Viper GTC Test From Car And Driver

[Solid Red 98]

A new test from C&D with a silver viper GTC TA 2.0 packaged car. Lots of good pictures including the demonic red interior. Photos seem to be edited quite a bit so the coloring looks a bit off. Nice to see they hit 130mph in the 1/4 test. Hope this isn't a repost.

http://m.caranddriver.com/reviews/20...tc-test-review

[SinasViperTA]

Nice. I liked it

[ViperJon]

Imagine a viper review that didn't mention the side sills are hot. Well this isn't it either.

[stuntman]

All these different "models" is getting out of hand; I can't keep up with it all. Im also a bit skeptical of the "1 of 1" program and not quite sure how it will be viewed in the long run.

Anyways, cool review. I think I like the looks of the TA 2.0 aero package more than the ACR.

[ViperSmith]

Imagine a viper review that didn't mention the side sills are hot. Well this isn't it either.

Someone just needs to make an mad libs for Viper reviews.

Type in what you like and it'll automatically add in "hot sills," "cramped" and the authors won't have to worry about writing it.

[Bruce H.]

This is another mainstream magazine journalist's review where a car not designed for the general public is a little too far out of their own world to appreciate and enjoy for what it is, yet close enough that they feel their criticisms would be relevant to those that it is designed for. Perhaps we should thank them for helping to make the car so rare and exclusive.

[SinasViperTA]

This is another mainstream magazine journalist's review where a car not designed for the general public is a little too far out of their own world to appreciate and enjoy for what it is, yet close enough that they feel their criticisms would be relevant to those that it is designed for. Perhaps we should thank them for helping to make the car so rare and exclusive.

My exact logic as well. Thats why I liked it haha.

[swexlin]

Imagine a viper review that didn't mention the side sills are hot. Well this isn't it either.

Agree. It's the same BS we've read for 20 years. Don't drive it to the store, uncomfortable, loud, etc. I think it's actually very comfortable.

[Voice of Reason]

There's one factual inaccuracy in his story but I blame marketing, not the writer. I wish Dodge would own up to putting a leather dash in every car and that the dash in the base and TA models is not vinyl/plastic. Every Viper has a leather dash. Maybe the Laguna has a nicer leather, I don't know, but they're all leather. I was told this was cheaper due to air bag crash testing to just use leather in all of them, otherwise they would have had to crash twice as many cars.

[Dman]

I'm sorry was there writing on the page? I couldn't get past the pics. I sooooo love the look of a silver 2.0. That car is hawt.

[Lawrenzo]

Do these magazine cars go to auction for sale or end up at some dealership eventually?

[Sneaky Pete]

Reads just like every other Viper-hating mag article.

With that said, I do tend to agree with all the different models, levels, and packages Dodge is offering. For Christ's sake, they only sell about 400 or so cars a year, do they really need all the models? Just offer two levels and let us check off the options... including the DCT!

[ACRucrazy]

[ViperDC]

Someone just needs to make an mad libs for Viper reviews.

Type in what you like and it'll automatically add in "hot sills," "cramped" and the authors won't have to worry about writing it.

Gotta throw in some ultra-original lines about how it will "bite you" too

[ViperDC]

Do these magazine cars go to auction for sale or end up at some dealership eventually?

Good question, anyone know? This car is beautiful and I have seen it in other mag features as well

[Dman]

Drooooooool.

And I agree, all those letters and models, whatever, at first we complained at limited scenarios, now we have too many. IMO, there are only 2 vipers, and only 3 letters that really matter. There's the ACR, and then all others. The ACR is your track car for the serious hobbyist & weekend competitor. All the others are just designations for options. Focus should really be on the options, not the fender badge. I mean a TA is only special in that it has a serialized plate on the dash, you can equip a car with the TA gear. You can put the ACR pkg on a car even though it's a GTC. Whatev's, the badging is too confusing, pay attention to the packages & you know what you've got. Hate to say it, but almost like the vette, which level of LZ pkg is on the car, vs letters on the fender or something. Personally I think they should ditch the SRT base. Just have an ACR and whatever you call a GT, and then add options or not as you want.

[Bruce H.]

I think there's some benefit to having specific models as that instantly helps identify the car's equipment level and design focus and likely enhances the appeal and value as opposed to a base model with a list of options to decipher. Everybody looking to buy will quickly recognize a T/A for instance as being a model with different track focused equipment, a GTS as the luxury focused model, an SRT as the base model, an ACR as the ultimate street legal track model, but beyond that it becomes a bit of a puzzle to figure out. The market place knows what a C7 Stingray with or without Z51 performance pkg, and a Z06 with or without Z07 performance pkg. The marketplace knows the difference between a 911 Carrera, Turbo and Turbo S. All can have various trim options but it's the model designation that tells you what the performance level is.

[Dman]

yea, but I think this is where it gets confusing because of the labels. In your example the car in this article is a GT with the top of the line Laguna interior, so then the uninformed would say, oh, this is a luxury viper. But in reality, it has everything on it that is not only a TA but a 2.0, the most capable track car setup you can get short of an ACR, but since the fender badge says GT, it's a luxury car?? It's a track hobbyist car with luxury options in reality, not the other way around, IMO. I think the naming has created an inverted view of the cars and taken focus off what matters, the options and packages. Just like when they launched and everyone was testing $140k+ GTSs and it was like, oh the viper is a now trying to be a luxury car and so it's failed at both lux and track .. doh. I dunno, just seems all muddled up and an artifact of the initial bad marketing path.

I do think the TA worked beautifully, it gave the mag crowd an easy model to identify with, etc., and I think that's why the orange is 'hot' to a lot of people, it's like the iconic 'performance' viper because of the mag testing and marketing of it, which worked pretty well I think.

[SinasViperTA]

Well said ^^^

[Stealth78]

Drooooooool.

And I agree, all those letters and models, whatever, at first we complained at limited scenarios, now we have too many. IMO, there are only 2 vipers, and only 3 letters that really matter. There's the ACR, and then all others. The ACR is your track car for the serious hobbyist & weekend competitor. All the others are just designations for options. Focus should really be on the options, not the fender badge. I mean a TA is only special in that it has a serialized plate on the dash, you can equip a car with the TA gear. You can put the ACR pkg on a car even though it's a GTC. Whatev's, the badging is too confusing, pay attention to the packages & you know what you've got. Hate to say it, but almost like the vette, which level of LZ pkg is on the car, vs letters on the fender or something. Personally I think they should ditch the SRT base. Just have an ACR and whatever you call a GT, and then add options or not as you want.

If they ditch the base car then that means I will be waiting another year or two before I can even think about being able to afford a new Viper.... I really hope they don't consider ditching the base car!!!

[J TNT]

They ditched the base model in Canada , funny thing is it sold well ! It was a great option for the guy who wants to mod his car .

[serpent]

Looks good, would look even better with black rims as a contrast for a silver car.

[Dman]

If they ditch the base car then that means I will be waiting another year or two before I can even think about being able to afford a new Viper.... I really hope they don't consider ditching the base car!!!

If I had a say, I'd say .. ditch the SRT base. Set the GT to start with cloth ballistic seats and drop the price to $89,999. Then every option is at your choice. But the GT 2 piece brakes may not allow the price to get that low, but then, I don't have a say anyway, so ...

[darbgnik]

As long as that GT base car came with an SRT hood, not just the option to have it. Not everyone has the patience to order their car, once I decided I wanted a Viper, I had to have it now. And there were only two in the country available now in Comp Blue with an SRT hood. I think if the hood was an option, I'd have been SOL.

I dont think a lot of dealers would check an optional hood box on an order form. Im sorry, but the GT and GTS hood is a deal breaker for me.

[Vprbite]

I'll admit it's confusing with all the designations and packages, come resale time it's gonna make for some long descriptions. Or people's negotiating sale is gonna sound like the "Who's on First" routine.

I am selling my viper with the TA 2.0 package, and GTS interior....
I would like to buy your GTS....
I don't have a GTS, I have a GTC...
ok well I want to buy it, how much...
well not cheap, the GTS interior was 8500 bucks...
but I thought you didn't have a GTS...
I don't...
well then why did you tell me I have to pay for the GTS interior?...
cause I had to pay for it....
but I thought you didn't have a GTS?...
I don't...
then why did you pay for it?
Cause I wanted it.
Wanted what?
The GTS interior.
Ok forget the interior, I really want to buy it because it's a T.A. 2.0
Oh it isn't.
But I thouht you said it had the TA 2.0 package on it.
It does.
But then why isn't it........


and so on. People getting into the community for the first time could be extremely confused. For me personally, I would just worry about having the options I want, as I am not looking for a low number TA for collector purposes or anything like that. I agree, it's funny the community went from lamenting the lack of ordering ability and choices to now saying there are too many. It's lke complaining your coffee is too hot. You ordered hot coffee right? Well, here it is. I agree that perhaps they need to merge one of the trim levels into another. Base fills a need for people who know they are going to swap out components or don't want to pay for things they don't feel they need. For example, I hate that with trucks now they are all so loaded I would end up paying for stuff I don't want or need and would rather have that money for shock upgrades and a winch, I have no need for a heated steering wheel. So I feel like a base Viper is important.

What about only having the base and the GT? With the ability to uptick any components to higher levels if desired? Personally, if I were in the market right now, I would be doing a one of one with TA or 2.0 components, but definitwly wouldn't want to pay for Napa leather for example. What do you guys think? Will we see a trim level merge or since there are so many permutations already, might as well run with it?