Ralph in Automobile magazine

[utahviper]

In the good ole viper days it would obliterate any and all supercars that cost 5x as much. Now it's main stream performance or maybe lower than average except on the road course. The biggest change has been technology. Don't get me wrong, I love my viper technology less but when everything is beating it, that's not fun. The only way to beat them is to join them or bump the HP way up.

Im trying to be constructive because I want to by another viper. I will not buy a viper that is the same basic power level as my gen4 was. It says its 640 but the rwhp and trap speed indicate it is the same HP as the gen4. Unfortunately Im selling one of my vipers for another platform. I still have one viper left but if the performance would have been there I would still have 3.

I really like the looks of the TA but Im not a track rat. Just the occasional 2-3 road course days per year. However, I love to race in other venues but Im not the losing type. I don't want to get beat by other cars in my class, it happens of course but I don't like it.

I went to a roll on race in Cali. I raced alot of cars there in my stock 08. It was a blast, especially when beating a 458 by a car length to 165mph. Everybody couldn't believe it. 80k car beating a 250k car, it was sweet. I miss those days....

 

[steve e]

Love reading my old mags when 98 and 99 Vipers were the straight line kings of the road. Times have changed and the Viper is more a track car, everyone makes a faster car in the drags, even Mercedes makes a wagon thats faster in a straight line, but on the track its one of the best. I am sure there will be blowers and turbos available soon to bolt on for those who are straight line guys and street guys that get sick of Mustang tail lights, but again thats really not what the Viper is about, it a great track car, and looks AWESOME.

 

[MbnViper]

You must be a gymnast. The wide lip on the McClaren from the CF tub is a PITA. If someone has any back issues, forget about it.

I do own a 2013 Mclaren im bodybuilder about 6'2 offseason i hit about -/+260lbs.

yes it not easy to get out yet not so impressing you just need to get used it.

no back issues actually its the most comfortable exotic I ever drove and very I mean very fast.

getting in and out in a Gen V is easier I guess since i never been inside one yet but i based my opinion from my Gen4 vipers experience.

Mbn

 

[kdaviper]

the big reason the Viper loses out in 0-60 comparos: Weight distribution. It's a lot easier to get the power to the ground when you have 60% of your vehicle mass pressing on the rears BEFORE acceleration starts.
And let's not start on the AWD competition...

 

[DingDong]

VENOM V,

Additional duration wouldn't necessary cause an emissions fail with the properly sized catalytic converter. It's overlap that generally gets ya on emissions.

Luckily I live in a non-**** state.

I agree with this too. Whatever they do to the Viper, they need to keep the winning formula of pricing it within reason. So the technology needs to be reasonable in price, some technologies won't fit the Viper cost model.

 

[vancouver-gts]

I do not think either car is made for 2014. I could not find a price for the GTO but the GTB started at $426,843.00 back in 2010 and it had 28HP less than the Viper and both cars had less torque than the Viper.

Ok, if the old cars won't do it for you, here's a current model. Ferrari F12 = 740 na HP. we're splitting hairs here with HP vs torque figures.
HP/Liter it's a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjp1xjOzJqY#t=14

 

[Bobpantax]

Read this. It does not impress me and its price as tested was $434,134 with the base price of the car being $322,638.

It is slower than the Gen V. 1;38 at Leguna - much slower. It is also slower in the quarter. Tony has already done a 10.9. At 4000 pounds it is an expensive, overweight vehicle with horse power that it cannot hook up. But it does sound great. Also note that its peak torque is only 508 to the Viper's 600.

2014 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Exclusive First Test - Motor Trend

Ok, if the old cars won't do it for you, here's a current model. Ferrari F12 = 740 na HP. we're splitting hairs here with HP vs torque figures.
HP/Liter it's a beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjp1xjOzJqY#t=14

 

[vancouver-gts]

Bob, not disputing the value of the Viper for the price point compared to the Ferrari just stating the fact that it has more n/a power than the new Viper. I also stated before that I find my friend's 599 boring being a paddle shifter!

 

[Bobpantax]

OK. Don't get me wrong. I think the 458 and the 2014 Ferrari la Ferrari are beautiful cars. And at the la Ferrari's MSRP of 1.69 million, it should be. Maybe a long lost relative will pass on and leave it to me together with a "Maintainence Trust Fund". LOL.

 

[steve e]

As I read all these posts I can see both sides opinions on the new Vipers 640 HP, which Dynos almost the same as gen 1V .For me bragging rights are important, I am not going to the track, I am a sunday driver, and a bench racer at the shows, so for me I was just hoping for more power and I think a lot of other people were to, so It would be like the Vipers of old when they were the most powerful American car out there, but thats me. I am not knocking it at all, the new Viper is awesome, I am a passionate Viper owner and I want it to be the best it can be, so for me more power would be nice.

 

[Bobpantax]

Someone should overlay the stock Gen IV dyno graph with the stock Gen V dyno graph. Isn't the power distribution a bit different?

 

[steve e]

Someone should overlay the stock Gen IV dyno graph with the stock Gen V dyno graph. Isn't the power distribution a bit different?

Yes, the new Viper has more TQ in the upper rpm range, the new engine breathes better in the higher rpms. At least in the graph I saw in one of the mags.

 

[pathoguy]

Don't need more power....need more traction.

 

[Paul Hawker]

For those who wish more HP, the aftermarket is your friend. No need to tweak the computer, as bolt on power is pretty effective on these cars. A set of headers, heads and cam etc can give you all the bragging rights.

SRT is unable to do those things, as in many cases the OEM is constrained by emissions, warranty, pricing, and federal regulations.

Your local tuner can most likely provide you with all the bragging rights you can afford.

On the other hand, the factory performance package is pretty stout to begin with.

 

[1BADGTS]

That's a politician speaking. If he had the budget there's no way he'd have used a slightly updated Gen IV motor for the supposed "all-new" Viper. He's justifying it because there is nothing else he can do about it. More or less letting people down softly who had higher hopes. This whole generation will more than likely be on a shoestring budget. That, or Ralph's a poker player and he knows the 700+NA HP direction injection high displacement V10 is already underway.

Exactly as they didnt even have the money to dry sump the thing (easy 20 hp ).To get 700 hp NA would cost a fortune (Not only direct injection but multi valve drivetrain application )Everything must pass driveability,durability, emissions ect. You also have to contend with the service aspect of the Dodge techs ability to work on such an exotic piece. The above is the reason Chevy and Ford incorpoate supercharging W e have a motor here thats a single platform application Unless SRT wants to cross platform application as their counterparts were lucky to get the 640 hp

 

[1BADGTS]

In the good ole viper days it would obliterate any and all supercars that cost 5x as much. Now it's main stream performance or maybe lower than average except on the road course. The biggest change has been technology. Don't get me wrong, I love my viper technology less but when everything is beating it, that's not fun. The only way to beat them is to join them or bump the HP way up.

Im trying to be constructive because I want to by another viper. I will not buy a viper that is the same basic power level as my gen4 was. It says its 640 but the rwhp and trap speed indicate it is the same HP as the gen4. Unfortunately Im selling one of my vipers for another platform. I still have one viper left but if the performance would have been there I would still have 3.

I really like the looks of the TA but Im not a track rat. Just the occasional 2-3 road course days per year. However, I love to race in other venues but Im not the losing type. I don't want to get beat by other cars in my class, it happens of course but I don't like it.

I went to a roll on race in Cali. I raced alot of cars there in my stock 08. It was a blast, especially when beating a 458 by a car length to 165mph. Everybody couldn't believe it. 80k car beating a 250k car, it was sweet. I miss those days.p...

GREAT REALISTIC post.As far as roadracing less than 7% of the owners of the GEN 5 will ever take the car and roadrace it .Most guys that roadrace are going to grab a salvage title GEN 2-3.