Surprising Drive Home Today

[Mutts02GTS]

I wanted to share with you guys and gals an experience I had today driving home. I was merging onto I-80 West headed home, four lane section of I-80, I was in the far right lane looking for room to move over and drop the pedal.. just a bit. checking the rearview and side mirror for an opening when I see an Eclispe flying up on the inside lane. I decided to just hug the center lane until he went by and then drop in behind him, he gets right up to my drivers door and does a sharp nose dive getting on the brakes, *** I wonder, I look over and he is giving me "Thumbs-Up" on the car, I give a smile and a head nod of approval thinking he'll move on. He pulls out a video camera, turns it on, turns the screen to show me that he is recording and starts to record my car, Red with Silver Stripes. He slows down in the left lane to record the left side of my car, drops in behind me then moves to the right and pulls up beside me, he then pulls ahead and changes lanes to the left, he is now in front of me holding the camera to the rear to video my car from the front, he moves back to the inside lane and slows down to give me the "Thumbs-Up" again and then departs at a high rate of speed. I was stopped last Friday by CHP in this same area, no ticket, so I just kept my speed constant with traffic and watched him drive off into traffic ahead of us.
I have owned my car almost two months, had wanted one for years and years, I'm still amazed at the respect and fascination this car draws just for being itself. What would have made the experience complete would have been if a Vette was in the neighborhood, but no such luck, I know it kills those guys when this type of thing happens. I've owned a Vette, Porsche, Camaro, 72 Charger, but NOTHING compares to my Viper, it was well worth the wait! Now I have to get the wife to let me buy another one so I can have TWO!! Take care! Jeff

 

[BlknBlu]

I thought you were going to say you rear ended a car after passing thru a tunnel and totaled your car.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRa7HnvYsvk[/media]

Bruce

 

[10SecSleeper]

Cool story, I just got mine, and it gets so much attention. My Z06 didn't get a 10th as much. I can go in any store and come out and have people circling my car. As if they never seen such a thing. An truth be told I've only see a few on the street in my life.

 

[Mutts02GTS]

BlknBlu, nope that wasn't me! I did see that video though, poor Viper, stupid owner...

 

[goldcup]

The reactions still amaze me after four years! Putting gas in the car is a fourty minute ordeal. The number of times I've looked over to see cameras is amazing it used to freak my wife out I told her I get that everywhere. People are taken with the car, quite the compliment to the original designer! Having seen the Gen V I can tell you it will affect the public the same way!

 

[DrumrBoy]

There was a thread a while back about onlookers who paid so much attention to the Viper that they actually crashed into something ahead (that they weren't paying attention to). It happens - so enjoy the attention but don't trust the onlookers...keep an eye on them too!

 

[1994viper]

There was a thread a while back about onlookers who paid so much attention to the Viper that they actually crashed into something ahead (that they weren't paying attention to). It happens - so enjoy the attention but don't trust the onlookers...keep an eye on them too!

Yes I remember those also. One of the guys here "caused" 2 accidents in one day. I only "cassed" one.

 

[Bird325]

Every time I go out people gather, take pics, thumbs up, pace me on the highway ... it all happens and it's great. If you aren't already aware of it, people steer in the direction that they are looking. This is a law of nature and having ridden sport bikes for years, I've seen this in action many times. Watch out for people following you or next to you just to get a better look at your car. I've had them come across the line from being too engrossed in the looks of the Viper. I've also had many get WAY too close behind me.... when this happens, turn on your hazzard lights for a few blinks (much safer than any of the other options I've heard). This usually makes the other driver realize that they were too close and they either back off or go around.

 

[Sabera]

Try driving a Viper in Europe. This car is absolutely one of the rarest cars to spot on the road. Imagine if you'd park it here somewhere .

 

[DrumrBoy]

Try driving a Viper in Europe. This car is absolutely one of the rarest cars to spot on the road. Imagine if you'd park it here somewhere .

Mie is pretty loud, I'd LOVE to take it through those really narrow streets in Zurich.....the 16th century cobblestones might eat up the alignment though

 

[BlknBlu]

Yes I remember those also. One of the guys here "caused" 2 accidents in one day. I only "cassed" one.

That was me that happened to. It made me nervous till the car was in the garage.

Bruce

 

[Mutts02GTS]

Mike,
Yes, I have already had the tailgaters from hell, no more than 15-20 feet off my bumper, makes me nervous as well. I'm thinking.. "Go around and get off my ****!" I've always joked with the guys at work about bad drivers, I told them one cure would be to have "Hands-Free" phones in the vehicles and your license plate would be your phone number! I think it would make for some pretty interesting conversations like "Why are you sitting in the left lane?!...MOVE... I was stationed in Germany for four years and I really like that style of driving, you can't pass on the right and if you are not passing someone you have to move to the right for faster traffic, I truly miss that...Jeff

 

[Craig]

Embrace it, it's part of owning a viper. Vipers seem to be really rare here in North West Ohio, I'm lucky to see 3-4 a year aside from my own. The attention is unreal. I too used to own a C5 Zo6 Vette before upgrading to the viper, and am very glad I did. You can't even compare the amount of attention the viper draws over the Zo6.

 

[Sabera]

Mie is pretty loud, I'd LOVE to take it through those really narrow streets in Zurich.....the 16th century cobblestones might eat up the alignment though

No doubt about that! And on top of that, some of those roads got holes that can hide a motorcycle too .

 

[J&R3xV10]

Mike,
Yes, I have already had the tailgaters from hell, no more than 15-20 feet off my bumper, makes me nervous as well. I'm thinking.. "Go around and get off my ****!" I've always joked with the guys at work about bad drivers, I told them one cure would be to have "Hands-Free" phones in the vehicles and your license plate would be your phone number! I think it would make for some pretty interesting conversations like "Why are you sitting in the left lane?!...MOVE... I was stationed in Germany for four years and I really like that style of driving, you can't pass on the right and if you are not passing someone you have to move to the right for faster traffic, I truly miss that...Jeff

That much room would be fantastic in Las Vegas!! Good, polite drivers rarely give that much space. Tailgaters here stick on you at about 3-4 feet! Sometimes I think I have a backseat in the viper.