How durable is the Viper ?

[ieem01172]

Hi forum,

I placed an order on a Viper, and it should arrive in about seven weeks. Now, I wont track the car, but I will use it daily (about 15 miles every day, ), so my question is, am I causing excessive load on the car, or is it built to be a daily driver ?

I hear vipers are a bit rough as compared to other cars (at least in its class) , but I don't mind.

Thanks,

Thanks again, JonB :)

[ViperSmith]

It is a proven platform - not much to it really. Half the reason I like it so much. The V10 and transmission have been rock solid. I DD mine and have no issues at all.

[ieem01172]

It is a proven platform - not much to it really. Half the reason I like it so much. The V10 and transmission have been rock solid. I DD mine and have no issues at all.
I'll be honest, I thought the same, but my friend keeps telling me that the car isn't as durable as it's german counterparts, and that It'll be very expensive to maintain . Thanks, you assured me that it won't be the case. While at it, what preventative measures should I do to properly maintain the car ?

[ACRucrazy]

I would say the Viper is the cheapest to maintain and enjoy out of all the super cars, Viper, Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, Aston, Etc etc.
Congrats on the new car and welcome to Viper ownership! You are in for a treat every time you stop for fuel or go somewhere!

[Timnineside]

Buy it, drive, beat the hell out of it. Change the oil every few thousand and the rest of the fluids according to schedule and you're all set.

At least take the car to a Auto Cross, 1/4 mile or some time of road course. If you don't you'll wish you did.

[ieem01172]

I would say the Viper is the cheapest to maintain and enjoy out of all the super cars, Viper, Porsche, Lambo, Ferrari, Aston, Etc etc.
Congrats on the new car and welcome to Viper ownership! You are in for a treat every time you stop for fuel or go somewhere!

I am Saudi Arabian, fuel is going to be the least of my concerns :) ( 65cents a gallon) , anyway, thanks.

[ieem01172]

Buy it, drive, beat the hell out of it. Change the oil every few thousand and the rest of the fluids according to schedule and you're all set.

At least take the car to a Auto Cross, 1/4 mile or some time of road course. If you don't you'll wish you did.
I believe there is a track where I live. I'll probably check it out, once I am comfortable with the car. Thanks for the tips.

[KRATEDISEASE]

You cannot kill a Viper. I have tried and have yet to succeed. Bullet proof.

[C.J]

.65 per gallon. Man, everyone should be driving Vipers there!

Enjoy your new ride and give it plenty of respect! Maybe you'll have some time to post pictures when you take delivery of your new Viper?

[Voice of Reason]

15 miles a day? You're going to wear it out in a month and it will leave you stranded on the side of the road, guaranteed!

I hit 5k miles in 5 months, if I don't double that next year I'll be mad at myself. This Viper more than ever before is meant to be driven daily. Get it, enjoy it, and laugh at your friends as they pay exorbitant maintenance costs for their euro trash while you're out enjoying your beautiful American hand built dream car.

[ieem01172]

15 miles a day? You're going to wear it out in a month and it will leave you stranded on the side of the road, guaranteed!

I hit 5k miles in 5 months, if I don't double that next year I'll be mad at myself. This Viper more than ever before is meant to be driven daily. Get it, enjoy it, and laugh at your friends as they pay exorbitant maintenance costs for their euro trash while you're out enjoying your beautiful American hand built dream car.
Music to my ears. I really am afraid of wrecking the car, so I have to be extra cautious. My dealer tells me that the car is a weekend driver, and that if I don't drive it at very fast speeds, the engine will overheat. He really did say that (temperatures in Riyadh range between 34- 120 ish) . Anyway, thanks for the encouragement .

[ieem01172]

.65 per gallon. Man, everyone should be driving Vipers there!

Enjoy your new ride and give it plenty of respect! Maybe you'll have some time to post pictures when you take delivery of your new Viper?
Will do. The car's gonna ship next week, if everything goes as planned. It should arrive late February, early March.Thanks

[ieem01172]

You cannot kill a Viper. I have tried and have yet to succeed. Bullet proof.

I hope it doesn't die on my hands ;)

[Drummerviper]

I have had 11. No real problems. Have a 92 and it starts up and runs like a top on 23 year old tires. (Don't take it far)

[Troublemaker]

People wreck Vipers, they don't wear them out.

[VoodooRob]

Drive it and maintain it as suggested and laugh at your buddies with cars that require $3,000 oil changes (belts, water pumps, etc) and clutches every 1,000 miles. Welcome to the club! Maybe for the heat, wrap the airbox in reflective material so computer doesn't kill power in the heat.

[VoodooRob]

Search "insulated airbox" for some info

[05Commemorative]

Music to my ears. I really am afraid of wrecking the car, so I have to be extra cautious. My dealer tells me that the car is a weekend driver, and that if I don't drive it at very fast speeds, the engine will overheat. He really did say that (temperatures in Riyadh range between 34- 120 ish) . Anyway, thanks for the encouragement .
What kind of dealer do you have? Do they want you to buy a different car? Seriously, these cars are virtually bullet proof. Daily driving them is the easy part for them. track them when it is hot and no issues. Until I started tracking them, I really never realized that street driving is lighter than the cool down laps...

[Leslie]

You cannot kill a Viper. I have tried and have yet to succeed. Bullet proof.

haha!

These cars are meant to last. Drive it like you stole it:)

[ieem01172]

I have had 11. No real problems. Have a 92 and it starts up and runs like a top on 23 year old tires. (Don't take it far)
Did the car's performance deteriorate with time ? ( again, my friend tells me that if I don't use it's full potential in the first couple of years, it'll lose some hp)
Thanks

- - - Updated - - -


People wreck Vipers, they don't wear them out.

I hope I do neither :)
Thanks for your reply

[ieem01172]

Drive it and maintain it as suggested and laugh at your buddies with cars that require $3,000 oil changes (belts, water pumps, etc) and clutches every 1,000 miles. Welcome to the club! Maybe for the heat, wrap the airbox in reflective material so computer doesn't kill power in the heat.

How loud is the car ( from the outside ) ?
Thanks

- - - Updated - - -


Search "insulated airbox" for some info

Are there any ready-made air boxes ?

[ieem01172]

haha!

These cars are meant to last. Drive it like you stole it:)
Or someone else will (steal it, that is) . LOL

[ViperSmith]

No offense, but your friends and dealer sounds like idiots

[Nine Ball]

The Viper is probably the most durable platform in existence, compared to any other car built. The chassis, powertrain, and drivetrain are all over-built and bulletproof. There are no weak points, which usually means the driver is the weakest point. Put one on a lift and get under it, you'll see how overbuilt the cars really are. It makes other cars, including the Corvette, look like child's toys from underneath.

[mikesax]

2010 Toxic orange vert-34,000 miles in 2 years-perfect!
2013 Black GTS-11,000 miles in 6 months-perfect!
Oil change every 3000 miles-tires every 10,000-15,000 miles-THATS IT!!!
Most DEPENDABLE car I've owned in 30 years of driving!!
Just wished it never snowed in Jersey and there would be a lot more miles!
Spring cannot come fast enough!

[Policy Limits]

The engine is built with forged pistons. Go nuts.

[ieem01172]

No offense, but your friends and dealer sounds like idiots

I assumed this much, but I can't just reject their opinions when I don't even have the car yet. Thanks

[ieem01172]

The Viper is probably the most durable platform in existence, compared to any other car built. The chassis, powertrain, and drivetrain are all over-built and bulletproof. There are no weak points, which usually means the driver is the weakest point. Put one on a lift and get under it, you'll see how overbuilt the cars really are. It makes other cars, including the Corvette, look like child's toys from underneath.
Interesting, is it true that they built the chassis out of Steel so that is repairable ? I heard this somewhere, and if that's true, then just WOW. Thanks.

[ieem01172]

2010 Toxic orange vert-34,000 miles in 2 years-perfect!
2013 Black GTS-11,000 miles in 6 months-perfect!
Oil change every 3000 miles-tires every 10,000-15,000 miles-THATS IT!!!
Most DEPENDABLE car I've owned in 30 years of driving!!
Just wished it never snowed in Jersey and there would be a lot more miles!
Spring cannot come fast enough!
Since you mentioned changing the oil, would it be effective if I bought a Magfilter ( I hear they're good at stopping metal shavings due to wear, so the engine will have less stuff grinding it) .Thanks.

[ieem01172]

The engine is built with forged pistons. Go nuts.

Hmmm , are there any other sports cars that have that ? And if I didn't add turbos or supercharges, would forged pistons have any effect on the car's performance , other than making the car more durable ?
Thanks

[ieem01172]

Hmmm , are there any other sports cars that have that ? And if I didn't add turbos or supercharges, would forged pistons have any effect on the car's performance , other than making the car more durable ?
Thanks


What kind of dealer do you have? Do they want you to buy a different car? Seriously, these cars are virtually bullet proof. Daily driving them is the easy part for them. track them when it is hot and no issues. Until I started tracking them, I really never realized that street driving is lighter than the cool down laps...
LOL I think the issue is that he thinks that I'll drive it in a reckless way, so he is trying to save me,and himself from some sort of legal action. People, where I live, tend not to be the kindest on their cars, and from what I hear, the viper can be a handful at seven tenths .

[Rizzo]

Your friend is very uneducated when it comes to Vipers. Stop asking him about your car. They are bullet proof, easy to maintain and will beat up on almost all German built shitboxes. german engineering = complicated, over engineered, hard to work on, unreliable and expensive. Lol..

[ieem01172]

Your friend is very uneducated when it comes to Vipers. Stop asking him about your car. They are bullet proof, easy to maintain and will beat up on almost all German built shitboxes. german engineering = complicated, over engineered, hard to work on, unreliable and expensive. Lol..
It's not that I ask them, it's them force feeding me their opinions about the car in a somewhat objective way...in other words, BSing me :)
Thanks

[DreadLox]

Vipers always seem to get a bad rep from people. Your friends will be jealous of you. The people that say all those thing about the viper, whether it be;
Vipers can't handle turns
"It's a weekend driver"
It'll overheat
Expensive upkeep....
Blah blah blah
All those things are nonsense and come from people who know little to nothing (probably NOTHING lol) about the car. The only thing I will tell you is to be careful and respect it. It's one car that can be "practically impossible", and would be stupid to try, to take to the limits without being on a track. Don't "gun" it when your taking a turn, or you may end up making an unexpected and "illegal U-Turn". I love my viper, and honestly wouldn't trade it for a Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren or any of those other exotic cars. In fact I chose it over any of those cars. Dude you should be proud of yourself and happy with your decision :). But please do one thing and post pictures ;)

[ieem01172]

Vipers always seem to get a bad rep from people. Your friends will be jealous of you. The people that say all those thing about the viper, whether it be;
Vipers can't handle turns
"It's a weekend driver"
It'll overheat
Expensive upkeep....
Blah blah blah
All those things are nonsense and come from people who know little to nothing (probably NOTHING lol) about the car. The only thing I will tell you is to be careful and respect it. It's one car that can be "practically impossible", and would be stupid to try, to take to the limits without being on a track. Don't "gun" it when your taking a turn, or you may end up making an unexpected and "illegal U-Turn". I love my viper, and honestly wouldn't trade it for a Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren or any of those other exotic cars. In fact I chose it over any of those cars. Dude you should be proud of yourself and happy with your decision :). But please do one thing and post pictures ;)
I've got you covered on the pictures part. About respecting the car, I hear that a lot. Is this specific for the viper ? Or is it for most cars that are in its performance class ??
Thanks

[Bitten]

People wreck Vipers, they don't wear them out.

People also kill themselves in Vipers. Out of the 6 cars sold in my small town in 2006 only 3 cars are still around, the other three were totaled and one of my husband's customers is dead. Take a class with a car club at your local track if you have one. The new Gen V is a dream to drive and has traction control. They are fine as a daily driver. From my experience with the Gen III cars, they are pretty dependable. My two cars were 05 and 06 that I just sold to buy the Gen V and I plan on keeping the new car just as long. I also tracked the 06.

The most important thing is for you to know your car.

Oh and Congrats and post pictures

[DreadLox]

I've got you covered on the pictures part. About respecting the car, I hear that a lot. Is this specific for the viper ? Or is it for most cars that are in its performance class ??
Thanks

Well, I'm assuming you are getting a brand new Viper (Gen V)... I don't know how they differ from the old ones but the traction control that was added can definitely take the "sting" out of the beast. Too many times people get too cocky and hammer the heck out of the car. Lots of cars that's "ok" and can be forgiving. The viper, however, can be a lot less forgiving. And that can be a bad thing or a good thing I guess depending on how you look at it. A decent comparison is a high performance sports bike. Yes it's fast, but as soon as you get cocky or comfortable with it it can become dangerous. I have a 2010 Viper ACR, and I will say its one of the only cars that have actually scared the crap out of me. I have a powerful supercharged jeep that's practically as fast but the viper just seems 10X scarier to go nuts in. Where my Jeep would slowly fade out a tad in power the viper just seems to get faster and faster the more you push it. And that's where you should be careful. Idk how much different the new ones are compared to the Gen 4's but that's my take on it. Some if the Gen V guys may have some better insite, I haven't had the privilege to drive one of the newer ones yet.
All in all I'll sum this whole thing up with this:
When you first get the car take it easy, at least until you can get into an empty parking lot or large area where you can "thrash or lay on it". You'll see how quickly things can get away from you. By all means have fun with it but just be careful.

[MR Viper]

Hi forum,

I placed an order on a Viper, and it should arrive in about seven weeks. Now, I wont track the car, but I will use it daily (about 15 miles every day, ), so my question is, am I causing excessive load on the car, or is it built to be a daily driver ?

I hear vipers are a bit rough as compared to other cars (at least in its class) , but I don't mind.

Thanks,

Thanks again, JonB :)

Congratulations on your new Viper!

This is the fastest, most durable Viper ever built. During development, all SRT products must pass a 24-hour race track durability test (run at Nelson Ledges, in NE Ohio, a rough track by anyone's standard). The Viper completed over 1,200 laps in 24-hours of running time, averaging better than 100mph on the track. It was driven very hard, by the ex-pro racers at SRT, and I assure you, these guys don't drive slowly! They were hauling ass. Only fuel, tires, and brake pads were consumed. The car is truly bulletproof. I have seen many European cars wilt on track days, with far fewer hours than this.

As to your temperature concern, the car successfully passed our Hot testing at Death Valley USA (over 120F) and ran fine, and the car successfully passed Hot racetrack testing (again, driving as fast as our pros can go) at Texas Motorsports Ranch in ambient temperatures approaching 100F.

This car is engineered for extreme track usage in any environment. You will have not trouble driving the Viper on the street, or on the track. And thanks for buying a Viper! Send some photos of your new toy!

[Policy Limits]

Hmmm , are there any other sports cars that have that ? And if I didn't add turbos or supercharges, would forged pistons have any effect on the car's performance , other than making the car more durable ?
Thanks

Durability was your question.

[VENOM V]

Music to my ears. I really am afraid of wrecking the car, so I have to be extra cautious. My dealer tells me that the car is a weekend driver, and that if I don't drive it at very fast speeds, the engine will overheat. He really did say that (temperatures in Riyadh range between 34- 120 ish) . Anyway, thanks for the encouragement .

I tracked my Viper at Thunderhill Raceway in 107 degree weather. No issues whatsoever with heating. Not only that, I was only 4 seconds off the production car track record, with the AC on full blast, so it was clearly not struggling with heat soak. With all the high temp testing they did on the Viper, I think you'll find it will hold up to those desert temps well.

[Troublemaker]

Durability was your question.

I was going to comment on that but left it alone. One of the biggest benefits of forged pistons(there are others) is how well they handle detonation. Where the forged pistons shine is light detonation that you can't hear. Forged pistons have their own set of drawbacks.

[Policy Limits]

They were implemented to sustain a beating on and/or off the track; the new Z06 also has them.

[Troublemaker]

They were implemented to sustain a beating on and/or off the track; the new Z06 also has them.

Actually it was for more aggressive fuel and spark calibrations, not exactly for durability, but more so for running it closer to detonation. Forged pistons by nature actually make less horsepower than cast. While I do agree they are better, the reason they were run wasn't for more durability, it was so the engineers could get some more power the old fashioned way, advance and lean. I am a tinkerer with my cars, so every aspect of the motors are taken into account before I purchase. This is all semi plagiarized from an article written by Dick Winkles.


To get back to the original question, beat the car senseless. You will not have anything to worry about and to finish this off, your friends are wrong.

[ViperSmith]

I do like the point someone made, you'll wreck your car long before you can run it into the ground!

[Policy Limits]

Actually it was for more aggressive fuel and spark calibrations, not exactly for durability, but more so for running it closer to detonation. Forged pistons by nature actually make less horsepower than cast. While I do agree they are better, the reason they were run wasn't for more durability, it was so the engineers could get some more power the old fashioned way, advance and lean. I am a tinkerer with my cars, so every aspect of the motors are taken into account before I purchase. This is all semi plagiarized from an article written by Dick Winkles.


To get back to the original question, beat the car senseless. You will not have anything to worry about and to finish this off, your friends are wrong.

Funny you mention Dick Winkles because my thought process of forged pistons making the engine durable and able to take a beating came from a video I saw of him explaining this. Wish I had the link but don't. On the plus side I had my gen V out today on the highway in high gear and experienced it in the drivers seat, and that's all that matters.

OP don't listen to others. Listen to your instinct. If I followed the reviews of this car from both the critics and from viper owners' opinions last season, then I never would've purchased it. Buy it drive it and enjoy it. Life is short and when you're dead you're dead for a LONG time. Go for it

[ieem01172]

People also kill themselves in Vipers. Out of the 6 cars sold in my small town in 2006 only 3 cars are still around, the other three were totaled and one of my husband's customers is dead. Take a class with a car club at your local track if you have one. The new Gen V is a dream to drive and has traction control. They are fine as a daily driver. From my experience with the Gen III cars, they are pretty dependable. My two cars were 05 and 06 that I just sold to buy the Gen V and I plan on keeping the new car just as long. I also tracked the 06.

The most important thing is for you to know your car.

Oh and Congrats and post pictures
Congrats to you as well ( I recall a post with a sepia interior gunmetal viper).Mine's gonna have a red interior with a black exterior. From your experience, how difficult is the car to drive ? ( noise, dynamics, turning radius)
Thanks for your reply.

[ieem01172]

Well, I'm assuming you are getting a brand new Viper (Gen V)... I don't know how they differ from the old ones but the traction control that was added can definitely take the "sting" out of the beast. Too many times people get too cocky and hammer the heck out of the car. Lots of cars that's "ok" and can be forgiving. The viper, however, can be a lot less forgiving. And that can be a bad thing or a good thing I guess depending on how you look at it. A decent comparison is a high performance sports bike. Yes it's fast, but as soon as you get cocky or comfortable with it it can become dangerous. I have a 2010 Viper ACR, and I will say its one of the only cars that have actually scared the crap out of me. I have a powerful supercharged jeep that's practically as fast but the viper just seems 10X scarier to go nuts in. Where my Jeep would slowly fade out a tad in power the viper just seems to get faster and faster the more you push it. And that's where you should be careful. Idk how much different the new ones are compared to the Gen 4's but that's my take on it. Some if the Gen V guys may have some better insite, I haven't had the privilege to drive one of the newer ones yet.
All in all I'll sum this whole thing up with this:
When you first get the car take it easy, at least until you can get into an empty parking lot or large area where you can "thrash or lay on it". You'll see how quickly things can get away from you. By all means have fun with it but just be careful.
I ordered a GTS viper, as SRT vipers are not available in the Middle East. I hear that the SRT model is supposed to be the better track car, but also hear that the GTS is better due to active suspension! I know I'm going off topic here, but what exactly is the difference between the SRT Viper, SRT with the new GT package, and the GTS ?

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to write your post, as it was very informative.

[ieem01172]

Congratulations on your new Viper!

This is the fastest, most durable Viper ever built. During development, all SRT products must pass a 24-hour race track durability test (run at Nelson Ledges, in NE Ohio, a rough track by anyone's standard). The Viper completed over 1,200 laps in 24-hours of running time, averaging better than 100mph on the track. It was driven very hard, by the ex-pro racers at SRT, and I assure you, these guys don't drive slowly! They were hauling ass. Only fuel, tires, and brake pads were consumed. The car is truly bulletproof. I have seen many European cars wilt on track days, with far fewer hours than this.

As to your temperature concern, the car successfully passed our Hot testing at Death Valley USA (over 120F) and ran fine, and the car successfully passed Hot racetrack testing (again, driving as fast as our pros can go) at Texas Motorsports Ranch in ambient temperatures approaching 100F.

This car is engineered for extreme track usage in any environment. You will have not trouble driving the Viper on the street, or on the track. And thanks for buying a Viper! Send some photos of your new toy!

I hope it arrives here in one piece :) it should ship in about two weeks, can't wait to experience the car and relate to what these race car drivers felt.

Where do you guys get this information ? :)

[ieem01172]

Durability was your question.
Oops, it seemed I went off topic.

[ieem01172]

I tracked my Viper at Thunderhill Raceway in 107 degree weather. No issues whatsoever with heating. Not only that, I was only 4 seconds off the production car track record, with the AC on full blast, so it was clearly not struggling with heat soak. With all the high temp testing they did on the Viper, I think you'll find it will hold up to those desert temps well.
What about low humidity levels, would that impede the car's performance in the long run ?
Thanks

[ieem01172]

Funny you mention Dick Winkles because my thought process of forged pistons making the engine durable and able to take a beating came from a video I saw of him explaining this. Wish I had the link but don't. On the plus side I had my gen V out today on the highway in high gear and experienced it in the drivers seat, and that's all that matters.

OP don't listen to others. Listen to your instinct. If I followed the reviews of this car from both the critics and from viper owners' opinions last season, then I never would've purchased it. Buy it drive it and enjoy it. Life is short and when you're dead you're dead for a LONG time. Go for it
Wise words. I enjoy reading posts from car people. I ask these questions, not only to be more knowledgeable, but also because I love everything car related . I'll take both my friend's and my dealer's comments with a cup of salt :p

[ieem01172]

The engine is built with forged pistons. Go nuts.
Based on how a lot of people here say the car is untamable and demands respect, I hope I do exactly the opposite and not" go nuts"
But I got the point, the engine is bulletproof.
Thanks

[Policy Limits]

You'll be in the minority of using it as a daily driver. A few viper magazines ago a survey was conducted from owners of all generations and the continuity found was that the average owner from any generation drives the snake about 2k miles annually.

There's another cup of salt for ya. ;)

[ieem01172]

You'll be in the minority of using it as a daily driver. A few viper magazines ago a survey was conducted from owners of all generations and the continuity found was that the average owner from any generation drives the snake about 2k miles annually.

There's another cup of salt for ya. ;)

Would taking your advice (not listening to what other people have to say) :
"OP don't listen to others. Listen to your instinct. If I followed the reviews of this car from both the critics and from viper owners' opinions last season, then I never would've purchased it. Buy it drive it and enjoy it. Life is short and when you're dead you're dead for a LONG time. Go for it"

be considered not taking your advice ?

I am confused
The argument seems a bit cyclic.

Thanks

Anyway, I believe that you are absolutely right when it comes to instinct. Sports cars, In general, are bought as a way of entertainment, and everybody is different. You can't rationalize buying a sports car over another, just as you can't rationalize eating vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate.Its a matter of preference.

Thanks again

[Policy Limits]

Not arguing just giving you facts. Best of luck with the new ride.

[ieem01172]

Not arguing just giving you facts. Best of luck with the new ride.

Thank you.

[Timnineside]

No sense in having a supermodel for a wife if you're not going to F**k her. If your not your either saving her for the next guy or she's going to find it somewhere else.

Most "bang" for the buck if you would is to buy something and use it. Most don't make out to well when buying Vipers for an investment.

[ieem01172]

No sense in having a supermodel for a wife if you're not going to F**k her. If your not your either saving her for the next guy or she's going to find it somewhere else.

Most "bang" for the buck if you would is to buy something and use it. Most don't make out to well when buying Vipers for an investment.
Exactly. I get the sense that I didn't convey my message clearly ( English is my second language) . Yes, I'm not trying to quantify the car's joy value by seeing whether or not is indestructible ;)

I really hope that what I post isn't complete garbage.( I hope someone benefited from this)

[Policy Limits]

Very good points. But how realistic is it (or enjoyable is it) to push that clutch in and out and shift up and down in rush hour traffic back and forth to the office every day? Then there's inclement weather like Rain storms and snow storms. If it makes you happy do it. But most viper owners have at least one other vehicle in the stable for such use and save the performance vehicles for the weekends, rallies, meets and tracks.

To each his own.

[ieem01172]

Very good points. But how realistic is it (or enjoyable is it) to push that clutch in and out and shift up and down in rush hour traffic back and forth to the office every day? Then there's inclement weather like Rain storms and snow storms. If it makes you happy do it. But most viper owners have at least one other vehicle in the stable for such use and save the performance vehicles for the weekends, rallies, meets and tracks.

To each his own.

There are other vehicle in the garage. Odds are, I won't DD the viper, but I wanted to know that the car won't fall apart because I was doing so. As to inclement weather, I live in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I really don't think rain is gonna be an issue, sandstorms, maybe .

[Policy Limits]

Well I can't find a situation where anyone has been able to burn out a clutch. So great wear on that item(this includes drag racing). The brakes are only four piston but sustain a lot I use as well. The jury is out so to speak on the Corsa tires but they are rumored to get you to at least 10k miles. (The rears are close to a thousand bucks each installed though, ouch). Tremic transmission is pretty solid and you've already heard the engine's forged piston and established platform history. Interior wear seems to be more of an issue on the GTS than on the SRT, even though you'd probably expect the opposite.

Biggest quality control issues so far have been doors on both sides popping open due to wet wire switches, defective horn pads, and only one check engine situation that resulted in a lemon law deal (that I know of).

Owners manual says the service interval should be every six months, oil and filter change are the most important. There is also a break in period in there which basically says not to exceed 4,000 RPM's for the first 500 miles. (Though the car is already broken in at the factory on the dyno) you are basically breaking in the clutch and the brakes.

After 1,000 miles I have noticed as have others that the shifter loosens up nicely and it feels broken in nicely. I'd also leave the nanny controls on, they don't take away any fun at all. I've owned Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati and still consider this to be one of the best toys I've owned. Lots of fun just respect it.

Very cool to have these in your region. In my opinion, the Gen V is the coolest machine to come from the Anerican supercar market since the Ford GT.

Enjoy & be sure to post pics when she arrives. :)

[Troublemaker]

Exactly. I get the sense that I didn't convey my message clearly ( English is my second language) . Yes, I'm not trying to quantify the car's joy value by seeing whether or not is indestructible ;)

I really hope that what I post isn't complete garbage.( I hope someone benefited from this)

Honestly, your grasp of the English Language far exceeds a good majority of America, so your posts come through loud and clear and are easily comprehendable.

Buy the car, drive it anyway you want and don't worry about it. You basically are driving a truck's drivetrain, whether people want to believe it or not. Take care of it like any other vehicle, there really is no special maintenance required for a Viper.

[Policy Limits]

Btw OP if you want an owners manual you need to request a physical print copy to get one as it doesn't come with the car (a Disk does). Though you can find a copy on line anyway so perhaps a moot point. I called SRT to request one anyway & they did send one out for no additional charge.

[ieem01172]

Well I can't find a situation where anyone has been able to burn out a clutch. So great wear on that item(this includes drag racing). The brakes are only four piston but sustain a lot I use as well. The jury is out so to speak on the Corsa tires but they are rumored to get you to at least 10k miles. (The rears are close to a thousand bucks each installed though, ouch). Tremic transmission is pretty solid and you've already heard the engine's forged piston and established platform history. Interior wear seems to be more of an issue on the GTS than on the SRT, even though you'd probably expect the opposite.

Biggest quality control issues so far have been doors on both sides popping open due to wet wire switches, defective horn pads, and only one check engine situation that resulted in a lemon law deal (that I know of).

Owners manual says the service interval should be every six months, oil and filter change are the most important. There is also a break in period in there which basically says not to exceed 4,000 RPM's for the first 500 miles. (Though the car is already broken in at the factory on the dyno) you are basically breaking in the clutch and the brakes.

After 1,000 miles I have noticed as have others that the shifter loosens up nicely and it feels broken in nicely. I'd also leave the nanny controls on, they don't take away any fun at all. I've owned Bentley, Lamborghini and Maserati and still consider this to be one of the best toys I've owned. Lots of fun just respect it.

Very cool to have these in your region. In my opinion, the Gen V is the coolest machine to come from the Anerican supercar market since the Ford GT.

Enjoy & be sure to post pics when she arrives. :)

Sorry for not replying earlier. As far as I am concerned, the car is a daily driver, until proven too harsh (pun intended). Based on JonB's predictions, and my dealer's shipping document, the car should have already leaved CAAP, and is on its way to Baltimore.
Regarding Vipers being in the region, I actually saw two gen II vipers, and one gen III viper, in the last couple of months or so. I say this because the last time as saw a viper was several years ago (and it was drifting at that :) )
Anyway, I'll post pictures once it's here.

[ieem01172]

Honestly, your grasp of the English Language far exceeds a good majority of America, so your posts come through loud and clear and are easily comprehendable.

Buy the car, drive it anyway you want and don't worry about it. You basically are driving a truck's drivetrain, whether people want to believe it or not. Take care of it like any other vehicle, there really is no special maintenance required for a Viper.

Thanks, that is very kind of you, on a separate note, does the car sound like a truck ?
Thanks again.

[ieem01172]

Btw OP if you want an owners manual you need to request a physical print copy to get one as it doesn't come with the car (a Disk does). Though you can find a copy on line anyway so perhaps a moot point. I called SRT to request one anyway & they did send one out for no additional charge.

How can I prove to them that I am the future owner of the vehicle ?

[Policy Limits]

You should have a VON and or a VIN

[ieem01172]

You should have a VON and or a VIN

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. Although I do have both VIN and VON numbers, how can they know that whoever's requesting the book (the person who supplied the VIN) is the actual owner. I know that it's an absurd assumption, since VIN numbers don't grow on trees :)

But ....

When should I request the book ?

[canadian viper]

wait till you get the car

[slitherv10]

While your waiting for the car, and so excited to own the best car in the world, you have a lot of time as well to register on the VOA and be proud member and owner of a Viper....:o

Membership has its privileges as you can see from all the replies from members.

[C-Note]

Nope, they will actually pick up a little HP once they are broken in and they wont loose it over time. There are some Vipers out there that have over 100,000 miles on them and they still have the power. Your friend seems to not know what he is talking about.
Did the car's performance deteriorate with time ? ( again, my friend tells me that if I don't use it's full potential in the first couple of years, it'll lose some hp)
Thanks

- - - Updated - - -



I hope I do neither :)
Thanks for your reply

[ieem01172]

Nope, they will actually pick up a little HP once they are broken in and they wont loose it over time. There are some Vipers out there that have over 100,000 miles on them and they still have the power. Your friend seems to not know what he is talking about.
Interesting. My friend seems to hate vipers and corvettes,but it is entertaining to listen to his comments ;)

[C.J]

If your friend has a Viper, then you might want to listen to his advice.

Otherwise, enjoy a coffee with him and talk about something else. :)

[Martin]

From what just about everyone's seen and experienced, these cars are bullet proof. And, if something does go wrong, they're extremely easy to work on. I had to daily drive my Gen IV ACR for a few months because my usual DD was having some electrical issues. About the only downside to driving the cars daily are the idiots out there who scratch, dent, and disrespect cars when parking next to them. With the new aluminum door panels on the Gen V, I'm just waiting for people to start posting ragey stories about coming back to their car and finding a ding in the door. That's about the only thing that makes daily driving them not so fun.