Vipers dont have the heritage that vettes do either. Didnt viper come in last out of the big 3 car and driver test thing? It was c6 z06 then ford gt then viper I thought. The fricken ford gt is supercharged so that should DQ it since the viper and z06 ar NA.

 

I have never liked the looks of the Viper -- too adolescent, I-drew-that-daydreaming-in-study-hall -- for my taste. I prefer designs that are a bit subtle and "flowing" lines tend to get me. This is why I prefer the C5 even over the C6 and lust after the new Aston martin.

Vipers are fast though. There is no substitute for displacement. The heads aren't that bad, although they don't breath as good as the hemi, there is 30% more displacement. I have no good street stories to tell. Been at the track and beat/got beaten by them. At the track most are lightly modded, but you run into the occasional fanatic who has spend tons of $$ on turbos and so forth and is running over 700 RWHP. Overall, I think the results of the last Car and Driver shot-out are representative. There, a Hennessey Viper won top honors, beating Lingenfelter and other tuner vettes, even though they were better daily street cars.

It is important to realize that the early Vipers had only 400-415 HP, and are, by today's standards, not that fast: I think a stock C6 will take an early, stock Viper in any type of race.

 

I DO understand what you are saying, but if you are going to think that way, then the Viper should be DQ'd because it has 2 more cylinders than the Vette and the GT. I think that if Dodge wants to put two more cylinders in the Viper, and Ford wants to S/C the GT just to have them both out-performed by a V-8 with naturally aspirated, pure american muscle as its base, let them. That is why stupid people spend tens of thousands more on a Viper or GT and dont get as much bang for their buck. But, if they have the money and just want to turn heads and show it off and probably have it stolen or broken into one day, let them!

OMG!! You are speaking my language now Lee... I like the look of the C5's way better than the edgy design of the C6 and ASTON MARTINS ARE MY FAVORITE!!! I would give parts of my anatomy that you guys would probably rather not hear about just to get an Aston Martin... I love them SOOO MUCH.

 

Didnt even think of that blackc4 good point!

 

Lee I was talking about the non tuner base vs base I thought viper came in last behind the c6 z06 and the ford gt. I'll have to look it up, I dont have anything against the viper its just not that great for the kind of $$$$ u have to put down to get one. My stepdad has had c5 vettes, porsches, mustang cobras and so on. I remember one day we went to a dealership in Chicago and I was blown away because I was in the same room with a viper. I asked him why he wasnt getting it and he said he took it for a test drive and the ride is crap. He ended up getting a slantnose turbo porsche, I think it was a 930s. Before the test drive he was in the market for a new viper but the drive wrecked it for him. At the time a used slantnose 930s was going for about the same price as a new viper and the slantnose test drive obviously won him over to the porsche side. But that left an impression on me about vipers in a negative way.

 

The Viper came in last in the test I am thinking of. Point I was making is that the Viper has one thing I do love: displacement. It is sort of hard for me to say I don't lust after that 8th liter of displace it has, when I spent about $9000 on my C5R engine just to get an extra 1.3 liters in displacement, (that $9000 is over and above what I would have spent had I just had the engine built in the same bulletproof manner at the stock 5.7 liter displacement). This means twin-turbo Vipers can turn out 850 RWHP when twin turbo 427 vettes are doing "only" 750.

Every comparison I have ever read of stock vs stock (or modded vs. modded for that manner) says the 'vette is easier to live with on a day to day basis -- a better car -- but there is still that really big 8-liter engine to love.

 

I agree totally with all your posts in this thread, Lee. I, too, just love the sound of that V10, it's somethin' else, make no mistake. But I like the way you put it about the "adolescent" looking design, and the driveability factor. *nods* Great post.