Viper vs. Cobra vs. Corvette Review

[viperct2001]

http://edmunds.nytimes.com/reviews/comparison/articles/89505/article.html

Well if you can call this a review. According to the article it started to rain, so they didn't get all their road tests in.

Anyway, once again the Corvette was picked for first place. The trashed the Viper for the same ole' sh-t. i.e. hot cabin, difficult to master, less refined than a Corvette.

In order words, they're pandering to the 5,000,000 Corvette owners. Don't want them to cry foul for coming in second. The Viper will never win one of these American car shootouts/reviews. There are just too many Corvette owners, and potential buyers of Corvettes. These magazines "push" mass-produced cars (over exotics) just to pander to the car manufacturers. After all, they pay the magazine "bills" with advertising dollars. Objective? My ****!

These reviews are so subjective to begin with. How can you compare a $80,000 car with a $51,000 car? Or even worse, compare it with a $31,000 Cobra SVT? Too bad GM doesn't create a "super" Corvette for $80,000 so then they can compare "apples to apples" when comparing a Viper to a Vette.

 

[Magicboy2]

>How can you compare a $80,000 car with a $51,000 car?

You can compare them because they are very close performance wise.

PS- I am not a Vette lover, just being objective.

 

[Magicboy2]

Oh, and this quote from the article sums it up very well:

"The fact that [the Viper] loses points because its capabilities are beyond the reach of our driving skills might be a little unfair..."

 

[viperct2001]

>>You can compare them because they are very close performance wise.


Yeah, I know, I know. But if performance is a major reason for comparison, then the Viper should win EVERY time in viritually every performance category.

So ok, maybe they also include "styling" into the equation.

Ok, Viper handily beats the Cobra (no doubt), and beats the Corvette as well.. So it can't be "styling" that made the Corvette win.

So what does that leave? That leaves "drivability" and "cost".

Well, as for "drivability" you don't buy an EXOTIC to drive it every day. Well you could, but it's just a different animal. And drivability shouldn't be such a major factor in deciding the winner.

They obviously factored in "cost" or "value" into the equation. I say, for $80,000, the value of 500HP Viper (an exotic) beats most other exotics by >$50,000!!

I think they factored "cost" and "value" too highly. Performance and styling should reign supreme!

 

[treynor]

Although I love our Vipers, let's be fair here. The Z06 is a very good car, and does a lot of things well. It's got 90-95% of the performance of an SRT, it's easier to drive fast in the twisties (stability control), and the suspension and creature comforts are more suited to a daily driver.

That said, I find both the RT and the SRT are just fine as daily drivers. And I love convertibles, which you can't have if you get a Z06.

> Well, as for "drivability" you don't buy an EXOTIC to drive it every day.

Speak for yourself -- we most certainly do.

 

[vipah]

This caption is why I don't care for the new Viper:

"We like the fact that the Viper is now a more complete sports car rather than just a spec racer with a license plate."

Personally I just want raw performance and some killer looks. If I wanted the cruiser I would get something different. The latest car that looks to fit this bill is the Ford GT.

Sorry DC, but I think you lost your way on the Viper program. I know this isn't the view of everyone, nor for the mass market, but I didn't think that was what the Viper was originally intended.

 

[ChrisGTS]

I don't get upset about articles like this, but there is one thing that really annoys me. Magazines perpetually say that the Viper is totally unsuited to daily driving, gets too hot, and rides too rough. I drive mine every day on city streets and I think it is perfectly fine. The ride is not any bumpier than my Z06 was. The only thing that really is an annoyance about driving it every day is its terrible gas mileage, but I can easily deal with that.
At least the Edmunds tests solidly confirm that the Viper can substantially outpace the Z06 in terms of performance. For most us us, that is the most important factor in deciding between the two. It certainly was for me.

 

[viperct2001]

I'm not saying the Corvette is a bad car. It's a great sports car, especially for the price. My problem with these "reviews" is that they come up with an "overall" winner based on the reviewers "opinion".

For some drivers the Corvette is best due to its great handling and price point. For some drivers the SVT is even better since it's only $70 per horsepower - an even better value. While for other drivers, the Viper is best due to its styling, performance, and exclusivity.

I just hate how every [******] time in every single review the Corvette is picked first because it's a more comfortable ride. D-amn pansy drivers!

H-ll, if I want a comfortable ride with great performance, I'll buy a BMW M5 sports sedan.

And the title of the article is very misleading - "2003 American Exotics Comparison Test".

I never heard of a Corvette or a Mustang being called an "exotic". If being "exotic" was the "main" qualifying factor for the article, then heck, the Mustang and the Corvette should have been "disqualified" and the Viper should have won by default! (semantics, I know, but it doesn't make it any less true)

They should have called the article "American Sports Car Comparision Test"...

Maybe then I wouldn't have as much of a problem having the Corvette win.

But calling the Corvette, the overall winnner... the "king" of American "exotic" cars? something just ain't right...

 

[slaughterj]

> Well, as for "drivability" you don't buy an EXOTIC to drive it every day.

Speak for yourself -- we most certainly do.

Exactly.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

This caption is why I don't care for the new Viper:

"We like the fact that the Viper is now a more complete sports car rather than just a spec racer with a license plate."

Personally I just want raw performance and some killer looks. If I wanted the cruiser I would get something different. The latest car that looks to fit this bill is the Ford GT.

Sorry DC, but I think you lost your way on the Viper program. I know this isn't the view of everyone, nor for the mass market, but I didn't think that was what the Viper was originally intended.

I agree with every word of yours Steve but at least the Viper still has the cubes. But when it comes to radical styling the Ford GT has got the SRT beat.

 

[viperct2001]

> Well, as for "drivability" you don't buy an EXOTIC to drive it every day.

>>Speak for yourself -- we most certainly do.

We? Who's we? You certainly can't be speaking for us New Englanders with our Vipers retired to the garage this winter. So perhaps this "we" is some sort of split personality...

Kinda like George Costanza referring to himself in the third person.... "George is getting upset!!"

Seriously though, even in the spring/fall/summer time, I don't take my Viper out in the rain. And forget about driving a Viper in the snow. You must live in Texas or California or something. Lucky bastage! Do you still drive your Viper rain or shine? I'd say most Viper owners don't drive in the rain if they can help it, so it's not "truly" an "every" day car. But that's ok, I'd still take the Viper over the Corvette, even if the Viper is a 90% daily car.

When I do get stuck driving it in the rain, I make sure to keep it under 65mph... I've read a few hydroplaning/crashing horror stories on this board in the past. Fortunately, I was warned that Vipers and rain don't mix.

I regret this Viper owner recently found that out the hard way:

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=119655&Forum=UBB14&Words=hydroplane&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=3months&Main=119655&Search=true#Post119655

 

[treynor]

> We? Who's we?

If you had been on this board for a while, or had even read my .sig, you would know that my wife and I each have our own Viper, and we drive them all the time.

And yes, I live in Northern California. Luck has nothing to do with it -- you can choose to live there too if you wish.

 

[OutThere]

It was interesting 10 years ago when the $50,000 Viper was pitted against the $68,000 ZR-1.

Road&Track, Late 1991

"The Dodge Viper has been suggested as future competition for the ZR1. The Viper will be a Chrysler resurrection of the Shelby Cobra concept emphasizing brutal performance, simplicity and light weight. Standout features will be its 7.4-liter, 400+horsepower, all-aluminum, pushrod V10 and styling that recalls Shelby’s wildlife.

Viper will generate tremendous interest upon its debut in early 1992. With limited first-year production (predicted to be as little as 200 units) and the Shelby connection; those of the I-wanna-be-first set who have plenty of money will be like sharks in a feeding frenzy trying to buy the initial sale of these cars.

With introduction half-a-year a way, there's no point in guessing the Viper's acceleration, speed and handling abilities. Nor does it make sense to speculate on how successful Chrysler's entry in the high-sports market will be at that all-important control/comfort compromise.

However, after the hoopla dies out, how will Viper compare to the sophistication mainstream high-sports buyers have come to expect from cars like the ZR1, the Acura NSX and others? Will they buy a car whose refinement is reminiscent of another built nearly a generation ago? I suspect that once the feeding frenzy is over, Chrysler could be glad the Viper is in only limited production."

Results???

The $68,000 POS died a few years later and if you bought a ZR-1 over a Viper in 1992 not only did you pay 35% more but your car is worth $20 grand today (about 30% what you paid) vs the aprox $40,000 the same 92 Viper is currently worth (bout 80% of what you paid). Dodge more than got it right, they changed the rules, killed the $40,000 engine upgrade ripoff in the Vette, and brought muscle back to American cars.

Guess the hoopla didn't die out afterall....

 

[viperct2001]

>We, who's we?

>>If you had been on this board for a while, or had even read my .sig, you would know that my wife and I each have our own Viper.

Sheesh, I was just joking with ya fella Viper brother about the "we" part. You seem a little testy there. That is pretty sweet that both you and your wife drive Vipers.

I check this board at work, so out of conscience to my employer, I don't necessarily read everyone's signature. Takes too long. I speed read and get the "meat" of the day's Viper topics. And if you checked this board often, you would know I have been posting to this board for almost 2 years.

>You must live in Texas or California or something. Lucky bastage!

>>And yes, I live in Northern California. Luck has nothing to do with it -- you can choose to live there too if you wish.

True, but ouch! I was feigning jealousy just so you could "rib" me back... and rib you did.. Or at least I hope you were. I'd hate to think you were being "snooty" about it.

Northern California is nice, but I do like my 4 seasons and being close to New York City. It stinks not driving the Viper for 3-6 months out of the year, but when that first spring day hits, I "wake up" my RT/10 from its winter slumber, take the roof off, and it's like I just drove the Viper for the first time all over again. Ahhhhhhhhhh.....

I'm sure there are many other Viper owners that retire their cars for the winter that feel the same way.

>>and we drive them all the time.

Really? Even in the rain? I would figure most Viper owners have the income to support a secondary car used during bad weather, such as rain. So what about when you need to do grocery shopping, move some large items, take kids to soccer games, etc. LOL! Oh wait, you have a GTS so you have more storage than an RT/10 for groceries or other items.

Maybe we should start a poll on the daily driving characteristics of Viper owners. i.e.:
1) Drive 100% of the time: sunny/cloudy/night, rain, sleet, or snow. (daily car)
2) Drive almost 100% of the time: sunny/cloudy/night, once in awhile in the rain
3) Drive on most occasions: sunny/cloudy/night, "only drive in the rain if get caught in the rain, but am heading home as soon as possible. Zaino'ing the car again is a PITA and must save the wax job!"
4) Drive only in sunny/cloudy/night (dry) conditions. "I check the weather forecast to make sure no rain is coming"
5) Drive almost exclusively in gorgeous warm sunny conditions: (convertible RT/10 freaks! )

 

[inVision]

The Z06 wins all the mag comparisons because, as stated above, the writers aren't just looking at performance. Keep in mind exotic cars aren't all about performance either. All the Z06 owners went crazy when C&D chose the M3 over the Z06 because it had back seats. I think the articles are interesting reads and there is a certain amount of truth in most of them. Do the Z06 and Cobra qualify as exotics? Hell no! They are mass production vehicles! Interestingly all 3 cars can come pretty close in performance (we all know 03 Cobras can easily make 450-475 rwhp).

 

[VIPR GTS]

As one of the car shows said, driving the new corvette is like kissing your sister. Competent but not exciting