To all the Gen 5 owners out there......

[slitherv10]

Your constructive criticism would be appreciated from all of us and I'm sure SRT as to what your experience has been with the new car and, what things you feel would need improving or should stay with the car. Keep in mind that SRT (I'm sure) looks into our forum here and takes insight into what us Viper owners have to say. Our, or, your feedback is what would make this car a better car in the future. Everything can always be improved. Nothing is perfect. Especially the first year car.
Seeing as some of us do not own these cars and seem to have a lot to say, be it positive or negative, with no "real" experience with them, I feel it would be to Viper nations advantage to be able to hear, straight from the horses mouth, what you owners perceive as pros and cons and, your opinions on improving it in the future.

Hopefully this thread can be put to good use for potential buyers present and future and, for SRT and its future decisions.

[F2V]

Interesting idea Slither. To qualify my perspectives, I'm not a track/drag person...just a cruiser, show off and car enthusiast, as I bet the majority of G5 buyers are or will be, who have not previously owned a Viper. I did have an 09 G4 Vert, for the same reasons.

The pro's are overwhelming (especially compared to my previous G4), and way to numerous to list, so I'll just hit the highlights;

Timeless classic styling, soft volumptious curves, nothing else on the road looks like it....responsive handling and traction, easy to drive, smooth shifting, attractive interior, easy to navigate electronics, enormous power and rumbling exhaust sounds...

I don't have any con's, as it is built!!

As for opinions for future improvement, I'll leave that to the gear heads (ie: HP, DCI, Ceramic brakes, etc etc), as I'm a cruiser from the early 60's. However, I do wish the optional Laguna interior came in Red...I settled for the regular GTS interior, as I wanted Red.

Please excuse the poor photography, but where are you going to find such a cool sculptured hood view from behind the wheel?

1493

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

highlights;

Timeless classic styling, soft volumptious curves, nothing else on the road looks like it....

1493

****Except a pristine Gen 2 GTS with Gen 5 wheels !****

[Bill Pemberton]

Good comment Slither , as there seems to be a very different feeling about the car from those that actually own them. I would agree that VOA is likely bringing back SRT to view how Viper
owners feel about their cars, and your proposal has alot of merit to help them view the future. Thanks for the thread.........

[Space Truckin]

As one who has owned all 5 gens, I echo F2V's sentiments. For so many years the Viper was austere, now as my wife puts it "this is nice" :-) In my opinion this is the BEST yet, I have the best of both worlds HP and EVERYONE knows it's a VIPER!

http://i.imgur.com/x9KYG2M.jpg

[ViperSmith]

My biggest complaint with the car, is only that it was simply a base model you could add anything to. It was sort of disappointing that some options were only on the GTS model.

I've had two minor issues with the car (Burnt out LED in headlight and carpet issue on passenger side) which SRT quickly resolved.

Other than that, the car has been a blast to drive. I've had it just over 5 months and at 3900 miles as of this weekend. I wish I had more, because it is that fun to drive.

I think ESC and Traction control make the car much more accessible and I think SRT needs to "sell" that more.

I'd buy another one in a heartbeat if the funds were there. I'd change a few options I selected, but what can you do :)

It has lived up and gone beyond what I envisioned a Viper to be.

[F2V]

****Except a pristine Gen 2 GTS with Gen 5 wheels !****

With all due respect and admiration Jon, the G2 GTS is a close second imo, pristine or otherwise :-)

[Policy Limits]

Pro's first: one of the biggest bangs for the buck out there; outstanding styling; incredible power; just enough refinement where its no longer a suicide machine yet rawness is still retained; widest tires on any production car in the world and it feels great on the road; interior rocks- not only the look, but the smell -my car is 1/2 year old and smells like a fine leather suitcase factory from the second the door is cracked open; exclusivity is awesome- I know I'll see a lambo or F car yet have confidence I won't see a gen v on the road- way fewer made; they nailed aesthetics and functionality simultaneously; hand built component makes it special; I believe it's the only production car that comes exclusivity with a manual tranny and a V10 (the R8 has auto as an option); I believe it's the only production car with side exhaust pipes; for stock sound pretty good; nice dash and great features like current power and hibernation mode; 5 modes of driving;double bubble roof; the hood is one of the sexiest parts on a car I've ever seen; they finally got the side vent right; love the clam shell hood and x brace; finally some engineering involved instead of a bunch of parts pieced together; clutch pedal is super light; short throw shifter; helpful rear camera; like the push to start; rear diffuser feels effective; brakes are much better than expected for 4 pistons; steering wheel has a great thick feel; the cockpit is tight and makes you realize that you are driving a street legal race car; the view out of the limited windshield is awesome; flag & book were a nice touch; passionate CEO who owns and races his product=winning;

Cons: the ordering process-I waited 1/2 year on my build before I threw in the towel and got a dealer car; poor factory communication & info given are generalizations; VOTS was ineffective; the exhaust should sound louder and meaner, though its decent for factory; car sucks in rain but they added rain mode; rear brake bezel looks cheap should be able to paint it body color on GTS like you can on SRT base; don't say you have carbon fiber options and fail to offer them- if available I would've ordered each piece; car cover should come standard and have a big ass Stryker logo over the hood; biggest con is not having SRT exclusive dealers so owners can have confidence in their baby getting serviced-what good is a warranty that you are afraid to utilize? I recently had my personal mechanic handle my first oil change as I don't trust a Chrysler/Dodge dealer near me to handle even that much. It is the biggest obstacle to staying in the brand when the convertible or ACR drops. Wish there was a Woodhouse style dealer near me that I trusted and had confidence in for mods and service.

Just my opinion as an owner 1/2 year in. :)

[Nine Ball]

I can only compare mine to my Gen 3, which I still own. I've driven them back to back on the same day, a few times already. I'll make comparisons, so that those of you that currently own the G3 or G4 can relate to the G5.

Seats in the G5 offer more interior space (leg room distance) than the G3/4, but the seats are also not as comfy. They are more firm cushioned than the previous gens. Didn't really bother me on 4-5 hr road trips, as long as I took my breaks while gassing up.

Steering in the G5 is tighter and more direct than the G3/4. I used to think my G3 had tight steering. It now feels kinda sloppy compared to the G5. The steering wheel in the G5 also feels nicer, being a thicker ring. Feels a bit too thick, if you have racing gloves on, however.

Transmission/shifter in the G5 are the best I've felt, in any factory manual car. It is very tight, very precise, no slop at all.

Outward visibility between all coupes are identical. The reverse camera in the G5 is excellent. I wish my G3 had one.

G5 clamshell hood is far more attractive than the G3/4 hood. It might even weigh less than the G3/4 hood, even though it is bigger. What other new cars have a hood like that? It attracts a lot of attention at a car gathering. Too bad the plastic covers on the engine look cheap. I'd rather see an actual engine, like the G3/4 have. I understand why the covers are there, but they don't look good at all. The engine doesn't have that wow factor in person. They should have integrated covers (RF interference, I suppose) into the hood, leaving the engine exposed when the hood was open.

Rear hatch opening is much nicer than the G3/4, and feels much lighter. I think they could have made the body panel gaps tighter on the hatch though. The door gaps are very tiny, by comparison. I'd aim for consistent gaps across the entire vehicle.

25" tall front tire looks puny on this car. The tire to fender gap on the front looks bad with that short tire. I replaced mine with a 26" tall front tire and the gap looks much better, even without my car being lowered. It almost sits perfect now. I realize the 18" tires are there to reduce rotating mass, but maybe bring the front end down another half inch if you are going to use a 25" tall tire. Keep the front and rear wheel gaps consistent.

Interior is awesome. I love the G5 interior, even in my base SRT car. It is worlds better than the G3/4. It is classic looking, a timeless design without any gaudy features that will look silly in 10 years. One of my favorite sports car interiors, ever. The car even seems well isolated from wind and road noise, making it a pleasure to drive around in. It really could be your daily driver, if you want. I'd never consider my G3 for that, ever. The digital gauges are sweet, and I was a skeptic before owning them. They are very crisp, and the tach seems very accurate. Would be nice to have different designs to configure, or to be able to change background colors. I'd like a white faced tach in my car. Would be nice to be able to program when the shift light background comes on, and how quickly it fully lights.

Would like to see SRT go to a power parking brake. That big handle takes up too much space on the console.

I find it interesting that the G5 doesn't have the rear winglets under the rear bumper diffuser. I like seeing those on my G3, they make the car look more race car like. Would like to see them on the G5 also. They have to be worth something, if every race car still uses them.

Wireless key is excellent. I always thought having to insert a key in my G3, before pushing the start button, was silly. It was an extra step that was unnecessary. Not having to turn a key is much cleaner.

I don't like the location of the 911/emergency buttons on the bottom of the rearview mirror. Too easy to bump and push by accident with your thumb, when adjusting the mirror angle. My wife and I both drive the car, so I have to adjust the mirror every time I get in. I've thumb-dialed more times than I care to admit. For single driver Vipers, probably not a concern. Maybe make the buttons stick out further, so that they aren't hidden. Then I'd be less likely to touch them, if I remembered they were there.

Going forward, I think SRT needs to ditch the 2-model concept and just make all of the options available to build from. Let buyers pick and choose every aspect of their custom made car. Do not limit paint options to specific models, that is the old way of thinking. The blue/white Vipers are the most popular color combo worldwide, and instantly recognizable as a Viper. Allow people to pick that color combo, why would you limit the most popular combo? Why limit it to GTS only? Make the Viper a true bespoke custom built car. That will help sales better than anything. Do not differentiate between "base" and GTS. They all start as the same blank canvass.

Tony

[Policy Limits]

Moving forward paddles might make sense as an option too, though I happen to enjoy the transmission as is.

I share the opinion with some others that a roadster version with a Targa Top would be a better choice than a convertible variant.

Would also be cool if they contracted with a company like Belanger so a customer could choose a header & exhaust upgrade as an option for a build right from the factory instead of adding it later as a mod.

[F2V]

Good post Tony, I didn't feel it necessary to quote it all.

Totally agree on the park brake handle (just like in my G4)..cluttered, in the way, ditch it. I'm surprised you didn't mention the greatly improved turning radius (I forgot too)...and then there is that ultra cool amber pointer (I've posted this elsewhere here, but no comments) just slightly ahead of the tach needle, an outstanding visual. Never saw this on any of my various previous cars. also, never saw this 'feature' mentioned on the other forums also...am I the only one who has it??? If so or not, what is the story behind this touch???

P/S to Policy Limits...ya gotta double space out your thoughts. Way to cluttered and hard to follow :-)

[Policy Limits]

It was organized into a. " pro's" and a "con's" format.

Btw did u ever get your built in battery tender from your order with Woodhouse?

Back to the topic: one more pro for SRT: distancing itself from VCA; just my opinion again

[F2V]

It was organized into a. " pro's" and a "con's" format.

Btw did u ever get your built in battery tender from your order with Woodhouse?

Back to the topic: one more pro for SRT: distancing itself from VCA; just my opinion again

No, to much confusion going to Prefix. Chuck Tator is installing

[ViperSmith]

I think one thing I would have loved would have been the option for a paint to sample option. Prefix can do it, a nominal charge ($5k like porsche) for whatever color you want would have been a better sell IMHO.

IMHO, SRT should position the Viper to be totally bespoke - become the American Porsche/Ferrari. I want blue contrast stitching? Sell it to me!

I can't complain how much I love the car, I just think SRT is so close to a complete grand slam.