Newport Viper
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
700 700 700....Horsepower sells
700 700 700....Horsepower sells
" The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sales"
- Thread starter v10enomous
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Hoodoo Man
Viper Owner
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
You got that right! Horsepower has always sold. I think SRT missed an opportunity when they came out with 640 HP. If it was 700 horsepower it would stand out form the crowd and sales would likely be stellar. I think 700 HP would give the extra bit of 'special' that the Gen. V needs.
I'm not sure why they didn't make it 700, but as stated earlier in this thread, I do wonder if FIAT called this decision.
Larry
You got that right! Horsepower has always sold. I think SRT missed an opportunity when they came out with 640 HP. If it was 700 horsepower it would stand out form the crowd and sales would likely be stellar. I think 700 HP would give the extra bit of 'special' that the Gen. V needs.
I'm not sure why they didn't make it 700, but as stated earlier in this thread, I do wonder if FIAT called this decision.
Larry
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I'll preface this by saying, I've had a 97 GTS that I put ~40,000, aggressively driven, miles on. I haven't driven a Gen V yet but am scheduled to spend a weekend with one at the end of the month...
A few people have wisely touched on why, back in 92 and 96, those cars were shocking in the marketplace on paper. You had competition that still hadn't really gotten their minds out of the box of the fuel crisis, and in Europe's case, horrific displacement taxes (think of a recurring property tax based on engine displacement...). I bought my car in 2000 and it was absolutely shocking compared to what else was in the market - foreign or domestic.
Dodge came along and threw a big-block V10 in the mix?!? Steel tube chassis (race car), reasonable weight for a big block car, essentially a street-tuned race car suspension, all for in the 50-75K range? It was like lighting an M-80 in a room full of sparklers. I think Corvette owners (and perhaps Ford GT owners) really owe Dodge and huge "Thank you" because the evolution of Corvette (including the return to serious motorsport racing via ALMS/LM/GT Racing) is, in my opinion, directly attributable to the Viper program.
Many people (initially myself included) were so stunned by the car on paper, and also in real life capabilities (if you could really drive...), you were driving (or magazine racing) a "game changer" that would not only smoke anything this side of a F40 in a straight line, but went on to dominate GT racing via Team Oreca and also hold many production car records for some time (including slalom records!). The car was just a nightmare to Porsche owners in particular, which was quite satisfying given their typical smug lines about "winningist (sic) racing brand in history" (and I say this as an owner of a 09 Carrera S
).
Here is the thing that I didn't initially get, and maybe some of you may have not realized (or care to), and something I can say with almost absolute certainty that someone who has not spent significant seat time in the gen1/gen2 cars and developed significant skill level to exploit the performance of a gen2 in particular won't get: The car is not about magazine numbers. That was a red herring, it is a happy by-product of the design of a giant motor in a relatively small car.
The real story with Viper is: DRIVING EXPERIENCE. That is what the car is about, if it were about numbers it would be AWD, forced induction, electronic everything, dual clutch gearbox. The tradeoff with these modern cars is you are disconnected, it is hard to explain to someone who hasn't driven something really raw, something extremely capable but also fairly dangerous if not handled with great care, something that many people mistake for a bad car because it doesn't make their poor level of skill look good. You either get it or you don't.
Having driven/owned a wide variety of cars, including currently having a 09 Z06 that would crush my 97 GTS in every conceivable performance category, and staring into the abyss of modern supercars that are like playing a video game, I can tell you that if the Gen V can provide the raw experience and exhilaration of the older car, it is a massive success and I could care less if a F12 is faster or more comfortable or more x-y-z. This is a curtain call guys (how many other big block manual gearbox deathtraps are on the horizon?), and it may already be too late. I hate to say for sure since I haven't tasted the Gen V yet. I will drive this Gen V with one idea in mind, am I still driving the car and is the personality (i.e. engine/drivetrain) still so raw, direct, and compelling the way the old cars were?
I'll preface this by saying, I've had a 97 GTS that I put ~40,000, aggressively driven, miles on. I haven't driven a Gen V yet but am scheduled to spend a weekend with one at the end of the month...
A few people have wisely touched on why, back in 92 and 96, those cars were shocking in the marketplace on paper. You had competition that still hadn't really gotten their minds out of the box of the fuel crisis, and in Europe's case, horrific displacement taxes (think of a recurring property tax based on engine displacement...). I bought my car in 2000 and it was absolutely shocking compared to what else was in the market - foreign or domestic.
Dodge came along and threw a big-block V10 in the mix?!? Steel tube chassis (race car), reasonable weight for a big block car, essentially a street-tuned race car suspension, all for in the 50-75K range? It was like lighting an M-80 in a room full of sparklers. I think Corvette owners (and perhaps Ford GT owners) really owe Dodge and huge "Thank you" because the evolution of Corvette (including the return to serious motorsport racing via ALMS/LM/GT Racing) is, in my opinion, directly attributable to the Viper program.
Many people (initially myself included) were so stunned by the car on paper, and also in real life capabilities (if you could really drive...), you were driving (or magazine racing) a "game changer" that would not only smoke anything this side of a F40 in a straight line, but went on to dominate GT racing via Team Oreca and also hold many production car records for some time (including slalom records!). The car was just a nightmare to Porsche owners in particular, which was quite satisfying given their typical smug lines about "winningist (sic) racing brand in history" (and I say this as an owner of a 09 Carrera S
). Here is the thing that I didn't initially get, and maybe some of you may have not realized (or care to), and something I can say with almost absolute certainty that someone who has not spent significant seat time in the gen1/gen2 cars and developed significant skill level to exploit the performance of a gen2 in particular won't get: The car is not about magazine numbers. That was a red herring, it is a happy by-product of the design of a giant motor in a relatively small car.
The real story with Viper is: DRIVING EXPERIENCE. That is what the car is about, if it were about numbers it would be AWD, forced induction, electronic everything, dual clutch gearbox. The tradeoff with these modern cars is you are disconnected, it is hard to explain to someone who hasn't driven something really raw, something extremely capable but also fairly dangerous if not handled with great care, something that many people mistake for a bad car because it doesn't make their poor level of skill look good. You either get it or you don't.
Having driven/owned a wide variety of cars, including currently having a 09 Z06 that would crush my 97 GTS in every conceivable performance category, and staring into the abyss of modern supercars that are like playing a video game, I can tell you that if the Gen V can provide the raw experience and exhilaration of the older car, it is a massive success and I could care less if a F12 is faster or more comfortable or more x-y-z. This is a curtain call guys (how many other big block manual gearbox deathtraps are on the horizon?), and it may already be too late. I hate to say for sure since I haven't tasted the Gen V yet. I will drive this Gen V with one idea in mind, am I still driving the car and is the personality (i.e. engine/drivetrain) still so raw, direct, and compelling the way the old cars were?
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I'm thinking my sig block, while channeling a Scottish accent, should read: "You can take my magazine performance records, but you can never take, MY DRIVING EXPERIENCE"! Oh boy I'm really losing it...
I'm thinking my sig block, while channeling a Scottish accent, should read: "You can take my magazine performance records, but you can never take, MY DRIVING EXPERIENCE"! Oh boy I'm really losing it...
DEADEYE
Viper Owner
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Meh, call it a low brow opinion but to me It's simple. Back in its day, if you drove a Gen 1 or 2, you were the king of the road and everyone knew it. When you parked it, it was king of the lot and everyone knew it. That was what the Viper ownership experience once was. Nowadays, there's no "est" in any of its great making attributes. It's not the fastEST, strongEST, etc.
Perhaps people have memory loss but for the duration of gen 1 and 2 production, we had to make excuses for the handling characteristics of the car. Ironically, THOSE WERE THE GOLDEN YEARS". Give it 800 hp and if it flies off the track like the UFO that it looks like, hold on tight and make an excuse that mere earthlings can't handle the power because its out of this world lol.
Meh, call it a low brow opinion but to me It's simple. Back in its day, if you drove a Gen 1 or 2, you were the king of the road and everyone knew it. When you parked it, it was king of the lot and everyone knew it. That was what the Viper ownership experience once was. Nowadays, there's no "est" in any of its great making attributes. It's not the fastEST, strongEST, etc.
Perhaps people have memory loss but for the duration of gen 1 and 2 production, we had to make excuses for the handling characteristics of the car. Ironically, THOSE WERE THE GOLDEN YEARS". Give it 800 hp and if it flies off the track like the UFO that it looks like, hold on tight and make an excuse that mere earthlings can't handle the power because its out of this world lol.
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Boxer12
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I think the.driving experience depends a lot on where you live..in most places you can't even scratch the potential of the car which shines in the high speed category. So the parking lot experience is emphasized.
I think the.driving experience depends a lot on where you live..in most places you can't even scratch the potential of the car which shines in the high speed category. So the parking lot experience is emphasized.
DEADEYE
Viper Owner
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Regarding the actualization of the high speed potential, the thing is you didn't have to prove it! It was understood.
Regarding the actualization of the high speed potential, the thing is you didn't have to prove it! It was understood.
^^^^^This, well said
kratedisease
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
SO TRUE !! The gen 5 Viper is no longer the KING of every performance test and is NO longer a Supercar
When I bought my 1997 GTS, I remember reading MotorTrend and also watching MotorTrend TV where the Viper KILLED the competition in every test except braking ( no ABS)
The car was a star, a comet.
I remember Car and Driver magazine even pitted it against a sport bike since no car came close to its performance. I still have all those back issues and videos. And I remember Car and Driver stating that the Viper could "distort and bend time" because they could not believe how fast it was.
SRT dropped the ball by not making the GEN 5 750 or 800 HP.
HUGE MARKING MISTAKE.
I would put up with the tight interior and low hanging roofline and buy the car if it KILLED every other car , BUT it does NOT ANYMORE.
SO TRUE !! The gen 5 Viper is no longer the KING of every performance test and is NO longer a Supercar
When I bought my 1997 GTS, I remember reading MotorTrend and also watching MotorTrend TV where the Viper KILLED the competition in every test except braking ( no ABS)
The car was a star, a comet.
I remember Car and Driver magazine even pitted it against a sport bike since no car came close to its performance. I still have all those back issues and videos. And I remember Car and Driver stating that the Viper could "distort and bend time" because they could not believe how fast it was.
SRT dropped the ball by not making the GEN 5 750 or 800 HP.
HUGE MARKING MISTAKE.
I would put up with the tight interior and low hanging roofline and buy the car if it KILLED every other car , BUT it does NOT ANYMORE.
ViperSmith
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
They should have made it 1205 HP, that would have shown everyone.
They should have made it 1205 HP, that would have shown everyone.
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I understand your sentiment, I too had this line of feeling/thinking back in what really was a golden age for Viper in terms of pure performance versus just about everything you could encounter on public roads. It was like you had a gun and everyone else came to the fight with a knife. I was a lot younger then, and my priorities and mindset were more related to going around and stomping other cars
Those days are long gone, yet the gen2 GTS is still my favorite car, regardless of the laundry list of flaws. The car had personality like nothing I had ever driven prior and since. The closest thing I can think of is a late 90s Diablo SV in terms of personality and theatrics. The gen2 feeling when you stomp the pedal in second gear at 3,500 rpm,from 3,500-5,000 rpm, is simply biblical and I'm suspecting not possible to fully replicate on a modern version due to electronic throttle, emissions concerns impacting tuning, variable valve timing changing the power curve, etc. I'm quite curious to see if the gen V still has the raw edge, I almost can't believe it does if for no other reason than the lack of real throttle cable (I realize the claims that they tuned the electronic throttle to act like a linear cable have been made by SRT, so I will validate this) and all of the engine changes.
Honestly though, I think if you seek "King of the Hill" status, then this product is actually not for you. I don't believe their intention with the gen1/gen2 cars was to obtain this status either (versus something like a McLaren F1 or Bugatti Veyron, which were purposely built with penultimate performance status in mind). The idea was to make something back to basics, fun as hell to drive, and something that almost required a professional racing driver level of skill to fully extract the performance. That in turn means, if you do something really cool with the car, the level of satisfaction is so much greater than today's "King of the Hill" car (arguably the Nissan GTR, a great car in many ways, but a sign of the times).
Driving a gen1/2 in anger on the street, and making back in one piece is quite a rewarding experience and it keeps you coming back for more. That is the real story here, not what is the King car, but who is the King driver, and who do you respect more: Someone who can hang a gen2 GTS out at the edge, or a R35 GTR? One is so much easier than the other to drive, and one will make the average driver look great while the other one might kill him. If you don't want to be a part of the process, why not just magazine race or play Gran Turismo?
I understand your sentiment, I too had this line of feeling/thinking back in what really was a golden age for Viper in terms of pure performance versus just about everything you could encounter on public roads. It was like you had a gun and everyone else came to the fight with a knife. I was a lot younger then, and my priorities and mindset were more related to going around and stomping other cars
Those days are long gone, yet the gen2 GTS is still my favorite car, regardless of the laundry list of flaws. The car had personality like nothing I had ever driven prior and since. The closest thing I can think of is a late 90s Diablo SV in terms of personality and theatrics. The gen2 feeling when you stomp the pedal in second gear at 3,500 rpm,from 3,500-5,000 rpm, is simply biblical and I'm suspecting not possible to fully replicate on a modern version due to electronic throttle, emissions concerns impacting tuning, variable valve timing changing the power curve, etc. I'm quite curious to see if the gen V still has the raw edge, I almost can't believe it does if for no other reason than the lack of real throttle cable (I realize the claims that they tuned the electronic throttle to act like a linear cable have been made by SRT, so I will validate this) and all of the engine changes.
Honestly though, I think if you seek "King of the Hill" status, then this product is actually not for you. I don't believe their intention with the gen1/gen2 cars was to obtain this status either (versus something like a McLaren F1 or Bugatti Veyron, which were purposely built with penultimate performance status in mind). The idea was to make something back to basics, fun as hell to drive, and something that almost required a professional racing driver level of skill to fully extract the performance. That in turn means, if you do something really cool with the car, the level of satisfaction is so much greater than today's "King of the Hill" car (arguably the Nissan GTR, a great car in many ways, but a sign of the times).
Driving a gen1/2 in anger on the street, and making back in one piece is quite a rewarding experience and it keeps you coming back for more. That is the real story here, not what is the King car, but who is the King driver, and who do you respect more: Someone who can hang a gen2 GTS out at the edge, or a R35 GTR? One is so much easier than the other to drive, and one will make the average driver look great while the other one might kill him. If you don't want to be a part of the process, why not just magazine race or play Gran Turismo?
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kratedisease
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
enter ebay item number 151088620739 and see how they are selling for $8000 off sticker brand new from a chrysler dealer
enter ebay item number 151088620739 and see how they are selling for $8000 off sticker brand new from a chrysler dealer
former345bhpLS1
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I think that "MARKETING MISTAKE" implies passing on the opportunity to produce a 750 hp viper when you can comfortably say that the opportunity never existed.
The Gen V makes 640 hp (probably slightly underrated, but all the Vipers are underrated) because thats how much power they could squeeze out of the engine with their budget and limitations of passing emissions / reliability minimums.
750+ hp might be possible with a twin-turbo or supercharged V8 / V10 (that probably would have gone over well around here) or a hybrid powertrain (again a VCA crowd pleaser). Any of those approaches would have fundamentally changed the personality of the car and Ralph Gilles has said that keeping the cars personality was a top priority.
Plus, if the corvette has taught me anything, it's that adding a lot more power to a rear-drive, manual transmission power train does not seem to change the core numbers much.
Case in point, R&T tested a Z06 and a ZR1 on the same day with the same driver in their April 2012 issue. The ZR1 is 100 lbs heavier, but has a 133 more BHP (rated bhp), and closer spaced gear ratios. All that extra power earned the ZR1 0.1 sec quicker to 60 and 0.3 sec in the 1/4 mile with 4 mph more trapspeed.
If you want to really shorten acceleration times and use 800 hp, you need AWD and a DCT system, plus traction management and all the crap that every other fast car forces you to buy.
The good news is that if you want a very fast car with all that stuff, there are lots of options (GTR, 458 italia, 991 Porsche 911, new 911 GT3, McLaren MP4#&^..., Ferrari F12, Mercedes SLS, etc).
I'm just glad someone still makes a fast powerful car with a manual transmission, because if you want a manual sports car that makes >600 hp you only have one option in 2013...
I think that "MARKETING MISTAKE" implies passing on the opportunity to produce a 750 hp viper when you can comfortably say that the opportunity never existed.
The Gen V makes 640 hp (probably slightly underrated, but all the Vipers are underrated) because thats how much power they could squeeze out of the engine with their budget and limitations of passing emissions / reliability minimums.
750+ hp might be possible with a twin-turbo or supercharged V8 / V10 (that probably would have gone over well around here) or a hybrid powertrain (again a VCA crowd pleaser). Any of those approaches would have fundamentally changed the personality of the car and Ralph Gilles has said that keeping the cars personality was a top priority.
Plus, if the corvette has taught me anything, it's that adding a lot more power to a rear-drive, manual transmission power train does not seem to change the core numbers much.
Case in point, R&T tested a Z06 and a ZR1 on the same day with the same driver in their April 2012 issue. The ZR1 is 100 lbs heavier, but has a 133 more BHP (rated bhp), and closer spaced gear ratios. All that extra power earned the ZR1 0.1 sec quicker to 60 and 0.3 sec in the 1/4 mile with 4 mph more trapspeed.
If you want to really shorten acceleration times and use 800 hp, you need AWD and a DCT system, plus traction management and all the crap that every other fast car forces you to buy.
The good news is that if you want a very fast car with all that stuff, there are lots of options (GTR, 458 italia, 991 Porsche 911, new 911 GT3, McLaren MP4#&^..., Ferrari F12, Mercedes SLS, etc).
I'm just glad someone still makes a fast powerful car with a manual transmission, because if you want a manual sports car that makes >600 hp you only have one option in 2013...
ViperSmith
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
former345bhpLS1, I don't get why it escapes people. This isn't 1992 anymore. More HP doesn't mean what it used to anymore. RWD cars are approaching the limits of physics.
Everyone wants to remember the good ole days when just tossing 100 more hp on a car meant it dominated everything.
Sorry, this is 2013 and it just isn't reality anymore. 100 more HP wouldn't do a whole lot for the Viper.
former345bhpLS1, I don't get why it escapes people. This isn't 1992 anymore. More HP doesn't mean what it used to anymore. RWD cars are approaching the limits of physics.
Everyone wants to remember the good ole days when just tossing 100 more hp on a car meant it dominated everything.
Sorry, this is 2013 and it just isn't reality anymore. 100 more HP wouldn't do a whole lot for the Viper.
DEADEYE
Viper Owner
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
We know that. We still want 1500 hp LOL. Viper is all about excess! We know that if it had 800 hp, it would be flying off the lots despite the law of diminishing returns on hp. Forget 2013! Bring back 1996!
We know that. We still want 1500 hp LOL. Viper is all about excess! We know that if it had 800 hp, it would be flying off the lots despite the law of diminishing returns on hp. Forget 2013! Bring back 1996!
Policy Limits
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Just throwing more horsepower at it isn't going to cut it. there's a bigger value in engineering and in suspension. think of all the new cars that do zero to 60 in two seconds: the McLaren, the GT-R, etc. they have less hp than some mustangs but can eat one for breakfast.
personally i'm fine with not having the fastest car out there; I bought it for many other reasons.
Just throwing more horsepower at it isn't going to cut it. there's a bigger value in engineering and in suspension. think of all the new cars that do zero to 60 in two seconds: the McLaren, the GT-R, etc. they have less hp than some mustangs but can eat one for breakfast.
personally i'm fine with not having the fastest car out there; I bought it for many other reasons.
v10enomous
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I don't recall any automotive writer, publisher or test driver saying that the GenV needs more horsepower
I don't recall any automotive writer, publisher or test driver saying that the GenV needs more horsepower
Newport Viper
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Well at least the 2 of us get it..... LOL
Every mag would have lead with "The new Viper returns with 700HP!" That would have envoked the dream again. (Yes it would take more $$ to make a new motor but, they would "fly" off the lots) Instead they return with the same HP as the Vette... Stupid!! Now the new Vette ZR1 will kill it,,,,,, Groan
Interiors don't sell.... You will see a collapse in the GTS in resale value. I don't see tons of people coming on here saying "Hey I dropped buying Porches becuase the Viper has a Fab interior. Where are all those ("the new customer SRT wants") guys? They aren't posting here.... cause there aren't any....
I'm just pissed because I feel the car will get killed off after a short 3-4 year run
Well at least the 2 of us get it..... LOL
Every mag would have lead with "The new Viper returns with 700HP!" That would have envoked the dream again. (Yes it would take more $$ to make a new motor but, they would "fly" off the lots) Instead they return with the same HP as the Vette... Stupid!! Now the new Vette ZR1 will kill it,,,,,, Groan
Interiors don't sell.... You will see a collapse in the GTS in resale value. I don't see tons of people coming on here saying "Hey I dropped buying Porches becuase the Viper has a Fab interior. Where are all those ("the new customer SRT wants") guys? They aren't posting here.... cause there aren't any....
I'm just pissed because I feel the car will get killed off after a short 3-4 year run
kratedisease
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
...........BINGO
...........BINGO
kratedisease
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Horsepower sells cars. the more powerful the better.
No one ever complained about a sports car with too much power, too much brakes, too much handling, too much of anything...
with sports cars, more is usually more and the only less is more is weight.
Horsepower sells cars. the more powerful the better.
No one ever complained about a sports car with too much power, too much brakes, too much handling, too much of anything...
with sports cars, more is usually more and the only less is more is weight.
kratedisease
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I wonder how many Vipers would sell if they had 475hp on launch of the gen5 ? none.
If hp does not matter then why not just tune the engine down so that the crossover buyers are not intimidated by the raw power ? (sarcasm)
I wonder how many Vipers would sell if they had 475hp on launch of the gen5 ? none.
If hp does not matter then why not just tune the engine down so that the crossover buyers are not intimidated by the raw power ? (sarcasm)
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
They're not buying one.
I don't recall any automotive writer, publisher or test driver saying that the GenV needs more horsepower
They're not buying one.
viper GTS-R
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Better call Ford right now. That 4-cyl turbo Mustang coming out soon isn't going to sell well then.
--RS
Better call Ford right now. That 4-cyl turbo Mustang coming out soon isn't going to sell well then.
--RS
ViperSmith
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
This is news to me, it is exactly what got me to pull the trigger on the new Gen V. Power was never the issue.
This is news to me, it is exactly what got me to pull the trigger on the new Gen V. Power was never the issue.
HogWhisperer
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I guess ignorance is bliss... and boy am I blissful! You say the interior is no big deal? Ok. You say that we should have been treated with 750 HP that blows all comers away from the get go? Ok... But what what about this little tidbit that you cannot measure on the butt numbness and cup holder meter or a chassis dyno? The ******* on the windshield factor... Yeah, that's right, the ******* on the windshield factor. Last night on my way back to the hotel in Austin I was inundated with ******* on the windshield. So much so that I had to have a police ****** while running my windshield wipers in 98 degree heat, ******* stuck on the wiper blades, flying back and forth like a checkered flag at Daytona in February... Let's see your Ford Mustakes, your Chebi part-time 4 bangers, your German wedgies or your Eye-talyan shetlands do that! Had I not had traction control and electronic stabilization I am pretty sure I would have been doing donuts on 6th street thanks to the ******* that did not make it to the car but littered the road surface below the 19" 355's with only a paltry 640 naturally aspirated HP. Man am I glad I don't have a huffer on the hisser.
On a side bar and in keeping with ethical truth in advertising, when we got back to the hotel and were letting the valet boys harvest the undies before putting the snake up for the night, they found two or three pairs of crusty BVD's... Oh well, this is downtown Austin... Guess ya gotta take the good with the bad. I think next time I come to Austin for some downtown fun I will drive the Shelby GT-500 KR so I can enjoy a little anonymity and peace and quiet.
I guess ignorance is bliss... and boy am I blissful! You say the interior is no big deal? Ok. You say that we should have been treated with 750 HP that blows all comers away from the get go? Ok... But what what about this little tidbit that you cannot measure on the butt numbness and cup holder meter or a chassis dyno? The ******* on the windshield factor... Yeah, that's right, the ******* on the windshield factor. Last night on my way back to the hotel in Austin I was inundated with ******* on the windshield. So much so that I had to have a police ****** while running my windshield wipers in 98 degree heat, ******* stuck on the wiper blades, flying back and forth like a checkered flag at Daytona in February... Let's see your Ford Mustakes, your Chebi part-time 4 bangers, your German wedgies or your Eye-talyan shetlands do that! Had I not had traction control and electronic stabilization I am pretty sure I would have been doing donuts on 6th street thanks to the ******* that did not make it to the car but littered the road surface below the 19" 355's with only a paltry 640 naturally aspirated HP. Man am I glad I don't have a huffer on the hisser.
On a side bar and in keeping with ethical truth in advertising, when we got back to the hotel and were letting the valet boys harvest the undies before putting the snake up for the night, they found two or three pairs of crusty BVD's... Oh well, this is downtown Austin... Guess ya gotta take the good with the bad. I think next time I come to Austin for some downtown fun I will drive the Shelby GT-500 KR so I can enjoy a little anonymity and peace and quiet.
VRYALT3R3D
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
I personally think one of the reasons they aren't selling well is the mental block when you reach $100,000+ for a car.
I personally think one of the reasons they aren't selling well is the mental block when you reach $100,000+ for a car.
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/652351-Only-640-hp-***
No but we viper owners did! I know why I didnt buy one. I had the option of selling my gen4 and buying one for cash but decided to take that $$ and make my 700hp gen 4 a little faster
WELL SAID! Should have been a cool 700 hp! We all know Fiat is the reason it is not! Heck, Ralph joked about it during the reveal in NY!
I don't recall any automotive writer, publisher or test driver saying that the GenV needs more horsepower
http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/652351-Only-640-hp-***
No but we viper owners did! I know why I didnt buy one. I had the option of selling my gen4 and buying one for cash but decided to take that $$ and make my 700hp gen 4 a little faster
WELL SAID! Should have been a cool 700 hp! We all know Fiat is the reason it is not! Heck, Ralph joked about it during the reveal in NY!
ViperSmith
Enthusiast
Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
Thank golly they put more HP in the TA so it went faster than the SRT and GTS at Laguna and beat the ZR1! HP wins the day again!
Thank golly they put more HP in the TA so it went faster than the SRT and GTS at Laguna and beat the ZR1! HP wins the day again!
Hey, I am still excited about my one year triple five coupe in the garage. Is the 08 with more HP and style changes exciting, heck yes. Who says SRT doesn't have more HP in the works. I'd love to have a Gen V in the garage... Just need another bay and some cash! I hope to see some Gen V's under the tent at Mopar Nats next week.
VRYALT3R3D
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Re: " The new Viper is exotic and curvy, but the glory days are gone at least by sale
It is the same recipe that made the ACR a success
It is the same recipe that made the ACR a success
