Those of you who went from a Gen 2 Coupe to a Gen 4 Coupe...

[FinalEd357]

I'm back into Viper-ownership!!! Put a deposit on an '08 Coupe today. Should be finalizing things tomorrow and delivered next week. I've loved my previous '02 FE GTS coupes. Have always been tempted to go Gen IV but hesitated based on falling in love with the Gen 2 style growing up.

If you have made this same switch (or similar) what has been your biggest surprise in the Gen IV coupe? I have sat in one, but never ridden in or driven. I am so anxious to get behind the wheel next week. Power, braking, handling, comfort, acceleration... What made you or continues to make you happy about going Gen IV? Was there something even better than the review and obvious things mentioned earlier? I'm reallly looking forward to the responses.

Thanks!
John

 

[AbsolutHank]

What are the specs on your gen IV? Color/mileage/region?

Congrats!

 

[Steve-Indy]

Torque on Gen IV moved higher in RPM band...takes off like a rocket at 3800 RPM...MAY scare you first time you discover this.

Brakes are MUCH better !!

While I love our Gen II's...the IV's have it all going on in my opinion.

 

[A1998]

My Gen IV seemed to drive nicer, more comfortable, more power, not nearly the cabin heat build up! ( A/C much better). I went for the Gen IV for mainly 2 reasons. #1 I love the look of the car. #2 I really like and appreciate all the technology that went into the car. ( Engine Cam in Cam, New Tranny, New Rear end, etc) Don't get me wrong, I'll always like my old Sneaky Pete as it was a great car also.

 

[Cobraken]

Except arguably the looks of the GTS, the gen 4 is all round just a much better, faster car. It is also more comfortable with less cabin heat and pedals not so offset to the left.

 

[Timnineside]

There are several threads on this. The general outcome is people are happy with the switch. I went from my 99 GTS to my 08 coupe and love it! I think a lot depends on what your doing with the car as well. I daily drive my car a lot with some 1/4 and some track days once a month in the summer. Both cars suffice for this however the 08 just feels like a better all around car. I guess that's what 10 years of refinement will do.

-Tim

 

[agentf1]

My Gen IV seemed to drive nicer, more comfortable, more power, not nearly the cabin heat build up! ( A/C much better). I went for the Gen IV for mainly 2 reasons. #1 I love the look of the car. #2 I really like and appreciate all the technology that went into the car. ( Engine Cam in Cam, New Tranny, New Rear end, etc) Don't get me wrong, I'll always like my old Sneaky Pete as it was a great car also.

How can the AC be any better than a Gen II, my AC freezes me out of the car. I also have no cabin heat issues but I do have Random Tech cats and had them installed before I took delivery of the car so I do not know how it was prior to that.

I love my Gen II and do not think a Gen IV or V would ever take its place. I drove a gen IV and while it is a little quicker I did not think it was that big a deal. It was not "Callaway" quicker. Sorry I do not have a better comparison.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

While my slightly modified 2000 was the bomb for me, the 2008 ACR is mindblowing. They're right about then VVT it kicks in at about 3,500 rpm and feels like a turbo at first, completely stock I destroyed my Gen 2 track times.

 

[MoparMap]

My comparison is a little different (my mom's 94 vs my 04, so both open tops and different gens), but I was pretty surprised the differences in just how they felt to sit in. The old gen 1 almost feels like you're sitting up kind of higher or something. I've noticed my knees are bent pretty decently and my feet seem to be several inches lower than the seat. My 04 feels a little lower (stock seats in both), but I still notice the bent knees. The higher offset in the pedals is also interesting, but I think you'd get over it pretty quick as you get used to the car. One other thing that got me about the pedals is that it feels like mine have waaaay more travel than the older cars. I had a hard time getting them adjusted because I needed the clutch so close to me to start with that my leg wouldn't go straight under full travel and lock my knee (6' tall), but that put the gas pedal too far foward and would make my ankle hurt on longer drives. I've since gotten creative and adjusted them independently. I found the power difference pretty noticeable one day when I drove both cars back to back. I daily drive mine to work and usually have a little fun on one on-ramp and I took my mom's on the same ramp and just kind of felt like there was something missing. It's still dang fast and interesting to try to keep up with her when she drives it though, lol.

 

[Landman]

I just switched from a modified 02 GTS to an 06 Bumble Bee coupe. I had never driven a GenIII or a GenIV before this car showed up at my house, so I obviously made the trade due to the newer and more modern look of the GenIII. Now after driving my new car a few times, I can say there are many differences. Power, comfort, ride quality, braking, cabin temperatures, a/c, and the list goes on. This is obviously just my opinion, but there isn't a day that I miss either of my GenII's.

 

[MoparMap]

The main decision for me came down to the fact that I wanted windows because I planned to drive the car all the time. I know the gen 2's had them, but I liked the idea of a bigger footbox as well for some extra comfort. Side by side I like aspects of both and wish you could mix them, which is a lot like the gen 5 did, but that's a long way away from my pocketbook.

 

[FinalEd357]

Thanks for the responses. The car was delivered Tuesday and I drove it 1 mile home. Yesterday, drove about 60 miles roundtrip to the Prefix tour with our MCVO group. Car feels like it has a lot more power than my '02 but all I can say is it is 'different' to drive. I felt very jerky on the clutch and shifting for the first few miles due to the shorter shifter and closer gears. Steering, braking, suspension feels awesome. Was doing 88-90 mph and car was idling under 1,500rpm. I love the look of the '08 hood, especially when driving - feels like I'm driving the bat mobile. Taking my wife out tonight for date night and her first spin - anxious for her feedback. The solid red is really growing on me - thought I might be disappointed compared to my previous red/white stripes. Can't wait for warmer weather and more spirited driving... The BEST QUOTE of the day when my surprised 5 year old walked out and saw it - "That thing is AWESOME DAD!!!!"

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[SLViper]

Congrats on the New Viper!
Just give it a little more gas and your launch will smooth out quickly. You will downshift alot less with the Gen IV.
I too love the view over the hood. They vents look great and are functional as well, allowing all that heat to rise up off the V10. This can take some getting used to as you look through the heat distorted air at stop lights. That and the sound of the 600 HP rumbling out the side pipes is intoxicating. Makes your fight foot heavy!

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Enjoy the Ride!

 

[ViperGTS]

The Gen-2 drives like sh*t compared to the Gen-4.

What do you expect with decades between the cars?
I love to switch between them daily! In summer...