Poll on SRT styling

[Venom Lover]

Disclaimer: Those who want to see only positive things said about the SRT should move along and read a different thread....

I posted a poll over on the Corvette Forum Off Topic section yesterday concerning the new Viper styling. As of just under 24 hrs later, there are 128 votes and 44 written responses to the thread. Here's a summary of the results:

17% say they prefer the new Viper styling to the old styling
7% say they like the two equally
The remaining 76% voted their preference for the old styling.

One interesting thing is that the majority of the responses are presumably from people who don't own Vipers, so they have no particular allegiance to the current styling.

Anyway, FWIW!

Link to poll

 

[Janni]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
17% say they prefer the new Viper styling to the old styling
7% say they like the two equally
The remaining 86% voted their preference for the old styling.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'd be suspect of any poll that allows 110% of the sample to vote...

 

[Venom Lover]

Ok, ok, so I can't take 100 minus 24 and get the right answer. I'll edit and correct to 76% the number in my original post.
The problem was people created a couple new categories like "I still think it looks like an S2000", which got 4% of the votes. Going way out on a limb, I lumped those into the "dislike" category, but to make the math easy, I computed dislike % = 100% - like %.

In truth, only 65% have voted for my original "prefer the old styling" choice....

 

[Mike Brunton]

Hey Mike, don't you work on designing planes or something? And you're having trouble with basic math? Does it get hard when you run out of fingers and toes?

Just kidding...

I agree with you on the styling - or should I say I agree with what the 76% of people said, but I also think the SRT is arguably better looking than the old RT/10, but the GTS makes them both look like crap.

However, did you notice that Maurice Liang said in his post entitled "Report from Detroit Auto Show #2" that Dodge is reportedly 'adjusting' some elements of the SRT to make it more aggressive looking, based on public reactions. I'd imagine that OUR reactions are the ones that are causing DC to revisit the styling - this board really works!

 

[Venom Lover]

Mike,
Not planes, but satellites for the Navy, actually.... Subtraction is hard because it's so far in the past for me. Elliptic integrals: now those are fun and easy!

Hmmm, it's true I like the current GTS better than the RT, but there is something about the RT/10 from the back -- it's so low and wide, which makes it look really mean. Anyway, I hope Maurice is right and that some favorable tweaks will be made to make the production SRT look a little meaner; and I personally don't mind if that results in a few hundredths more of Cd. I'm not likely to be driving the car over 150 mph very much....

 

[Snakester]

I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually like the looks of the upcoming SRT-10.

I prefer the full convertible design of the new car, but overall I generally like the more exotic, curvacious look of the current Vipers better.

Without adding tons of additional scoops or body cladding I would like to see a more agressive/stylish nose on the SRT-10.

With this much performance, the Viper should always look like it's at speed, even when it's parked.

But when Chrysler does come out with the new coupe version in a few years, and the affluent early adopters here start dumping their SRT-10s for the new car, I can see myself selling my RT/10 and getting a SRT-10. Just not at $80K+.

-Dean.

 

[MES]

Well it's now at 66% old style and 17% new style. This is from the same people (Vettes) that call our cars "clown shoes" and from the same people who's own cars more closely resemble the Gen III rather than in current Gen II. That's got to tell you something.

The new Gen III is not ugly but it lacks the pazzaz the older cars have. On a scale from one to ten here are my rankings.

Current Viper - 10
1969 Vette - 9
Shelby Cobra - 8
Current Vette - 7
Gen III Viper - 6
Camaro - 5
Mustang - 4

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Venom, if you like the looks of the RT10 from the BACK then you are going to be THRILLED at how the SRT10 looks from the BACK! It is wider, sleeker and much more powerful looking, especially when you see them side by side. The RT10 actually looked (I can't believe I am saying this?) OLD! As soon as I saw them this way the first thing that popped into my head was that I own an old car (Yikes!).

For all those comparing the SRT10 to the GTS that is ridiculous. Name one car EVER made that looked better in a ******* form? I can't. If you want to make a comparison, put a GTS up against the Comp Coupe. That is a comparison.

 

[jwwiii]

Cherm;

It sounds great, but where did you hear the SRT would really have 525 hp? I have been reading about 500hp, but 525 sounds be too good to be true. Where did you see the info? I look forward to reading it!

Jim

 

[luc]

Steve,

Easy,a Jaguar E-Type,either a serie I or Serie 3 V-12.

Luc.00GTS

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MES:

Current Viper - 10
1969 Vette - 9
Shelby Cobra - 8
Current Vette - 7
Gen III Viper - 6
Camaro - 5
Mustang - 4


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good ranking, except I'd move the Cobra ahead of the 69 Vette and I'd give the current Viper a 12.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

The CRAFTSMEN at CAAP said on friday that the engines for the GEN 3 cars were dynoing at around 420 hp. But they are only claiming 400. Safer to round back.

 

[Performin Norman]

Jeff, you mean they are chasis dynoing them and getting about 420 RWHP? That would mean they are producing close to 480 engine horsepower. That's not as high as I expected but maybe they are still working the bugs out.

 

[Mike Brunton]

Jeff,

You sure you mean 400hp and not 500hp? Even if they were doing RWHP #'s and only claiming 400, but getting 420, that means it would be less than the current Viper - and contrary to what I've heard.

I hope they're making 520hp

 

[Viperrick]

I like Steve F saw the VGX and the Gen 2's side by side. We even had a RT-10 and a GTS with the VGX in between. If you are looking for agressive than why would you compare the new one to the old one? I personally feel that the old one is not an aggressive design. It may be better described as rounded, curvey, animated, cartoonish even. I loved it enough to have one in the garage but, if I want aggressive than the VGX is the way to go. Regarding the Corvette poll, all I have to say is that there is a reason why their numbers are scewed, they have inherintly poor taste, look at what they drive. The last thing they want is a car which will make theirs look non-existant at a stop light. VGX is much more aggressive than the original. i said this a year ago when I saw both side by side at the Chicago Auto Show.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Luc, I guess that is why they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", since I see both those Jags as a very uninspiring. Those are something I could see my mother driving and enjoying, but not something I would personally call a sports car.

 

[GTS Dean]

I think National Officers lose objectivity in these cases.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Dean I AGREE with you on this. Now since I am not a National Officer, and I have spent more than 20 hours viewing and analyzing the SRT10, and consider the fact that I do not OWN a GTS (like you do), but rather an old RT10, can I be allowed to prefer the looks of the new version over the original? I love my RT10, and it will NEVER leave me, but I appreciate the SRT10 because it is what the Current Viper owners asked for. And I like the looks much more so than all the advancements, especially those made to the interior.

For those who not believe this point, ask the National VCA President Tony Estes. Ever chance I got to BASH the new added creature comforts, from the current COO of Chrysler to the PVO engineers right over to the CAAP representative, I ******* that the new interior is not what Viper is about. Their simple reply, "this is what the owners asked for". And that I can't argue with because I heard it myself.

For all those not satisfied let me ask you this? Would you like to se a new version of the Viper that makes the one you currently own look so outdated that you would loose the passion you currently have for it?

The SRT10 was built to be an addition to the family. You got the original Roadster, the all climate friendly GTS, and now a true convertible. All three will offer something DIFFERENT.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steve Ferguson:
"this is what the owners asked for".

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I remember request for better aerodynamics. I never understood the importance of it since the Viper was smoking everything on the track anyway.

But if “what the owners asked for” is true then, it's because the owners never expected the styling to be such a dramatic and uninspiring change.

While the performance of the new Viper may be awesome, its looks are **-hum.

 

[Vic]

You vill like ze new SRT. You vill not hate it. You vill be heppy with its luuks, and not to say de mean tings. Drink yuor beaar, unt shud ap.

HAHAHA, just kidding!

I am softening my cruel negative stance towards the SRT, (DC couldn't take my drivel any longer, they were turning blue under the weight of my mighty pen)

Its just a new ball game, its not supposed to look like a GTS, or an original RT. If it were made to look like them, there would inevitably be flames anyhow, because its too swoopy, not swoopy enough, too high, too low, not true to form, etc. So if you are gonna redesign the Viper, you have to go for a new look, and make a break with the past, at least to some significant degree. The SRT is a fast looking car in its own right, don't miss that point! It stands on its own, and doesn't need to look like a current Viper. The trick for the designers was how to make it look like a snake, in every sense of the word, animal and auto, but not just a mild revision that would spark criticism. A whole new re-style was in order. Completely different designs like a mid-engine just would not say "Viper". So what do you do? Take a piece of paper and try to sketch something yourself. Its harder than it looks!

 

[Russ Oasis]

I just finished reading this entire thread and must respond to a few things said. Firstly, the SRT/10 isn't anything like the
GTS-R that we were teased with in St. Louis. In addition, the aggressive looks of Gen I and II are nowhere to be found in the new model. Clearly, everybody sees this, even the Corvette guys. Part of what makes a Viper a Viper is the aggressive looks.

Next, regarding Steve Ferguson saying that roadsters traditionally don't look as good as as coupes....I agree with the guy who pointed to the Series I and III XK-E's. The Jag roadsters looked as good as the coupes. The RT-10 looks as good as the GTS. The new SRT/10 should look as good as the GTS-R that we've seen in St. Louis.

The factory would have to do more than "tweak" the body to fix the "friendly" look of the SRT/10. The body needs to be reworked. My guess is that there isn't an owner among us that wouldn't sacrifice a tad of wind resistance for a more aggressive stance.

Someone asked if the new design was enough to stop us from loving (read: buying) the car. If the Gen I & II cars weren't so incredible, I'll bet that not as many people would be willing to accept the SRT/10. Personally, I respect Chrysler for building the car and I will buy an SRT/10. I'd never sell my 95 RT-10 or my 96 GTS, but I sure do wish that the SRT/10 was a more aggressive looking vehicle.