Possibly trading Viper. need porsche opinions

[rich v.]

I am thinking about trading my Viper for an 05 Porsche 911 turbo S cabrio.
Does or has anyone owned one these? good and or bad things about them?
thanks guys

ps i love my viper so it would take a lot to get rid of it, but this is the only car that catches my eye in the same price range

 

[rw99]

Soooooooo, what do you want to do with your P-car? Track days? Daily drive? Street race? Car shows?

 

[vbzatty]

I own both; a 2004 Viper and a 2004 996TT cabriolet. The Porsche has about $20k dumped into it (turbos, IC's, etc) and is putting out about 600-650 to the wheels. It is an exhilarating experience to feel that kind of power hook up with AWD. I have always loved Porsches because they are so confidence inspiring. When you push it you feel like a pro, the car is very forgiving and very easy to read. Build quality is excellent. Electronics are a nightmare, but not as bad as other German luxury cars. It doesn't turn 1/2 the heads as the Viper if that's an issue. My biggest complaint about the Porsche is the engine note; I love the whoosh of the turbos but the exhaust just doesn't sound tough. The Viper is raw, archaic compared to the Porsche. But its supposed to be, that's the appeal. It's lines are morr aggresive, its handling more unpredictable, a true driver's car. Stock the Porsche makes just over 400hp and I believe is heavier than the Viper so it will be quite slower. But it is very easy to modify. I can't say I'd pick one over the other as a daily driver, weekend car, or track car. Both are very capable of all three, they just do it differently. Which is why I have them both. But I'm an enthusiast and add a new car to my collection every couple of years.

Colby

 

[fqberful]

We have both a 2006 Viper Coupe and wifes car is a 2011 911tt and it's her DD. Not her first P car. The 911tt is a nicely refined car, fairly comfortable. It's very quick 0 - 80mph. But after several years experience with various P cars I'm FIRMLY of the belief that you never, ever own one of these without a warranty. You could buy a nice GenIII Viper for what it will cost you if that engine has an IMS failure which is fairly common in older gen engines. The newer 9A1 engine has no IMS. Reading the P car forums 2005 was a bad year for engines.

As for handling, the 911tt gets a light feeling on the front end at / above 80mph, something you have to get used to. It definitely doesn't feel as planted as the Viper. Don't misunderstand, it does corner, it has the infamous under steer due to the AWD, it just feels light. You have to get used to the e-throttle delay and there's no power at all below 3500 rpm, you have to wait for boost, and that comes on all at once. It's far easier to drive a Viper smoothly and fast. P car is loaded with nanny tech that you can never completely disable. The electronics are an absolute nightmare. Manual trans is several decades old tech and works very well, but the cable shift has a feel you may need to adjust to.

Wifes impressions are really funny. We have a 2009 Challenger SRT and she prefers the clutch, shifter, steering and brakes in the Challenger. Steering feel NOT handling. She complains about the blind spots in the Challenger [and the Viper ] .. P car has good visibility for her.

Oh, and the Viper gets better mpg's too ...

Good luck
--FQB

 

[Ghoust]

I have never owned a Porsche and and the main reason why is that it just doesn't seem unique enough. I like my cars to stand out in a crowd and evoke excitement and the wow factor. I am sure I would miss this if I were to trade my viper for a Porsche.

 

[vbzatty]

"Light" is an interesting way to describe the P-car's handling. It's accurate, but not to be misconstrued. Like crotchrockets, if anyone has ever ridden them. All my friends loved the lighter, more nimble 600-750cc bikes, as you could flick them around in the corners easier and transition from one corner to the next quicker and with less effort. I liked the heavier, more planted feel of the 1000-1300cc sportbikes. It took more effort to get the extra weight to shift for the next corner, but once in the curve it felt more planted, less twitchy. In cars, however, I prefer just the opposite. I love the light, nimble feel of the P-car. You can toss it around easier than the Viper. This isn't to say it has more lateral grip, it just feels more tossable in the corners. The 996TT shocks are unacceptably soft stock (to satisfy the daily driver aspect so many buy the car for), but that is easily remedied with a set of decent coilovers and sway bars. The P-car is also a nightmare to work on yourself; that engine bay is PACKED. The Viper is so easy to work on in comparison. Cost of parts will also be quite different. Stock for stock, I would choose the Viper.

 

[rich v.]

thanks for the info guys. my viper isn't stock, has a blower, exhaust, hre's, etc...
the car is only for a 1-2 times a week driver.
i really need to drive one, but i don't know if i can change to car with half the horsepower, less eye catching, and even more expensive to fix.
i do all my own maintenance and repairs so if i could not do it on a porsche that would also be a deal breaker.

 

[ViperGeorge]

I have never owned a Porsche and and the main reason why is that it just doesn't seem unique enough. I like my cars to stand out in a crowd and evoke excitement and the wow factor. I am sure I would miss this if I were to trade my viper for a Porsche.

+1 This guy speaketh the truth.

 

[fqberful]

thanks for the info guys. my viper isn't stock, has a blower, exhaust, hre's, etc...
the car is only for a 1-2 times a week driver.
i really need to drive one, but i don't know if i can change to car with half the horsepower, less eye catching, and even more expensive to fix.
i do all my own maintenance and repairs so if i could not do it on a porsche that would also be a deal breaker.

Just wait until you try and change the plugs on a 911tt ... Can you say take the engine out ? You'll have to do that for many things you would think simple. some people will tell you that you don't need to pull the engine on a TT to change the plugs, well if you have the hands of a midget maybe not, but you will have to pull the bumper and inter-coolers. I've been doing my own work for 40 years, and I truly hate working on a P car.

--FQB

 

[STUGOTS]

I own a P car and have driven many others, I currently own 2 vipers, (one gen 2 and one gen 3) IMO the viper all the way, other then ride quality of course lol

 

[TexasTorred]

+1 This guy speaketh the truth.

+2 nothing like the ultimate-MOPAR.

 

[STUGOTS]

and we all know what MOPAR stands for

Massively
Over
Powered
And
Respected

 

[PirateViper]

Ive had several vipers and last year bought a screaming fast 996 TT with over 500hp.I just traded it for an 06 Red SRT-10.....im so glad I did.There are alot of porsches out there.Not many vipers.Porsche is cool but Viper is BadAss!

 

[rich v.]

i agree w all these comments.
viper is so much more badass. i'm gonna keep it

 

[rw99]

Our work here is done.

 

[FLL-B/W-GTS]

Yes do it,I traded a 2008 SRT 10 Coupe and a 2009 Corvette ZR1 plus $$$$$ for a loaded 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Black Coupe.The Porsche is insane fast out of the box every time with the launch control and PDK.You will love the car.I will be buying a new Viper when they come out.I hope they have a type trans and launch control like the Porsche.

 

[Twister]

why trade a viper and zr1 fo a ptt? arent they all equally fast ? isnt the viper or zr1 more rare? a ferrari or lambo i understand

 

[STUGOTS]

Yes do it,I traded a 2008 SRT 10 Coupe and a 2009 Corvette ZR1 plus $$$$$ for a loaded 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Black Coupe.The Porsche is insane fast out of the box every time with the launch control and PDK.You will love the car.I will be buying a new Viper when they come out.I hope they have a type trans and launch control like the Porsche.

a viper and a ZR1 PLUS cash??????? wowww I just threw up in my mouth a little

 

[PirateViper]

That 2011 porsche was probably north of 160k$......man it loses value quick though.....can get an 07-08 with low miles for half that.

 

[FLL-B/W-GTS]

This new 911 Turbo S Porsche with the Launch Control,PDK and VV Twin Turbos are nothing like the older Turbos.Their is no turbo lag at all.Believe me when I tell you,it pulls much harder than the Gen 4 Viper and ZR1.Esp from a stop.Now in saying that, I do love Vipers,I have had 3 of them and will a Gen.5 when they come out.
We are talking stock cars with no mods.

 

[Sonoman]

This new 911 Turbo S Porsche with the Launch Control,PDK and VV Twin Turbos are nothing like the older Turbos.Their is no turbo lag at all.Believe me when I tell you,it pulls much harder than the Gen 4 Viper and ZR1.Esp from a stop.

I believe that... in last month's Car & Driver they ranked the top ten hardest launching cars, and the latest Porsche all-wheel drive Turbo S was tied for 4th behind the likes of the Bugatti Veyron. Impressive. Measured 0.96g of lateral acceleration from a dead stop and a 0-60 time of 3 flat. So the new Turbo S may be queen of the stoplight drags for now, but it's still a P-car. I've owned a 911 Carrera and still think highly of the design, but the Viper offers more bang for the buck and the fun factor and uniqueness/rarity are constant source of amusement.

 

[elanderholm]

GTR can beat the new porsche turbo to 60. Who cares about 0-60? These cars belong on a track with actual turns and the viper excels there.

 

[Twister]

exactly wellsaid

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

GTR can beat the new porsche turbo to 60. Who cares about 0-60? These cars belong on a track with actual turns and the viper excels there.

It took 22 post before any mention of tracking. Sad.

 

[JoelW]

a viper and a ZR1 PLUS cash??????? wowww I just threw up in my mouth a little

I just threw up period. Trading 2 good cars for one bad one is never a good idea. There is only one thing European cars are good for and that is making the dealers tons of money for warranty and service work. Talk about OVER-RATED! Some of you may disagree and that's fine but any European car out of warranty is a time bomb waiting to blow up your wallet.

 

[ctr2]

A friend of mine might be selling a 2005 turbo s cab. with the Ruf 550hp conversion. Also, I own/owned both, The value of the vipers continue to drop for some reason, take a look at the Ruf Rturbo 2002 at Racperformance. com in dallas. The car is in great shape for an 02 and is an original Ruf vin car. The sticker was 246k in 02, now can be bought for 69k. Very little down side from here, probably upside, as opposed to the vipers. If you are tracking the car, it's a different story, if you want a fantastic driver, get the Ruf. Also very limited production. Maybe 10-20 Ruf Rturbo's built. Give them a call, ask for Jonathan.

 

[johniew398]

I am not saying I would trade my ACR for one; but, this is the only one I would consider if I were in the market for a Porsche.

 

[Viper Specialty]

I had my buddies 2005 Turbo S Cab a few years ago for a few days while he was too busy to drive it himself {LOL}

The only word I can use to describe it is "numb". It was very uninspiring, and very disconnected feeling. It felt more like driving a video game than a car.

I cant argue with the nice interior and function, but it wasnt my cup of tea.

 

[FLL-B/W-GTS]

I don,t know why some of you keep throwing up.You better get that checked.But you should go drive a new 911 turbo S.You will be impressed.I have no knowledge of other Porsches,this is the first one I have have owned.I do not buy cars to sell them,I get them because I like them.Again,can wait for the new snake to come out.One will be delievered to my warehouse in a Woodhouse trailer asap.

Buy the way,we ALL know.One always loses their asssss when one sells these toys we all like.Just part of the game we play.

 

[georgethedog]

Yes do it,I traded a 2008 SRT 10 Coupe and a 2009 Corvette ZR1 plus $$$$$ for a loaded 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S Black Coupe.The Porsche is insane fast out of the box every time with the launch control and PDK.You will love the car.I will be buying a new Viper when they come out.I hope they have a type trans and launch control like the Porsche.

You traded those cars and cash... I suggest you change your name from FLL-B/W-GTS to Benjamin Dover, or if that is too long just the simple Ben Over will do. I guess i am just jealous of the amount of money you must have to be able to throw it around that easy.