G5 vs GTR

[zee]

Hi guys - as many of you know, I picked up an Orange TA not too long ago. As you can see from all my posts and YouTube review, I absolutely love the car. That being said, I recently found out that we are expecting our first born and excited for this next chapter of my life. I am not sure how often I will be able to drive the TA once the new guy is here. I've heard many say the back seats of the GTR can be utilized and did a search and saw pictures of car seats, storage space, etc. I am thinking of selling my TA and eventually buying a GTR since it's more versatile and wife could potentially drive it occasionally too since its auto. I have never owned an auto before and all my sports car have been 2 seaters and always a stick. I've driven a few GTRs and they seem cool, but only drove for very short periods of a time. Would love others feedback on my first wold problem . I can very well keep the TA but I know I just won't get to drive it a lot once the baby is here. The GTR would be a lot more driveable I'd imagine. I don't track my cars and typically only light mods (bolt ons). Will I miss the 6 speed? Will I miss all the attention the viper gets? Is it worth keeping it and just driving a lot less? I unfortunately can't afford to have both the TA and GTR. Look forward to everyone's opinions especially if you own/owned a GTR.

EDIT: The viper is not a daily, just a weekend blaster - I have a daily driver.

[sadil]

lol

[zee]

lol

Thanks for the constructive feedback!

[Sub Driver]

I had a GTR before my viper and you can fit a child seat behind the passenger seat as long as no one sits in the passenger seat or they are very tiny. The GTR was ok. Sure it has outstanding mod potential and huge amounts of traction but I got bored with it very quick. The DCT is not engaging to drive and the car did not feel like I was driving something special when compared to my viper. Anyways if you get one have fun.

[One Viper Bite]

Hi guys - as many of you know, I picked up an Orange TA not too long ago. As you can see from all my posts and YouTube review, I absolutely love the car. That being said, I recently found out that we are expecting our first born and excited for this next chapter of my life. I am not sure how often I will be able to drive the TA once the new guy is here. I've heard many say the back seats of the GTR can be utilized and did a search and saw pictures of car seats, storage space, etc. I am thinking of selling my TA and eventually buying a GTR since it's more versatile and wife could potentially drive it occasionally too since its auto. I have never owned an auto before and all my sports car have been 2 seaters and always a stick. I've driven a few GTRs and they seem cool, but only drove for very short periods of a time. Would love others feedback on my first wold problem . I can very well keep the TA but I know I just won't get to drive it a lot once the baby is here. The GTR would be a lot more driveable I'd imagine. I don't track my cars and typically only light mods (bolt ons). Will I miss the 6 speed? Will I miss all the attention the viper gets? Is it worth keeping it and just driving a lot less? I unfortunately can't afford to have both the TA and GTR. Look forward to everyone's opinions especially if you own/owned a GTR.

Here are my notes on the GTR from when I was in the market not long ago:

1. It's loud. The interior cabin is loud. There is a ton of road noise, rattles and wind noise. The Viper is loud too but I think the sound of the Viper's engine and it's presence negates some of the cabin noise. In the GTR, because it's a quieter engine it just feels more intrusive.
2. The interior is cheap. Seriously, the interior on my G37S was nice than the GTRs. The nobs, switch, dials and layout are so dated and straight out of the Nissan parts bin.
3. Seating position makes you feel like you're sitting ON the GTR and not IN the GTR. I hated that feeling.
4. It really does drive like a video game. I got to drive one on the track and there was just no reward when driving it hard. I can't imagine how it feels after being behind the wheel of an analog car such as the Viper.

If you're looking for a practical car in this price range, I wouldn't consider the GTR after owning a Viper. I think you should consider something else such as a Gran Turismo, a Continental, or even something like a Charger Hellcat, E63 AMG or M5.

Would hate to see you go so soon so my first vote would be for you to keep the car somehow and get something cheap and practical for the family and the kid. Maybe a Chevy Volt? They have great lease deals on those right now for around 350 a month.

Anyway, congratulations to you and your lady! Hope everything works out for the best!

[7TH_SIGN]

I test drove a GTR after selling my last Supra. It took me less than 5 minutes to realize the GTR wasn't for me. Incredibly boring to drive. Looks like any other car on the road. I'm sure a built 1000whp GTR is a blast to drive. I just can't do the automatic. If I were you I'd check the GTRlife forums. There are so many for sale and I think for good reason.

[Vibert]

Kids are a life changer. One is easy; you'll easily have time to enjoy the TA. Two is a lot tougher but you'll have time for the TA. Level of difficulty is not additive when it comes to the number of children. It's synergistic. Three? Total ball breaker. There will no time for anything...not even crepes.

[v10enomous]

The Hellcat Charger is your best bet. A 2 door coupe is a real pain with a baby and they have to be in the back until they're like 7 or 8 if I remember correctly. I had a 96 Plymouth Voyager when my kids were little and while they may not be "Cool" they are the most practical option. You won't be able to do a lot of things when you have a baby. You are basically doing the same thing know matter where you are.

[Topplayer]

Going from a viper to a GTR is like going from a track day to racing simulator. Its just not as much fun, even if your going faster.

As someone who is expecting also I would never consider a GTR with a baby, Every 'performance' car is going to want to race, I would be looking at a E63 over a GTR for daily baby duty.

I am keeping my viper and just not bringing the baby in it, A baby should not be in a sports car anyway lol

[swexlin]

The Viper is not your daily, correct? Keep it, drive less, will make it more special. Period. You'll regret selling it. If you MUST, another vote here for a Hellcat Charger. I had an 07 SRT Charger Superbee, and absolutely miss it. Fast and comfy, with plenty of room. And the Hellcat is another whole level above that.

KEEP THE VIPER!

[viperdriver5150]

Hi guys - as many of you know, I picked up an Orange TA not too long ago. As you can see from all my posts and YouTube review, I absolutely love the car. That being said, I recently found out that we are expecting our first born and excited for this next chapter of my life. I am not sure how often I will be able to drive the TA once the new guy is here. I've heard many say the back seats of the GTR can be utilized and did a search and saw pictures of car seats, storage space, etc. I am thinking of selling my TA and eventually buying a GTR since it's more versatile and wife could potentially drive it occasionally too since its auto. I have never owned an auto before and all my sports car have been 2 seaters and always a stick. I've driven a few GTRs and they seem cool, but only drove for very short periods of a time. Would love others feedback on my first wold problem . I can very well keep the TA but I know I just won't get to drive it a lot once the baby is here. The GTR would be a lot more driveable I'd imagine. I don't track my cars and typically only light mods (bolt ons). Will I miss the 6 speed? Will I miss all the attention the viper gets? Is it worth keeping it and just driving a lot less? I unfortunately can't afford to have both the TA and GTR. Look forward to everyone's opinions especially if you own/owned a GTR.

When I bought my 2013 GTS I had a legal air bag de-activation switch installed so a car seat could be safely installed in the passenger seat. If you would like to know the brand and the steps necessary to have the switch put in legally so a dealer can do it, I would be happy to provide. Now you can get the switch and do it yourself but I wanted it professionally done so I had no worries.

You basically have a little black box with a key, much like the airbag de-activation switch that came factory on the the older GTS models except that was right on the dash.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

I have 2 children, one is 5 the other is a few months old. The reality is you probably won’t be able to drive the TA as often once the baby is born, at least for the first several months. After that it would depend on what the schedule is… will your child be going to daycare and if so will you be the one taking them and picking them up. I usually do both, at least 5 days a week I have had my daughter in my car for the last 5 years.

Are you looking to take them in the car “occasionally” or “daily”? If the answer is daily you are basically taking whatever car it is and turning it into a glorified school bus that will eventually be overrun by dirt, spills, melted crayons, food, trash…. I used to keep all of my cars in “freshly detailed” condition but just couldn’t keep up with that, not to say it couldn’t be done. Soon, the interior of your very nice GTR, Challenger, etc. could rival those of a minivan. Then imagine every time trying to stuff/extract the kid to/from the back seat. Just one consideration. And instead of driving on the weekend with your hour of free time you are cleaning out the interior of your car.

If this is for “occasional” fun / drive consider where you would be going and how much fun it would actually be to stuff all of the crap (stroller if needed would not likely fit), etc. into the car just for a ride to wherever. And if it is for occasional fun, why are you compromising your fun car for a trip here and there. And what fun is it to drive in a 600hp car with a baby and your wife because if you even use >15% throttle or take a corner faster than 10mph you will likely be told you are endangering everyone’s life.

My solution is a daily (car / SUV, whatever suits your lifestyle) with ample storage room, ease of ingress, comfortable, whatever. Then there’s the Viper. I may not get to drive it every day, or even every week, but when I do I’m glad I didn’t compromise. Maybe the Viper isn’t the fun car you want, you have to answer that for yourself, but don’t compromise the fun car you want if you can afford to because I think ultimately you’re compromising the fun and the family side of things as well, nobody really wins. Just my $0.02.

[7TH_SIGN]

Kids are a life changer. One is easy; you'll easily have time to enjoy the TA. Two is a lot tougher but you'll have time for the TA. Level of difficulty is not additive when it comes to the number of children. It's synergistic. Three? Total ball breaker. There will no time for anything...not even crepes.

That's the truth. One was easy. Two is challenging. We are done. I hope.... Not sure what I'm going to do when they are old enough to realize that I can only fit one of them at a time in the Viper.

[jkviper]

I never gave up my sports cars when I had kids, they were all second cars and just for fun. With crying babies at home,you will find any excuse to hop in the viper and go get some diapers.

LOL! Seriously, if you love the car I see no reason to sell because of having a baby. Plus as they get bigger they can't wait to go in the cool car with dad for a ride.

Just my 2 cents.

- - - Updated - - -

I never gave up my sports cars when I had kids, they were all second cars and just for fun. With crying babies at home,you will find any excuse to hop in the viper and go get some diapers.

LOL! Seriously, if you love the car I see no reason to sell because of having a baby. Plus as they get bigger they can't wait to go in the cool car with dad for a ride.

Just my 2 cents.

[ViperSmith]

If you can afford to have the viper, don't sell it. Sold mine when my daughter was 6 months old and wanted another so bad I bought another.

We had a beater RAV4 for me to roll around in so use that to drive the now 2.5yo around town.

[SharpMan]

GTR useless for kids. Rear facing car seat until child is 2...go ahead and try to get that back there! And when you do...nobody can sit in front. Keep the TA and get a GTI or some 4-5dr whatever you can afford to accommodate your child (and their stuff) properly. Heck, get a Grand Cherokee SRT-8 if your hair always needs to be on fire.

Also, your wife will likely want to sit in back with your baby for the first while. Not very comfortable for her in the GTR. And you'll often need a surface to change diapers on...really you need a proper family car and the GTR isn't it. Also, rides like utter shit. Worse riding vehicle I've ever driven.

[dethred]

Put a car length on an Alpha 7 GTR yesterday by 100mph, with him taking the hit at 45mph. I know that doesn't really help when considering a baby in the car, but unless you're launching the car or dump 20k into mods, you might as well buy a sedan. Didn't you just spend about 6 months and 30 forum threads looking for a car? Haha. Do you really want your wife parking your toy next to Soccer moms that think door dings are just normal everyday abuse?

[shine]

I have a wife and 4 kids (16, 13, 11 and 3).

Daily drivers are Charger SRT and Yukon Denali.

Viper was for weekends and when I had "me" time.

From a practical point of view, if you're dailying your TA, then yes, you need to get another car you can daily drive. There's no shame in having a Viper and a sedan, or a Viper and a minivan. Do what is right for you.

I'm assuming finances are in order already also. Formula and diapers will suck the equivalent of a car payment every month. Daycare is expensive also, unless one of you is staying home (and then you're losing that income). Kids need a whole new set of clothes every 6 months until they're about 5. Doctor visits, even when they're well. All kinds of new safety stuff from car seats to babyproof power outlets. If you can afford all that and keep the Viper, by golly, keep it!

[v10enomous]

Don't fret... you have college and weddings to look forward to and it gets a little easier on the wallet by the time they turn 26 or so if they can actually find a job....

I'm assuming finances are in order already also. Formula and diapers will suck the equivalent of a car payment every month. Daycare is expensive also, unless one of you is staying home (and then you're losing that income). Kids need a whole new set of clothes every 6 months until they're about 5. Doctor visits, even when they're well. All kinds of new safety stuff from car seats to babyproof power outlets.

[ViperPete]

Im a sales manager at a Nissan dealer. Sold a bunch of the cars.

It cannot compare to the Viper. The paint is terrible, imperfections all over the place and full of orange peel.

The back seat is defiantly not suitable for children. Might as well consider a 911 Porsche if you require that level of performance.

Have you ever considered a Jaguar or a coupe Mercedes? They have plenty of straight line performance.

A Challenger SRT would be a good consideration. Plenty of back seat room, or a Charger SRT.

Ive never been impressed with the GTR.

Keep the Viper, get a daily for the kid. They will love it when you pick them up from school in it in a few yeas

[SnakeWatching]

If you have kids and want "Fast" you should get a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

[Voice of Reason]

If I needed a backseat I'd have a GT350 over a GTR or Challenger.

[zee]

Thanks for the great feedback everyone. Really do appreciate it. The TA is not a daily, just a weekend blaster. I was considering the GTR only cause I could potentially drive it more if back seats were useable. The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds to use with the baby. I have an SUV for a daily and the viper is paid off. It makes more sense to keep the TA and enjoy it when I can. It just sucks to think that I can't take it around with wife and kid as we go to a lot of places(family, friends, etc) on the weekends and the highlight for me is driving a fun car to get there. Going to the in laws house is only fun because of the drive! Lol. But as others have said, I wouldn't drive it aggressive with the kid in the back. I thought about a hellcat charger, maybe I can save up and get one of those along with the viper. I'd imagine in another year or so I could pick a used one up for around $50k? Not a bad idea...

[V10powerr]

life brings changes and a child is a blessing many take for granted but your love for cars can continue.
it will be tough to get a baby seat in and out of the gtr. imho you need a 4 door, charger, 4 door amg etc.
the gtr would work if you only used it once in a while with the baby. i sold my viper recently as i bought another car and still looking for a 4 door that i can enjoy with the family , like a charger or s63.

[Ludington1]

Congrats! I have 4 and 6 year-olds, and have always had an old Mopar or two as my toys. Recently sold my last one and bought an 08 ACR. My daily is a Ram 1500 crew cab, which is very useful, confortable and safe, with tons of room for both car seats in the back. When the kid(s) get a little older, you can always convince your wife to let you drive your Viper separately for semi-local trips, and when you're all going somewhere together you won't miss the Viper because you'll be having a blast with your kids. I say keep the TA.

Darren