dethred
08-04-2015, 09:10 PM
I've been posting on here for several months, but I figured I might as well make an intro thread.
I am 32, and have been fortunate enough to be able to afford my dream car. I have been into Vipers since I was about 10 years old, and spent all of my teenage years dreaming of having a Gen II coupe, and basically made it my short-term goal. Well, over 15 years later it has arrived, albeit in the form of a much-improved and refined car. It is a bit irresponsible to be buying what is effectively a second toy, but I have had degenerative rheumatoid arthritis for the past 14 years, and that might make driving cars like this impossible by my 40th birthday (I already struggle to get into most cars).
I originally planned on buying an M4 coupe and taking my girlfriend on a European Delivery vacation (may still do that now), but then the C7 Z06 was released with a comparable price, so I planned on buying one of those instead. Fast-forward to November/December time frame, and I was checking out the first few Z06 coupes arriving at Criswell Chevrolet. After being somewhat underwhelmed with the Z06 and put off from what amounted to about 50 Corvettes sitting on their lot (talk about blending in), I walked over to the Criswell Dodge Dealership.
As I was about to walk into the showroom, I looked on the Corvette forum and saw Nineball's video of him humiliating the new Z. I then walked into the showroom, and immediately fell in love (again) with the Gen V pair they had in the showroom. Talk about a contrast, the Viper has a presence that the Vette didn't even begin to approach. I was still somewhat undecided, as the sticker price was out of my budget at the time, and I was unaware of the 15k price drop earlier in the year. When I got back home and did some research, I learned that I could find a Viper for no more than the cost of a loaded Z06. I was sold!
The car arrived from Carl Burger Dodge on July 4th, after being shipped across the country. I ended up getting a car with a sticker price (pre-reduction) of $154,XXX for less than $100k. Carl, known as "catwood" on the various Viper forums, set up the deal and helped me through the entire process.
My impressions so far:
-Don't trust journalists. Everything I've read/seen about the Gen V is either blown out of proportion or completely false. I remember hearing about it being a "brute" and unmanageable. It's no more difficult to drive than my S2000, other than slightly less visibility and a longer engine bay. After the General MotorTrend initial review I was expecting my feet to be burning in the footwell, but anytime the A/C is on, my feet are almost too cold. Hell, the first drive in the car involved my girlfriend falling asleep as I cruised around some back roads.
-The GTS Laguna Interior with Carbon Fiber is World Class. I drove the Viper 5 hours each way from DC to Hampton Roads, and I was more comfortable than my Lexus CT200h (Zzzzz). Seriously, the seats are supportive, the ride is just soft enough, and the shape of the seats leave no stress points in my back.
-The steering is amazing. It has been probably 10 years since I've driven a car with decent hydraulic steering, and it's the best I've experienced.
-The Gearbox is also very nice. The feel of slotting into gear is very mechanical and requires just enough effort. I am using my S2000 as a control here, and although the throws are a bit longer, it can be shifted just as quickly. The tall 1st gear makes it a bit more of a challenge on inclines, but it's not annoying. The skip shift is another reason I am going to buy the Arrow controller soon. The car is a much more robust experience in this department, and driving my S2000 immediately afterward makes the S2000's clutch, shift feel, and gear ratios seem pathetic.
-The motor is beyond my expectations. It sounds great down low and past 4,000rpm it sounds like hell has been unleashed. The backfiring when rev matching downshifts is addictive, and I'm already itching to get the Arrow Race PCM. It's a much better noise than a cross-plane pushrod V8, (no offense to anyone who owns one), which to me ironically sounds like a pickup truck.
-Yes, the first few tanks of fuel netted about 8mpg, but the last thing I care about with a sports car is economy. The car should turn fuel into noise and speed, and this car does it exceedingly well. I did, however, average 19.8mpg on my aforementioned round trip to Southern VA. I'm not one to enjoy attention (yes I picked the wrong car for that!), which makes frequent fuel stops slightly annoying; every time I pull into a gas station I get hounded by everyone nearby. "Is that a Viper???"
-The car gets more attention than I could have ever imagined. People do not pass me, they just sit in my blind spot and gawk at the car. I even had some crazy guy taking photos while driving in front of me... and it ended with him scraping his wheels against a curb at 45mph. Every where I go the car is the focus. Maybe red with white stripes wasn't the best idea!
-The fit and finish are the best I've seen in a sub-$200,000 car. It makes my Lexus feel cheap and flimsy. I was looking for a car with Sepia interior, as every other car I've owned has had black leather interior. Some were saying that Red with Sepia interior didn't work with the Viper, but it is perfection for me. The Uconnect system makes the Lexus system feel like it's 20 years old by comparison. The stereo thumps, even though I don't really listen to it while driving.
Overall I couldn't be happier! What an insane car for the price. 3 years ago I saw the new Gen V Viper starting price and resigned myself to never having the opportunity to own a new one. Today, I can walk out to my garage and just stare at it with the same thought running through my mind: "Life is good!"
12365
12366
1236712368
I am 32, and have been fortunate enough to be able to afford my dream car. I have been into Vipers since I was about 10 years old, and spent all of my teenage years dreaming of having a Gen II coupe, and basically made it my short-term goal. Well, over 15 years later it has arrived, albeit in the form of a much-improved and refined car. It is a bit irresponsible to be buying what is effectively a second toy, but I have had degenerative rheumatoid arthritis for the past 14 years, and that might make driving cars like this impossible by my 40th birthday (I already struggle to get into most cars).
I originally planned on buying an M4 coupe and taking my girlfriend on a European Delivery vacation (may still do that now), but then the C7 Z06 was released with a comparable price, so I planned on buying one of those instead. Fast-forward to November/December time frame, and I was checking out the first few Z06 coupes arriving at Criswell Chevrolet. After being somewhat underwhelmed with the Z06 and put off from what amounted to about 50 Corvettes sitting on their lot (talk about blending in), I walked over to the Criswell Dodge Dealership.
As I was about to walk into the showroom, I looked on the Corvette forum and saw Nineball's video of him humiliating the new Z. I then walked into the showroom, and immediately fell in love (again) with the Gen V pair they had in the showroom. Talk about a contrast, the Viper has a presence that the Vette didn't even begin to approach. I was still somewhat undecided, as the sticker price was out of my budget at the time, and I was unaware of the 15k price drop earlier in the year. When I got back home and did some research, I learned that I could find a Viper for no more than the cost of a loaded Z06. I was sold!
The car arrived from Carl Burger Dodge on July 4th, after being shipped across the country. I ended up getting a car with a sticker price (pre-reduction) of $154,XXX for less than $100k. Carl, known as "catwood" on the various Viper forums, set up the deal and helped me through the entire process.
My impressions so far:
-Don't trust journalists. Everything I've read/seen about the Gen V is either blown out of proportion or completely false. I remember hearing about it being a "brute" and unmanageable. It's no more difficult to drive than my S2000, other than slightly less visibility and a longer engine bay. After the General MotorTrend initial review I was expecting my feet to be burning in the footwell, but anytime the A/C is on, my feet are almost too cold. Hell, the first drive in the car involved my girlfriend falling asleep as I cruised around some back roads.
-The GTS Laguna Interior with Carbon Fiber is World Class. I drove the Viper 5 hours each way from DC to Hampton Roads, and I was more comfortable than my Lexus CT200h (Zzzzz). Seriously, the seats are supportive, the ride is just soft enough, and the shape of the seats leave no stress points in my back.
-The steering is amazing. It has been probably 10 years since I've driven a car with decent hydraulic steering, and it's the best I've experienced.
-The Gearbox is also very nice. The feel of slotting into gear is very mechanical and requires just enough effort. I am using my S2000 as a control here, and although the throws are a bit longer, it can be shifted just as quickly. The tall 1st gear makes it a bit more of a challenge on inclines, but it's not annoying. The skip shift is another reason I am going to buy the Arrow controller soon. The car is a much more robust experience in this department, and driving my S2000 immediately afterward makes the S2000's clutch, shift feel, and gear ratios seem pathetic.
-The motor is beyond my expectations. It sounds great down low and past 4,000rpm it sounds like hell has been unleashed. The backfiring when rev matching downshifts is addictive, and I'm already itching to get the Arrow Race PCM. It's a much better noise than a cross-plane pushrod V8, (no offense to anyone who owns one), which to me ironically sounds like a pickup truck.
-Yes, the first few tanks of fuel netted about 8mpg, but the last thing I care about with a sports car is economy. The car should turn fuel into noise and speed, and this car does it exceedingly well. I did, however, average 19.8mpg on my aforementioned round trip to Southern VA. I'm not one to enjoy attention (yes I picked the wrong car for that!), which makes frequent fuel stops slightly annoying; every time I pull into a gas station I get hounded by everyone nearby. "Is that a Viper???"
-The car gets more attention than I could have ever imagined. People do not pass me, they just sit in my blind spot and gawk at the car. I even had some crazy guy taking photos while driving in front of me... and it ended with him scraping his wheels against a curb at 45mph. Every where I go the car is the focus. Maybe red with white stripes wasn't the best idea!
-The fit and finish are the best I've seen in a sub-$200,000 car. It makes my Lexus feel cheap and flimsy. I was looking for a car with Sepia interior, as every other car I've owned has had black leather interior. Some were saying that Red with Sepia interior didn't work with the Viper, but it is perfection for me. The Uconnect system makes the Lexus system feel like it's 20 years old by comparison. The stereo thumps, even though I don't really listen to it while driving.
Overall I couldn't be happier! What an insane car for the price. 3 years ago I saw the new Gen V Viper starting price and resigned myself to never having the opportunity to own a new one. Today, I can walk out to my garage and just stare at it with the same thought running through my mind: "Life is good!"
12365
12366
1236712368