SRT Viper vs SLS AMG Black Series

[PeerBlock]

Randy drove two seconds faster his last go around, beating the SLS. So, your claims the car is slow, are pretty off base. It is pretty silly to compare the Black SLS which is virtually race prepped to a SRT that lacks any of the CF goodies, wing and all. Sticky tires - but. Nothing else.

I haven't seen anyone that actually owns a Gen V, or actually in the market that cares about these magazine reviews. The only people that seem to comment are people that old owner generations coming to justify their reasons for not buying. Funny how guys with previous generations jump on PeerBlock for his comments about the Gen V being great, but turn about seems to be fair play.

I love the car, it is amazing. It going neck to neck with a $300,000 car, is a testament to SRT if anything. The fact they can compete with a well funded program on a shoe string - is great.

I do think they need to step up the game with DCT and the like to remain competitive. I love the manual, but the competition in the high end world are driving it.

Good points, and seeing this video doesn't make me wish I splurged for an SLS or regret getting my GTS.

Yes, the Viper "lost" this "challenge" - not denying that, but I think that the people here are not picking up on the fact that if you went with the base SRT Viper you'd save $200K over the SLS, and that $200K could EASILY make the viper as competitive as the SLS and you'd still have enough left over to buy an extra garage with a house attached to it.

DCT is coming. Ralph said it. As long as it remains an OPTION and the 6 speed is standard I am OK with that.
Who cares if it's a split second faster around a track that I will never see if it's boring to drive on the street.
Give me an extra pedal and stick please.
(I also believe if the engine had another 50hp or so all of these discussions would be moot, because the competition is THAT close)

Surprise surprise, but I agree with this statement...and an extra 50 HP to the viper would have probably put it over the top in this comparison, easily obtained with some headers and a tune.

OR, look at it from another perspective:

The SLS is already "maxed out" as far as what you're going to squeeze out of a 6.3L NA V8. The Viper's 8.4L could realistically offer an extra 150 HP from bolt-ons and minor upgrades because it has a lot more headroom. Most NA engines can get close to the 100 HP per L benchmark, although it would change the character of the engine completely in doing so.

Also, part of the Vipers appeal to me is how basic it is. It doesn't have a $20,000 transmission. I don't want a car with a $20,000 transmission. The Viper is SOLID. It's tried and true. For 20 years it's been a V-10 with a 6 speed manual transmission. If it needs a clutch, big deal, it wont break the bank, if it needs a transmission big deal but it rarely does. The Viper goes fast and does so without costing an arm and a leg. To all the GT-R leghumpers, you can keep it. It's a sweet car, but it wont go fast and continue to do so for years for next to nothing like the Viper can and will.

Can't really disagree with this either. The tech-assisted shifting you get with a modern transmission may enable you to be more consistent but it will not let you exploit the full potential of the car...plus it has more potential points of failure.

StopTechs were available on the 2008-2010 Vipers, it was part of the $14,000 ACR package. That's why (IMO) the track pack for $3500 was a bargin! (shame they got rid of it...)
To those who think the Gen V is "finally the first Viper worth owning" consider this. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

If the Gen V was as "stitched together" as previous vipers this head 2 head would not have even happened, to be honest. The lipstick-wearing pig posted a result that easily falls within the margin for driver error...and for a mag like Motortrend to seriously consider a Viper worthy of challenging a car costing 3x more is a solid nod toward SRT's excellent job in what they did with the car. Whether you think this review was bogus, spot-on or somewhere in between you should note that it was not tongue-in-cheek like the ZR1 vs a fighter jet.

 

[SRTviper]

Good points, and seeing this video doesn't make me wish I splurged for an SLS or regret getting my GTS.

Yes, the Viper "lost" this "challenge" - not denying that, but I think that the people here are not picking up on the fact that if you went with the base SRT Viper you'd save $200K over the SLS, and that $200K could EASILY make the viper as competitive as the SLS and you'd still have enough left over to buy an extra garage with a house attached to it.



Surprise surprise, but I agree with this statement...and an extra 50 HP to the viper would have probably put it over the top in this comparison, easily obtained with some headers and a tune.

OR, look at it from another perspective:

The SLS is already "maxed out" as far as what you're going to squeeze out of a 6.3L NA V8. The Viper's 8.4L could realistically offer an extra 150 HP from bolt-ons and minor upgrades because it has a lot more headroom. Most NA engines can get close to the 100 HP per L benchmark, although it would change the character of the engine completely in doing so.

Mercedes AMG motors are never maxed out from the factory



Can't really disagree with this either. The tech-assisted shifting you get with a modern transmission may enable you to be more consistent but it will not let you exploit the full potential of the car...plus it has more potential points of failure.



If the Gen V was as "stitched together" as previous vipers this head 2 head would not have even happened, to be honest. The lipstick-wearing pig posted a result that easily falls within the margin for driver error...and for a mag like Motortrend to seriously consider a Viper worthy of challenging a car costing 3x more is a solid nod toward SRT's excellent job in what they did with the car. Whether you think this review was bogus, spot-on or somewhere in between you should note that it was not tongue-in-cheek like the ZR1 vs a fighter jet.

Motortrend said in the first 3 minutes they picked the SLS because there is no other car that is currently out to compete with the viper in regards to the characteristics of both cars since the new zr1 is not out right now. It was not because they thought the viper is on the same level or would even win. They pretended like it was to make it a good video otherwise it would be boring to watch.

You know motortrend they like to spark controversey

 

[bushido]

On a shoe string budget you can't do much of an evolution. Only cosmetic ones..

Here's one example
http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/track-tests/2013-srt-viper-gts-suspension-walkaround.html

Well they said it was 2 years behind not 5 lol. But my god they didn't change really that much as far as the chasis/suspension. Or even the brakes besides them being stop tech. So really this car is mostly cosmetic in its changes and not much more than that. I assumed they did a huge revision of the chasis and suspension but I guess not. This is probably why it has all the same problems.

StopTechs were available on the 2008-2010 Vipers, it was part of the $14,000 ACR package. That's why (IMO) the track pack for $3500 was a bargin! (shame they got rid of it...)
To those who think the Gen V is "finally the first Viper worth owning" consider this. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

It really is,and the reason why I canceled my order. Until I see some major changes ( like the C5Z06 to C6Z06) . Then I will be jumping on one. I also track all of my cars too,and I don't see this new Viper being more superior compared to my current ACR on the track. I also like the looks of the old skin (on the same frame) better..

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Let's hope that the next ACR will have some big changes( DCT option).. I'm looking forward in getting one. Have both ACRs to play on the track..

 

[FLL-B/W-GTS]

In having 3 Vipers and now a Porsche 911 Turbo S,I will tell you, for sure that these new DCT are far superior in every way.I drag race the TS a lot and have not had any problems with any thing on the car.Thats 10.70/80s@129 every time.BoneStock.Their is a reason Porsche does not offer a manual trans in the new GT3,only DCT/PDK.Go to the Porsche web site and look at the new GT3,which is the same price as a GTS and that will tell you why all the Gen 5s are sitting in showrooms not selling.

Their are only so many people that like to shift a car,but most will want a DCT, especially if it is faster.

All the Viper needs, is a DCT as a option and a bump in HP and all the ******** will stop.If not ,the Viper will be done...

I am one that will never buy a (new)shifting car again.

The ball is in SRTs court.

 

[ViperSmith]

In having 3 Vipers and now a Porsche 911 Turbo S,I will tell you, for sure that these new DCT are far superior in every way.I drag race the TS a lot and have not had any problems with any thing on the car.Thats 10.70/80s@129 every time.BoneStock.Their is a reason Porsche does not offer a manual trans in the new GT3,only DCT/PDK.Go to the Porsche web site and look at the new GT3,which is the same price as a GTS and that will tell you why all the Gen 5s are sitting in showrooms not selling.

Their are only so many people that like to shift a car,but most will want a DCT, especially if it is faster.

All the Viper needs, is a DCT as a option and a bump in HP and all the ******** will stop.If not ,the Viper will be done...

I am one that will never buy a (new)shifting car again.

The ball is in SRTs court.

SRT has to. As much as the die hards want a manual, it is where the market is. If we want a "no compromise" track destroyer, the next evolution in tech is that. The manual is a world of fun. But, no one can compete with 50ms perfect shifting.

 

[PDCjonny]

I sure as hell would buy it. Build it SRT!
Nobody cares how a car gets around the track, just how fast.

 

[bluestreak]

Have you guys whining about DCT noticed that all of the fastest cars (that don't cost 200k +) for the laguna lap are manuals? And even then the top 3 are still manuals. Learn how to drive, go fast. DCT or not. It's that simple. For a good driver a DCT will only be worth a fraction of a second.

Secondly if you think a DCT Viper isn't going to come with a huge price hike, you are kidding yourself. Not likely to be in the budget for the Viper any time soon.

Randy was working his butt off in that Viper, flappy paddles or not. It just didn't have the same grip level. I said when they did the extra test with the Vipers after the ZR1 showdown that it meant nothing until it was done truly independently like this.

SRT needs to solve the tire issue. Corsas are not up to the task vs MPSC 2's. They need to get the trofeo's. NOW. Or send the TA to these battles.

 

[SRTviper]

Have you guys whining about DCT noticed that all of the fastest cars (that don't cost 200k +) for the laguna lap are manuals? And even then the top 3 are still manuals. Learn how to drive, go fast. DCT or not. It's that simple. For a good driver a DCT will only be worth a fraction of a second.

Secondly if you think a DCT Viper isn't going to come with a huge price hike, you are kidding yourself. Not likely to be in the budget for the Viper any time soon.

Randy was working his butt off in that Viper, flappy paddles or not. It just didn't have the same grip level. I said when they did the extra test with the Vipers after the ZR1 showdown that it meant nothing until it was done truly independently like this.

SRT needs to solve the tire issue. Corsas are not up to the task vs MPSC 2's. They need to get the trofeo's. NOW. Or send the TA to these battles.

Most don't want to feel like they did a workout when driving around the track unless they are a racer. They want it to just be enjoyable and fun. Plus think about it, most the people who can afford this car are old and have back,leg, you name it problems so the DCT would be easier for many. Yes manual is fun but it gets old fast. I loved my manual for about 3 months and after that I was like damn sometimes I just wish this car had an auto. It can get annoying at times.

 

[bushido]

Have you guys whining about DCT noticed that all of the fastest cars (that don't cost 200k +) for the laguna lap are manuals? And even then the top 3 are still manuals. Learn how to drive, go fast. DCT or not. It's that simple. For a good driver a DCT will only be worth a fraction of a second.

Secondly if you think a DCT Viper isn't going to come with a huge price hike, you are kidding yourself. Not likely to be in the budget for the Viper any time soon.

Randy was working his butt off in that Viper, flappy paddles or not. It just didn't have the same grip level. I said when they did the extra test with the Vipers after the ZR1 showdown that it meant nothing until it was done truly independently like this.

SRT needs to solve the tire issue. Corsas are not up to the task vs MPSC 2's. They need to get the trofeo's. NOW. Or send the TA to these battles.

I have enough manuals in my stable. It would be nice to have one with DCT..

 

[I Bin Therbefor]

IMO, MB blew it on the styling. Instead of using the 1952 race car as a styling theme, they should have used the 1954 street coupe. That's the car that means gull wing to most folks.

PS The less said about MT the better. They're a dying magazine that has chosen to try to survive by insult and half truth.

 

[bluestreak]

Most don't want to feel like they did a workout when driving around the track unless they are a racer. They want it to just be enjoyable and fun. Plus think about it, most the people who can afford this car are old and have back,leg, you name it problems so the DCT would be easier for many. Yes manual is fun but it gets old fast. I loved my manual for about 3 months and after that I was like damn sometimes I just wish this car had an auto. It can get annoying at times.

LOL, a workout? If driving a manual is a workout, whoever is driving has much bigger problems. For most people, driving the manual is what makes it enjoyable. Paddles steal a lot of that enjoyment, and the paddles themselves are now a gimmick because the car is ultimately faster in automatic, so you pulling the paddles is useless folly.

For most people, it's the paddles that get old fast. There is always an aspect of being able to improve with a manual, making it's relevance long lasting. Now sitting in traffic, or after a long days work, yes, maybe a bit annoying. But how often are Vipers really being used to do that?

If old guys are resigned to acting old, they shouldn't be trying to go that fast now should they? Meaning SRT might as well put a slushbox in the car to make it easier on the old fellas. Wouldn't want them stressing those old creaky joints with high g forces, and fast shifts now would we? It costs a lot of money, and the target demographic has no real use for it = slushbox.

The only real reason is for bench racing.

 

[FLL-B/W-GTS]

By the way,if SRT does do a DCT and does a bump in HP,I for one, WILL buy one. That thing would be crazy fast,fun with no bog from the dig and those perfect shifts..I would pay up to about 160 ish for that car.

The Vipers future depends on these improvements..

 

[09 Venom]

My point exactly.

Randy drove two seconds faster his last go around, beating the SLS. So, your claims the car is slow, are pretty off base. It is pretty silly to compare the Black SLS which is virtually race prepped to a SRT that lacks any of the CF goodies, wing and all. Sticky tires - but. Nothing else.

I haven't seen anyone that actually owns a Gen V, or actually in the market that cares about these magazine reviews. The only people that seem to comment are people that old owner generations coming to justify their reasons for not buying. Funny how guys with previous generations jump on PeerBlock for his comments about the Gen V being great, but turn about seems to be fair play.

I love the car, it is amazing. It going neck to neck with a $300,000 car, is a testament to SRT if anything. The fact they can compete with a well funded program on a shoe string - is great.

I do think they need to step up the game with DCT and the like to remain competitive. I love the manual, but the competition in the high end world are driving it.

Obviously you didn't understand my post so read the one above.

The only one embarrassing themselves is SRT's marketing dept and some of the elitists that have their head in the sand. I'm not in the least bit worried about your opinion of me or others who haven't driven the car. We don't need to drive one to know it keeps getting beat on track in head to head comparo's. You aren't going to beat Randy Pobsts time in the SLS, head to head, with you behind the wheel of your Viper either. So what difference does it make if one owns a car or not to discuss empirical data?

I love the ad homenim attacks that ignore hard data from a proven racer like Pobst. That hard data is what got Ralph off his butt and gave us the TA. Get at Lieberman all you want as he does **** but the elephant in the room is still going to be there.

 

[SRTviper]

LOL, a workout? If driving a manual is a workout, whoever is driving has much bigger problems. For most people, driving the manual is what makes it enjoyable. Paddles steal a lot of that enjoyment, and the paddles themselves are now a gimmick because the car is ultimately faster in automatic, so you pulling the paddles is useless folly.

For most people, it's the paddles that get old fast. There is always an aspect of being able to improve with a manual, making it's relevance long lasting. Now sitting in traffic, or after a long days work, yes, maybe a bit annoying. But how often are Vipers really being used to do that?

If old guys are resigned to acting old, they shouldn't be trying to go that fast now should they? Meaning SRT might as well put a slushbox in the car to make it easier on the old fellas. Wouldn't want them stressing those old creaky joints with high g forces, and fast shifts now would we? It costs a lot of money, and the target demographic has no real use for it = slushbox.

The only real reason is for bench racing.

The viper is a work out. Even Randy Pobst thinks so. And yea the dealer near me had a 75 year old guy return the car. That is the demographic of this car lol. 50+ is the majority of buyers. But yea the old vipers weren't made to be DD's but SRT is trying to make this one a DD viper so yea manuals can get annoying. Otherwise why put the nice leather and electronic gimmicks for a track rat car?

I don't think though the manual is a deal breaker. They need to redesign the suspension.

 

[HyperViper]

A workout hahaha...what a joke. You have never even driven one. How would you know?

 

[bluestreak]

The viper is a work out. Even Randy Pobst thinks so. And yea the dealer near me had a 75 year old guy return the car. That is the demographic of this car lol. 50+ is the majority of buyers. But yea the old vipers weren't made to be DD's but SRT is trying to make this one a DD viper so yea manuals can get annoying. Otherwise why put the nice leather and electronic gimmicks for a track rat car?

I don't think though the manual is a deal breaker. They need to redesign the suspension.

I'm cool with options, but the for many so far, the DCT kills the production of the manual because it's so expensive and they have to recoup the development costs of it. The Viper is too low volume to have both. So it will be one or the other.

The Viper was a workout because Randy had to fight the car in every turn. Not because he had to shift manually. You could see on the shots of his hands on the wheel that he had to wrestle the car around that track. That has nothing to do with the transmission and everything to do with the handling. I don't think the suspension needs redesign, I think they need to change the setup.

It seems that however they set the car up for the private test with MT is not the factory setting. They should do like Nissan and have a stock suspension setting and a more aggressive track setting that can be added for track rats. The track setting should be used for comparo's.

 

[PDCjonny]

By the way,if SRT does do a DCT and does a bump in HP,I for one, WILL buy one. That thing would be crazy fast,fun with no bog from the dig and those perfect shifts..I would pay up to about 160 ish for that car.

The Vipers future depends on these improvements..

Well that makes two sold so far, and we can include Bushido and PythonPete also for four sold....
Opinions on paddle shifters from people who have NEVER driven a sports car with them. Fail.

 

[SnakeBitten]

Randy drove two seconds faster his last go around, beating the SLS. So, your claims the car is slow, are pretty off base. It is pretty silly to compare the Black SLS which is virtually race prepped to a SRT that lacks any of the CF goodies, wing and all. Sticky tires - but. Nothing else.

I haven't seen anyone that actually owns a Gen V, or actually in the market that cares about these magazine reviews. The only people that seem to comment are people that old owner generations coming to justify their reasons for not buying. Funny how guys with previous generations jump on PeerBlock for his comments about the Gen V being great, but turn about seems to be fair play.

I love the car, it is amazing. It going neck to neck with a $300,000 car, is a testament to SRT if anything. The fact they can compete with a well funded program on a shoe string - is great.

I do think they need to step up the game with DCT and the like to remain competitive. I love the manual, but the competition in the high end world are driving it.

Oh brother. If the Viper beat the SLS though you wouldn't be saying its a bad comparo. It doesn't matter what Randy did time wise on another day in the SRT. Different days bring different variables that affect performance of any car. This was a head to head on the same day. So the SLS had to contend with the same variables as the SRT and the SRT came up pretty short on both acceleration and lap times. Also you said the car is "slow" not me. Emotional outbursts like that usually lead to a clouding of the facts. Fact is as I've stated all along the Viper just doesn't have the tools necessary as it is now to dominate the top crop of the supercars out now. The TA barely beat the defunct ZR1 with poorer tires. Again it didn't have the tire necessary to really dominate the ZR1.

Nothing I said can be factually refuted. And the off topic attacks wont change that fact. The Viper yet again lost to a car with CCB's and the DCT helped the much heavier Merc beat it in the straights and twisties. So if they can find the budget for 15-20k paint jobs then surely they can find a way to do at least the CCB's and DCT in the future.

Until then, from a marketing perspective, to me they should limit these kinds of tests as it only hurts the cars image to the uninitiated about the Vipers budget etc. All the public see is a repeated Viper beating and it can affect sales whether you want to believe it or not. The phrase is not "lose on Sunday, sell on Monday". So when SRT does decide to add in CCB's/Trofeos[when available for Viper] and DCT you will see the Viper where it should be at the top of the food chain.

Until then the facts continue to remain as they are. Great car for the money but will lose performance wise to the top dogs.

 

[09 Venom]

I passed up a on a real sweet deal on a 2009 scuderia to get into my Gen V because it DOES have a manual. For me at this point I still want to row thru the gears myself, maybe that will change as I get older.. who knows.

 

[Ev1E9]

What happened to the production SRT and GTS times? I thought it ran a 1:34:XX where the SRT was slightly slower?

Seeing as the SLS cannibalized the Viper, how about we get our hands on that flappy gearbox...

ViperSmith,

I read the same Motortrend article. Here it is:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coupes/1303_2013_srt_viper_first_test/

It's interesting Randy Pobst turned much slower laps in the SRT this time around. The following is a paragraph from Motortrend's First Test of a production SRT Viper, not the ZR-1 pre-production debacle:

Then it got even more interesting. As it happens, we had a set of the Viper’s optional P Zero Corsa tires with us, and we ran them on both cars. The result: 1:34.63 for the SRT and 1:34.23 for the GTS. How did that happen? Even hot shoe Randy Pobst was confused. “I liked the SRT better,” said Pobst. “The rear end of the GTS was still too loose. I felt faster in the SRT.”

What happened? Same car. Same driver. Different day, maybe? However, the SRT was two seconds faster during their First Drive test at Laguna Seca back in March. The SRT turned a 1:34.63, and a 1:36.62 during the Black Series comparo. Something is wrong here. Perhaps they knowingly ran the Black Series comparo without the P Zero Corsas. The "base" SRT HAS indeed turned faster laps than the $300K SLS Black Series at Laguna Seca.

Also, does anyone honestly believe it's fair to compare either the GTS or SRT to the SLS Black Series? Is it truly an apples to apples comparison? If anything, the TA would have been a better opponent for the Black Series. Motortrend has taken credit for accelerating the development of the TA. Why didn't they use it for this comparo? Better yet, IF SRT can garner the resources to develop an SRT Viper ACR, that would be the ideal competitor to the SLS AMG Black Series.

I'll give Motortrend the benefit of the the doubt. Perhaps they couldn't get their hands on an TA. However, I believe the TA would've handily beaten the Black Series, and that wouldn't have created any buzz. Look at the amount of consternation this comparo has created, the number comments on VCA, hits of the video on youtube and eventually, magazine sales it MAY generate. Mission accomplished, again, Motortrend, and the Viper faithful have taken the bait.

Also, I find it interesting Johnny Liebermann stated Mercedes Benz did a better job improving the SLS AMG than SRT did the Viper. However, I believe he compared the SRT to the wrong car. Instead of comparing the SRT to the Black Series, Motortrend should've compared it to the SLS AMG GT. That is the "updated" SLS, not the Black Series. The Black Series is a limited production, track special. The SRT is a true production vehicle...the "base" Viper at that. The SLS AMG GT is the true production equivalent to the SRT. Road and Track already published a comparo of the SLS AMG GT and Viper GTS. The author preferred the GTS, dynamically. A link to the article was provided earlier, but here it is again if you missed it:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-rev...er-gts-mercedes-benz-sls-amg-gt?click=main_sr

Finally, technology is a great thing, and dual clutch transmissions are here to stay. However, I recall Ralph saying a DCT wasn't in the budget this time around. In fact, he stated the engineering costs involved in developing an DCT would be more than the budget they had for the entire GEN V program. We may see one during this generation, but I doubt it. Perhaps, if there is some type of mid-life refresh, or IF they build the ACR.

However, despite all the angst the recent tests have provided, if you review the fasted lap times at Laguna Seca, they're all held by cars employing manual transmissions (GEN V Viper, Viper ACR and ZR-1). Faster than the GT-R. Faster than the 458 Italia. Faster than the 12C. Even faster than the Aventador. Not bad for antiquated technology.

 

[v10enomous]

Prius... Really!!! Tells you all you need to know about this guy.

 

[ViperSmith]

Oh brother. If the Viper beat the SLS though you wouldn't be saying its a bad comparo. It doesn't matter what Randy did time wise on another day in the SRT. Different days bring different variables that affect performance of any car. This was a head to head on the same day. So the SLS had to contend with the same variables as the SRT and the SRT came up pretty short on both acceleration and lap times. Also you said the car is "slow" not me. Emotional outbursts like that usually lead to a clouding of the facts. Fact is as I've stated all along the Viper just doesn't have the tools necessary as it is now to dominate the top crop of the supercars out now. The TA barely beat the defunct ZR1 with poorer tires. Again it didn't have the tire necessary to really dominate the ZR1.

Nothing I said can be factually refuted. And the off topic attacks wont change that fact. The Viper yet again lost to a car with CCB's and the DCT helped the much heavier Merc beat it in the straights and twisties. So if they can find the budget for 15-20k paint jobs then surely they can find a way to do at least the CCB's and DCT in the future.

Until then, from a marketing perspective, to me they should limit these kinds of tests as it only hurts the cars image to the uninitiated about the Vipers budget etc. All the public see is a repeated Viper beating and it can affect sales whether you want to believe it or not. The phrase is not "lose on Sunday, sell on Monday". So when SRT does decide to add in CCB's/Trofeos[when available for Viper] and DCT you will see the Viper where it should be at the top of the food chain.

Until then the facts continue to remain as they are. Great car for the money but will lose performance wise to the top dogs.

"Different days bring different variables that affect performance of any car" So what do track records matter at all then? I mean, does that mean the ACR record at the ring is just a bunch of bupkis since we don't race all the cars at the exact same time? You mention the ZR1 record and the TA - well they weren't raced on the same day either, so I guess they don't matter - but apparently they do since you want to compare the two. But, comparing Randys best time in the SRT to the SLS best time is somehow off limits?

So, which is it? Are laps on different days comparable or are they not? Or is it only when it matters for your comparison?

I don't care about bench racing, so none of this has any bearing on me as I personally will never be able to drive these cars close to these limits. Motortrend exists to get eyeballs to stories and to get people talking about their magazine. Period. They have done so.

 

[Newport Viper]

An a$$ kicking is an a$$ kicking is an a$$ kicking

We got beat down plain and simple in this one.

There are no excuses you can make to overcome it.

 

[ViperSmith]

An a$$ kicking is an a$$ kicking is an a$$ kicking

We got beat down plain and simple in this one.

There are no excuses you can make to overcome it.

I guess I should just go trade it in, seeing as it lost a magazine race

 

[09 Venom]

so we all have our ******* in a knot b/c a rag mag pitted the cheapest, least track ready Viper to the most expensive track ready SLS...shouldn't we sort of be proud it did so well. next time compare apples to apples. isn't that why they have weight classes in UFC, boxing, wrestling(real wrestling) etc??

 

[Nine Ball]

My other Viper is much faster, but I still bought a Gen 5. I couldn't care less what magazines say about any car, especially when the vast majority of magazine journalists are not what I would consider " car guys". I buy what I want, even if it isn't the fastest car on the road. There are even some slow cars that I find enjoyable to drive, for their own reasons.

If we all based our purchases on magazine articles, we'd all be driving 3-series BMW's and Camrys right now. No thanks!

Tony

 

[Ev1E9]

I guess I should just go trade it in, seeing as it lost a magazine race

Unfortunately, it appears the GEN V has many detractors amongst the Viper faithful, and they frequent this forum to land jabs from time to time. Some seem to relish in it. Honestly, I can understand the discord created by some of the earlier generation owners. The GEN V was touted as being in a different league by SRT and the press. Even some of its detractors can admit the GEN V is a better car than the earlier generations.

However, they shouldn't have discounted the significance of the earlier generations. They and their owners should've been embraced. I'm sure some earlier gen owners feel they have been alienated by SRT. Buying and owning a sports cars is an emotional undertaking. No one needs a Viper. You don't buy and own one because it's a necessity. I'm sure the fact that SRT and the media maligned the earlier gens didn't help their owner's embrace the new car.

I'm pulling on my flame-retardant suit now.

 

[SRTviper]

A workout hahaha...what a joke. You have never even driven one. How would you know?

I have driven a gen 4. And I really didn't enjoy it at all. It was like the GT3 RS I drove once. It is a street legal race car. And it is no fun to drive a race car on the street IMO. Some people will drive their ACRs all day on the street but it is not my cup of tea to be flailing about and dodging curbs and such every 5 seconds I am driving. Just because YOU CAN drive something on the street doesn't mean YOU SHOULD.

I'm cool with options, but the for many so far, the DCT kills the production of the manual because it's so expensive and they have to recoup the development costs of it. The Viper is too low volume to have both. So it will be one or the other.

The Viper was a workout because Randy had to fight the car in every turn. Not because he had to shift manually. You could see on the shots of his hands on the wheel that he had to wrestle the car around that track. That has nothing to do with the transmission and everything to do with the handling. I don't think the suspension needs redesign, I think they need to change the setup.

It seems that however they set the car up for the private test with MT is not the factory setting. They should do like Nissan and have a stock suspension setting and a more aggressive track setting that can be added for track rats. The track setting should be used for comparo's.

Yes that is what I mean by the viper is a work out. But worrying about shifting when also worrying about just controlling the car is a lot of input and stress. Yes I understand this is what real driving skill is but it can get tiring and tedious sometimes. Sometimes people just want to go fast and that is what is fun. Smooth is fast, and the viper does not appear to be smooth in any regard except maybe a straight line drag race.

 

[ACRucrazy]

I can't believe people are that upset when a $300.000 beat a SRT Viper. Just imagine what would happen if MT did a comparison to the $250,000 MP4-12C

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[SRTviper]

so we all have our ******* in a knot b/c a rag mag pitted the cheapest, least track ready Viper to the most expensive track ready SLS...shouldn't we sort of be proud it did so well. next time compare apples to apples. isn't that why they have weight classes in UFC, boxing, wrestling(real wrestling) etc??

I don't really think people are complaining about that it lost that was to be expected. It is just that Randy had such a higher difficulty in controlling the car is what made the viper look bad. Also if the zr1 was pitted against the SLS it probably would have tied or won so there is really nothing forgivable in this comparison. Now of course the TA would have been the better car to use but they probably couldn't get a hold of one. A well designed car is an easy car to drive. That is what the TA is apparently according to Randy. I think they should use the TA suspension on every viper because clearly SRT is capable of making a nice driving car so why do they have to be pushed to the extreme and be embarrassed publicly before they do it?