Since you can't buy runcraps anymore the differences between the 1,2,3 and 4 Vipers are much less because of the PS2s. If you buy cheaper tires that changes. Once you get rid of the 17s, heavyweight 18s and upgrade your Gen 2 brakes to the lighweight 14" slotted brakes (what the new ACRs got) the cars get much closer in handling as before 2001 the brakes were the worst thing about the early Vipers and only getting .8 Gs of stopping.
The stock Cats are terrible and after they've been changed the performance and comfort levels go up in the older ones the most.
The older cars that get driven get better with the newer tires, wheels, brakes, exhaust and hp improvments. Good thing that those junk Gen 3 tires (that allowed the vette to come close) are obsoleted. Chuck told me that the /gen 1 tires were much worse than runcraps so thank god all Vipers that wear out their tires can't buy those old low traction junk tires anymore! My first GTS was a 600rwhp roe sc'd 98 GTS nearly stock except Gen 3 tires and wheels, exhaust, brakes, stereo and sc. Awesome car although I had a few scary experiences when I accidently lost control at high speeds due to NO traction. Those tires would spin at any speed in any 4 gears under 100mph. Wiped out car when the runcraps hydroplaned in deep puddles on the highway at 60mph and we spun out and head-on'd a Semi. New PS1s on my Sapphire 700+ GTS and it had some traction about 80mph! It did scare the sh*t our of me when I floored it at 40mph in 4th and it light up the tires and I lost control because there was no tracion. Then JonB convinced me to buy some PS2s, wow! I can usually get traction in second gear closer to the top.
With my brakes, power, Bluetooth stereo, VR1s with PS2s,and exhaust I think my car is equal and better than all Gens. Course I know the wife prefers the ACR because it is much 'tamer' and quieter. So not everyone would like my Gen 2. We're all different, but with the Gen 4 developed tires, the Gen 3 brakes, and Gen 2 (ACR) susp. improvments most older Vipers easily outperform the OLD tests. If the Gen 2 gets .4 sec on the drag strip and 20' shorter stopping from 14" brakes and PS2s the old tests are a joke.
As far as vettes go ... As reported in Viper Magazine and byn the Wash VCA the new ZR1 seems to have trouble making 540rwhp (not Bhp) on a dyno. So the BEST EVER vette is about equal to a Viper. Watching the standard Viper race the best ever (not a Z06) was disappointing as the vette only won because the driver of the Viper spun the tires a little too much. I've never seen a Gen 3 lose to a Z06. All the magazines and tv tests showed that the cheaper Z06 lost all the road track and drag strip races and what made the Z06 "compare better" was the cushy seats and the ESC and TC (computer drives for the BAD, inexperienced driver). TC and ESC make the car slower and safer. No Viper has a slower/worse performance (except ABS) system that puposely applies the brakes during acceleration tests.
The vettes NEED the TC for runcrap Goodyear traction problems. Of course the ZR1 did come equipped with Viper designed PS2s.
Ted
