More Bad Press

[RAYSIR]

I sure don't get all the bad rap Vipers get from the writers of magazine articles. There must be some payoff from GM for the ZO6. I searched the forums to find any post of the November Automobile magazines article comparing a "still under wraps" 626hp Lingenfelter Super-Vette to an 08 SRT10 Coupe. Not a good cup holder in Viper more like a shallow ashtray.The Vette has 2 functional Starbucks holders, traction control, stability control, heated seats, Bose sound system (Viper has an Alpine) .Viper is the crudest, most brutal car on the road. He says his first drive of the SRT he suffered a heart stopping moment when his foot got caught under the brake pedal when he pushed the clutch. WHAT a ***** . Never happened to me ever and I have 11s. He states the sidepipes "bark" in your ears and sound like a punched out old Dodge 360 with 2 extra cylinders "because that's basically what it is". The road test is done by this ***** that states he hasn't driven one since it's last incarnation and the new Viper feels nothing so much as a 600-hp Honda."The Vette has an idle so mean it belongs in Michael Vick's kennel" (this guys kill'n me ). The ***** that wrote this article was in the Viper and his Senior editor in the Vette. REAL test pilots here!!! Then they go on to race and clock times that are hundredths of a second in favor of the Vette. What a Joke!!! Read the full article and you will really get a laugh .

 

[plumcrazy]

read the same artivle this weekend and was just as ********** as you...lol

 

[black mamba1]

One word.....payola.

 

[DMan]

Well he didn't get eveything wrong, "most brutal car on the road"

That's why I like the Viper, brutal. You either get it, or you don't ... he doesn't.

I'd love to have a T shirt with the slogan - Viper, brutality in the hands of a few.

 

[sween]

I think its kinda funny that with a 600 hp vette they could only get 3.7 0-60 but when they tested the viper vs. z06 vs. Ford GT the regular z06 still got 3.7? doesn't that seem kind of fishy that they got the same 0-60?

 

[Hamrhead]

Well he didn't get eveything wrong, "most brutal car on the road"

That's why I like the Viper, brutal. You either get it, or you don't ... he doesn't.

What he said! Just drove mine today for the first time in 2 months.

It's loud. Rides rough. The entire car shakes it idle. Gawd I enjoyed it!

 

[caseyse]

It's loud. Rides rough. The entire car shakes it idle. Gawd I enjoyed it!

Car enthusiasts will always read between the lines, and will makeup their own minds. The Viper is in the press, which is good. I'm OK, I've ordered my '08

 

[Viper X]

I spent last weekend on a local So Cal road course called Willow Springs.

Passed everything both days, except a couple of other Vipers in our group.

You should have seen the smiles on our local club members faces as myself and a couple other Viper guys driving "old" GTS's continued to blow by guys driving the new Z06's. Traction control, cup holders, bose stereo, etc. etc. didn't help them one bit.....

We were passing them right down the front straight, right in front of all of the crowds. Fun weekend.

Dan

 

[Vreracing]

There seem to be so many Z06's versus Vipers.

GM could virtually load them up and drop them from planes on Vipers.

Here's an interactive flash file.

Have to click on it once to activate it. Then press start. You try to shoot down the B52s before they drop their lethal cargo of Z06's on the Vipers. You're in the bunker to the the left. My son is trying to learn Flash 8 so I'm having to try to keep up with him.

missle8

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Dear Viper X,

I read mit das uddmost plezzsure Otto-morebull magazin. Und I vind itt udderlee laffuhbull dat you ver abull to snarfgayshaften all doze Gorevettes on das razetrax. I zinc you mussen haben a guhcheaterr moturr in das Snakemobile , zince awl das magazinenbullpoopen otto writurrs noze das Chebrolay ist much besser and hass das refinementnich ov mammary zeats und uberwindshieldgepicturedissplay. Zoh, I zinc you vas fasturr onlee in yur dreamz.

Baron Otto Von Caprice
Prezident ov Jeff Gordon Fan Klub

 

[Bolt]

It's always a honor when anyone compares to a Viper. There is nothing else better than a Viper out there. Talk to any Vet owners wife and she will tell you she likes the Viper better. Especialy when he is not around. (It's the curves)

 

[tbsviper]

Dear Viper X,

I read mit das uddmost plezzsure Otto-morebull magazin. Und I vind itt udderlee laffuhbull dat you ver abull to snarfgayshaften all doze Gorevettes on das razetrax. I zinc you mussen haben a guhcheaterr moturr in das Snakemobile , zince awl das magazinenbullpoopen otto writurrs noze das Chebrolay ist much besser and hass das refinementnich ov mammary zeats und uberwindshieldgepicturedissplay. Zoh, I zinc you vas fasturr onlee in yur dreamz.

Baron Otto Von Caprice
Prezident ov Jeff Gordon Fan Klub

Thanks Bill. I needed a good laugh tonight! While I have a 63 Corvette in the garage, I love my two Vipers. Viper gets my vote over the Corvette every time regardless of what Automobile or other Rags have to say.

 

[Viper4Christ]

I stopped paying attention to rags quite awhile ago myself, not even worth reading except for the quality photo shots of the car.

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

Bill Pemberton....you are the bomb........funniest thing I've read in a long time!!! When will we really get it when it comes to morons "test driving" a Viper vs. a Vette? The last guy who "test drove" my former Gen I totaled the car!! I admit though the car was WAT to much for him to handle (700 hp, Roe, H2O/****, NOS, etc, and 756 ft. lbs of torque!), and it's the torque that got him!!! These magazine test morons can't even drive the car without getting their shoe caught under the break pedal, and they are the "experts?" WHAT A JOKE!!!!

 

[wartornwarhorse]

Heck, I was eating at an all you can eat buffet in Fremont I think, urban sprawl confuses me. I must have spent about an hour or so there, and when I left, a kid was waiting by my O3, for me to start it up, he dialed his buddy who loves Vipers, and asked me if he could let his pal hear the pipes. I said hell yes! Revved it up good for him to a nice roaring scream a couple of times. Kid was grinnin from ear to ear, so was I! Vet is nice, but does not capture the imagination like the Ol Snake!

 

[RAYSIR]

When I was at the last Vette show of the season, Guess??, which car got the most attention and looks. Clue, it wasn't a Vette! Can't believe how many were talk'n about how they wished they had a Viper. I don't get the Rags either. They need to do some customer research. I'd like to see Automobiles comparison with a Viper vs Pinto, they'd be doing a gas mileage check.

 

[tbsviper]

Kid was grinnin from ear to ear, so was I! Vet is nice, but does not capture the imagination like the Ol Snake!

Great story and this happens to me all the time wherever I go. The Viper brings smiles and thumbs up from young and old alike. Don't recall reading that in trade press.

Tom
___________________
2006 VOI9
2004 White Mamba

 

[greenmamba]

What does bad press really matter? As far as I am concerned, let the magazines dog the Viper. That would reduce the old farts that are constantly trying to buy down their age. The truth in the matter is that vettes sell in greater abundance and through more channels, dealerships etc than the Viper. It is unbelievable that where I live I see more Ferrari, Lambos, Bentleys etc than Vipers and that is exactly what I want. I want the attention, the looks, the drooling and the comments. When I drove a Vette I got nada.

 

[RAYSIR]

What does bad press really matter? That would reduce the old farts that are constantly trying to buy down their age.

WOW! greenmamba that statement should get them going !!! We're just trying to be like you young'uns, sure glad I'm only mid 50. Probably have to sell it when I can't push the clutch anymore. What are you going to buy when you're an Old Fart? Had the motorcycles, snow machines, airplanes, now Vipers to stay young.LOL

 

[greenmamba]

WOW! greenmamba that statement should get them going !!! We're just trying to be like you young'uns, sure glad I'm only mid 50. Probably have to sell it when I can't push the clutch anymore. What are you going to buy when you're an Old Fart? Had the motorcycles, snow machines, airplanes, now Vipers to stay young.LOL

You said it!! I know a bunch of owners have the Vettes and they are a comfortable ride but for just plain power i have to stick to the Viper. Drive it till it hurts then ask for more.

 

[Russ Oasis]

Guys...why does it continue to surprise you when you read the stupid things that some writers say. In one of the articles (either R & T or C & D) one of the guys spun, going through the VERY MINOR kink on the front straight of Virginia International Raceway. Talk about being unqualified to drive. Those of us who race Vipers at VIR take a breather, tighten our seat belts, and relax while going through that same VERY MINOR kink. Anyone who could spin out there or think that it takes balls to go through that kink is not qualified to judge what ANY car can do, never mind a Viper. So, writers, who are completely unqualified to drive, get to judge, and do so on their high horses and pontificate. It is my opinion that writers (by nature of their jobs), believe that they are smarter than the average Joe, and therefore, what they say has merit. Vipers insult the "sensibilities" of those who are "sophisticated writers." Can't you just see the same thing being written in 1966 when the Cobra would have been tested against cars like the Jaguar XK-E? They probably said that the Cobra was "crude, hot, and untameable." The only question I would have had is "so, what's your point?"

 

[RTTTTed]

What ******** magazine is that? The one that'll I'll never again purchase?

I guess we have to keep in mind that these guys are the same ones that test drive Hondas and say, "What a great car". I took my cousin, who used to own a BB Chevelle for a ride in my Viper. I thought he was having a heart attack! Maybe if the tires weren't smoking at 80mph he would have liked it more? He said he doesn't need another ride. He would have prefered the vette also. If there's no tire spin it's not very intimidating.

I watched a video from the UK were the guy in the Viper couldn't stop smiling and was in front of the vette teh entire time. The Viper won every test and they decided the vette was better. It may have had something to do with their 70,000 pounds for the vette while they priced the Viper at about 150,000 pounds or something ridiculous like that. Pretty interesting opinion that they would recommend buying the loser for a supercar. Also don't understand the pricing. That was from the Fifth something or other.

If I was a Honda guy I'd prefer the slower, cheaper car too.

What would ruin the Viper rep, but make the Honda testers happier would be a slow luxury Viper? Say, a 300hp with nav, like a vette?

Sorry, but I don't want one. That's what vettes are for.

Ted

 

[wartornwarhorse]

Thought Id chime in a for a little bit. The very act of driving a Viper is an absolute statement of something that most normal drivers, and even lots o people who consider themselves performance enthusisasts, will never understand. It is truly difficult to explain what it is that makes us drive Vipers.

I first realized this, when I took my brother inlaw, who considered himself a sporty driver, for a spin in my hopped up 280z back in the 1980s. I went up a nice road thinking he would appreciate the small bit of skill I had, with some great corners and stuff. Well it was a beautiful drive with clean drifts through the corners, nice shifts and all.

Well, he freaked, I dont think we topped 45 miles per hour, but he called me names and said I was crazy etc.. Anyhow, it dawned on me that what I loved about driving, was not mainstream, and most folks dont get it, or like it.

Is it true that in our society, that to aspire to kickin ass, is frowned on? I have experienced this lots in life. The Viper is all about ass kickin, which, is not about being rude or mean, it is just there. The Viper is very unique, it is a rorshach, that makes people project what is in their spirit onto it. Few cars can do this! It is either loved or hated for what it is, and what it can do.

I recall, a time I parked on the street, and got a parking ticket. Then, I saw two fellas, probably in their 20s or so, walk by and look at my car in a scoffing way, and when they looked at the parking ticket on the windshield, they laughed, like I got what I deserved. Not to mention the anonymous key scratches on my trunk lid. (not too bad, that Viper paint is tough!)

Man, we can't all kick butt all the time, but it feels great when you can, and to have your hat in the ring, and say, this is what I stand for, and I aint backing down anytime soon, to whatever life throws my way. I think our Vipers remind us of this, and the joyful spirit we have in driving these terrific cars. Every time you push that red button, it's a statement that says, no matter how crappy I feel, Im still in the game, dammit, I am alive!

 

[CaptainDavid]

Dear Viper X,

I read mit das uddmost plezzsure Otto-morebull magazin. Und I vind itt udderlee laffuhbull dat you ver abull to snarfgayshaften all doze Gorevettes on das razetrax. I zinc you mussen haben a guhcheaterr moturr in das Snakemobile , zince awl das magazinenbullpoopen otto writurrs noze das Chebrolay ist much besser and hass das refinementnich ov mammary zeats und uberwindshieldgepicturedissplay. Zoh, I zinc you vas fasturr onlee in yur dreamz.

Baron Otto Von Caprice
Prezident ov Jeff Gordon Fan Klub

Dazusen Bellymous Phunnlarous I Zink

 

[Stan Wilson]

Guys and Gals,

I could rant on this subject for a very long time. I have longed and wished for quite a while that the magazines would allow those of us that race Vipers to test the cars for a change and write the article!!

Don't let it get to you. Remember, people who spin on the straight during a car test, complain about the noise, the heat, their elbow being sore from shifting, the lack of a place to put their big gulp drink, side exhaust, and anything else they come up with are the same folks that keep the automatic, traction control, keyless, heated seats, cooled seats, yaw control, active handling, soft luxury suspension sports cars on the road in massive numbers.

They just don't get it, and they are not Viper owner's, Viper drivers, and most definitely not Viper racers.

Be happy they have a club and car of their own and don't cause us to stray from the pure form of American Performance - Dodge Viper!!