the boost. One of my friends older Shelby makes 700rwhp with an aftermarket supercharger, so the new GT500 should be really awesome. I hope it's as good as the 03, 04 Cobra's. I have two of those motors, on in my Marauder (565rwhp) and one in a 1996 Saleen S281, still not finished. My Viper is still my favorite by far to drive!!
 

malcoll

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I had an '08 GT500 convertible for a daily driver for 3.5 years...traded it for a 2006 Viper......... I'm a Mustang guy too..my very first car was a Mustang and I still have my 1969 Mach I that I have had for almost 18 years. The new GT500 is a beast..... but I still prefer to drive my 2006 Viper daily....... Enjoy the '13 GT500....... drive it like it was meant to be driven...... they are just cars.....but FUN cars!
 

cobrapilot

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I sold my 1969 Boss 429 Mustang and got a new Gen 3 Viper. Both cars are lookers but the Viper is the driver.
 

BigBadViper

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Congrats on the new ride. I think it would be a much better daily driver in terms of comfort and drivability. For the price and the power I don't think you can go wrong with that one.
 

v10enomous

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I don't see any Mustang as a replacement or alternative to a Viper. It's great if you can swing both but given a choice between a hand built exotic or a high optioned pony or muscle car that are both relatively new the exotic will always win out unless the muscle car is a very rare and sought after classic like maybe a Hemi Supebird or a mint original sixties GT500KR.
 

Twister

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Mr. Fordexplore......

I dont understand. Your gen 3 will trap 120-122 @ the drag strip. The 650 hp mustang will trap 122-124.

So your not really gaining a lot of performance but your loseing a lot of exclusineness.

I understand the z06 to viper change you made. But this is a hard one to figure?

Do you currently have a daily driver? Did you need a backseat?

Is there more to it than what youve said so far. I cant imagine and american car nut giving up a srt coupe for a mustang.
 

Steve M

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I'd definitely be interested in a compare/contrast vs. the Viper. My brother-in-law really wants a new GT500, and on paper, they look really nice. I'm curious to see how those numbers hold up in real life, and how driver friendly the whole package really is.
 

DMan

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Congrats OP, I'm waiting a bit longer, I want to check out the new style post '14 and see how the whole new package looks & performs. I've said there are 2 cars that will always have a side by side in my garage, God willing, a viper and a stang. Between my Gen4 and my '11 GT500, my GT500 is brutally fast, $3500 in mods, wheel / tire combo and it will rip your face off. It's my 8th mustang and my 4th Cobra, awesome in a straight line, high 10's all day, and at Open Track events, it's great, I drive around every car out there, Porsches, Vettes, etc., never been stuck behind anyone more than 4 turns. Not sure everyone remembers these hit 1.01g's even in mag tests (who tend to hate on stangs), and being a tweak away from 625rwhp & rock solid, they are beast. I couldn't be more impressed with the latest from Ford, it's amazing where the stang has come from & gone, frankly if you don't respect it, you don't know what you're talking about or don't like cars.

Love the Viper forum, as you can see most here are genuine perf car folks & appreciate other perf cars, I find the same true on the GT500 forum, mad respect for the Viper & Vette & others there ... not so much on most other forums where peeps drink the cool-aid and all other cars ****, always amazes me, I think the BMW forums are the worst I've seen, they hate on each other, lol.

Keep us posted, and if you can swing both ... I highly recommend it, they get along beautifully, I keep hoping they get together one night & I'll come out to find they had a little Ford GT offspring or something. ;-)
 

Nine Ball

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I like the new Mustangs.

For ****** vehicles.

Even if they do make more hp than a Viper does, stock.
 

FastZilla

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No more parking in the center rows at a car show. It's off the back with the other Mustangs. If you were after a drag strip car or daily driver the move makes since, other than those 2 reasons I'm dumbfounded. Reminds me of those conversations with friends that sell out and buy mini-vans.....they are so practicle & nice, fully loaded, etc....still a mini-van. For a DD though I do understand.

Solution - keep the Viper & buy the Mustang.
 

slysnake

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Believe me its easy going from a gen 3 viper to a mustang

I came from a c6 z and I can say the Z is a better machine...the looks of the viper reeled me in but the performance left me so-so. Leaving a gen4 would probably be A LOT harder.

The 3400lb viper isnt exactly super light either.
Troll

Go with what makes you happy.
Personally I don't get it ... but Congratz!
What he said.
 

msp282

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lots of previous Terminator owners in here. I had an 03 with exhaust and ecu flash that i ran a 12.4@116 on the stock skinny tires... :) and that is my ****ty driving... lol.... a 650hp Mustang sounds like a pretty awesome car to me. post pics, etc... when you get it.
 

sctdev

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does anyone know if Ford includes the HP to spin the blower in their BHP calcs? 650 may only be 450 or so at the wheels. I can't remember what previous GT500's made.
 

DMan

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does anyone know if Ford includes the HP to spin the blower in their BHP calcs? 650 may only be 450 or so at the wheels. I can't remember what previous GT500's made.

LoL, seriously??

Base dyno 487rwhp with about 200 mis on the car. So that's in the 570hp range depending on dyno and and drivetrain variances, on a 550hp rated 2011. Adding another 120+ rwhp was about $3,000 investment net. But 750rwhp is a typical high-end for guys tweaking for max safe power & using a blower upgrade, etc. The 2013 will likely dyno around 570-580rwhp, although the taller gear and new driveshaft may give better chassis dyno #s than the '11 and '12s.
 

Twister

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I think it will hit 550 rwhp.

650 hp minus 15% equals 550 rwhp
 

sctdev

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487rwhp stock is good!! I hate BHP ratings because they don't tell you as much as rwhp. I never dyno'ed my stock Viper but someone has I'm sure. i thought the viper was also round 450rwhp. With my job you'd think I would know these things :) I almost never make it back to the dyno room any more :(
 

V10lover

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FORD>DODGE> CHEBY

That is the reality of the moment IMO. Ford has come a long way to reach the top among the domestic car brands a few years ago and has been that way since.

You will get a very nice car that even has a OEM carbon fiber driveshaft. You could address the weight problem of those cars with a lighter battery and more carbon fiber for hood, fenders and doors. Also heard that they run really rich on the stock tune and like others mentioned above it is really easy to make a lot reliable power with the new fords because they have VERY good internals (again another huge advantage compared to its competidors).

There is also the traction issue because they come with "skinnies" on the rear but, that is easy to solve.

You choose the right car and as far as viper goes I never had a gen 3 so can't really tell if would be a good or bad decision.

Good luck with the new ride! :drive:
 
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FastZilla

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Looking at the fleabay add photos, it does not look like anything special on the outside. It's getting real hard to tell a V6 from a 5.0 or Shelby.....
 

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