I love my Gen V and this is a story that needs to be told who else loves theirs

[Bruce H.]

(not sure why puntuation gets removed from thread titles now)

Absolutely love everything about it....even with the hardest color paint to keep beautiful! Black 2014 TA. Gorgeous.

43000+kms (26,700+ miles), many track days, several multi-day road trips to distant tracks with my wife. 13 day, 6000 kms round trip from Toronto area to NVE2 in New Orleans this year. Much, much longer road trip being planned to west coast, including many tracks, and then NVE3 in Las Vegas. Driven anywhere and everywhere from Day 1 with complete confidence and never any problem.

Built April 2014, original owner. Outstanding purchase experience from a recommended Toronto dealer. Outstanding support from SRT who assisted in finding me an allocation for the car when no more existed in Canada. Outstanding service experience from the closest dealer that has a highly recommended Viper Tech where numerous small issues were quickly and competently addressed under warranty. I feel sourcing highly recommended dealers prior to purchase is the key to a good ownership experience. I enjoy taking my car in for service because having all mechanicals checked out by an experienced Viper tech allows me to fully enjoy it on the road and track with complete confidence.



The choice of car to purchase was limited to either the Viper TA or a Porsche GT3 based on my need for a stock production car that was truly designed with bulletproof durability under advanced and extended track use, and be able to be safely driven to and back from track events that were days away from home in some cases. Lots of "track capable" cars being marketed, several with impressive single lap times recorded, but in 2014 there were only these two that could track lap after lap, event after event, and now three years in a row for mine. That's a very impressive accomplishment that few reading this will truly appreciate, but all owners will benefit from.

Running costs have been extremely low. Gas, tires, routine maintenance (more frequent due to track use). I don't think I've spent a dime other than for accessories like the Sun Tek clear paint protection film, Teamtech harness, Lloyds floor mats, Xtreme sill covers, ACR brake ducts, removable front licence plate frame, and dash cams. I've worn out a set of brake pads in one track day on two different cars that weren't nearly as fast as the TA, but the TA pads seem to last forever. And if you manage the Corsa tires well they last remarkably long as well (separate tire thread coming).

Build quality was a concern for me with Dodge historically ranking quite low among auto manufacturers. I did my due diligence to satisfy myself with help from Viper forum members with early Gen V's, SRT Team Viper members, and candid recommendations from Randy Pobst's based on his track experience with the TA at Laguna Seca.

The TA was the car designed for my demanding needs, no question. No second guessing, not then, and not since. The Gen V is essentially a hand built exotic, and that makes them more prone to build issues almost by definition. I not only accepted that, but embraced it as being part of an exotic car ownership experience and I think this is a big part of why I've always been so positive about the car. That's why none of the various issues have phased me, and why any future ones won't either.

My expectations upon purchase were that I'd have some issues, so it's definitely not upsetting when I do, and I know I've got the expertise to handle any repair necessary. And I also don't know of any other car at this level of performance that would have lower ownership costs under street and track use. The car definitely isn't inexpensive, but it actually is relative to its performance and track durability for those that require those attributes.

While numerous threads discuss the very real and serious issues that some owners have experienced, I thought it would be great to hear from those who are really enjoying their ownership experience, and would like to share their story with those who might even be considering becoming Viper owners!

Cheers,

Bruce

[38D]

Best post ever

[zee]

Awesome post Bruce!! It's getting pretty depressing around here. While I completely understand the frustrations of some, I truly echo all your statements. I was actually very close to selling my TA just to try something new, but got cold feet. There is just something about the G5 that makes it so damn special. I have not had a single issue with mine and neither have the previous owners. I'm almost at 9500 miles now and it's been a blast. Thanks for sharing and look forward to the many more posts talking about trouble free miles and how much they love their G5.



Here's a video review of my TA as well: https://youtu.be/EzHRAkQWFTM

[FLATOUT]

Agree with Bruce, I've also had 2 Gen V's that have been incredibly good and a complete joy to own and race. Glad you took the leap Bruce.

[Vipes]

Excellent post! It's easy to take for granted when you are used to having something great and I'm glad you appreciate your TA. I absolutely love my base model. I've only put 2,000 miles on it so far but that will change with this perfect winter weather in Florida.

[viperr]

Great post. It is a nice breath of fresh air to see good things happening. Congratulations on putting miles on it, especially road miles. I have had my 2014 GTS since last January and picked it up with 9,000 miles on it and now just broke 18,000. I have run it on track as well as road trips and it is a great car. I know that some have had some serious issues, but for us lucky ones, we can drive the daylights out of them. I especially liked the drivetrain warranty on my Viper being extended to 10 years and 100,000 miles. My Gen II had 109,000 miles on it when I traded it in and I plan to put bunches of miles on this one too.

[darbgnik]

I've had nothing but great luck with mine too. Almost 10,000 miles in 2 short driving seasons, with many of those track miles. I could say it's hard on brake pads and tires, but it's more likely me....

I feel for the few on here that have major issues, outside of warranty coverage, through aftermarket add ons, no matter their involvement.

But the real Debbie Downers are the owners who can't enjoy their cars over fears of things that may never happen, and non owners complaining as if they've been personally affronted. Same posts, same outrage, over and over......

Enjoy em or sell em kids. Some times a man's gotta walk the talk. And walk.

[One Viper Bite]

As brief and unpleasant as my Gen V ownership experience was, I can honestly say that I fell in love with the Viper, anyway. Despite the many imperfections the platform has, I can't help but love the way it made me feel behind the wheel, on the street, on a canyon road, or at a local car event. I can't imagine what it feels like to own a Viper that doesn't have evidence of such a rough history like mine did. Imagine how much I'd love it then.

I truly hope I get to place an order for a 1 of 1, soon. Until then, here are some of my favorite shots of my 13 GTS!

[TA Two Oh]

Bruce

I echo your comments, and those of the others that have also posted on this thread. I don't earn much, so buying my Viper was a big deal to me. You could say that I pretty much spent my entire life saving up to purchase it. I am lucky to have had experience with pretty much every high end brand -usually, though not always, as an owner. I've owned several BMW's, Mercedes', Audi's, Porsche's, Corvette's, NSX's, Bentley's and one Aston Martin. (All purchased used) And I've driven almost every recent model of Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini.

My current Viper was my first ever new car. I spent a lot of time pouring over road tests of every sports car available before I pulled the trigger on it. I went through the maintenance records on all of my previous cars. And I checked on what folks were paying to keep their Ferraris and Lamborghinis going, years into their ownership. I knew that whatever I bought would have to both keep me interested, and not break my budget, for decades. It was a tall order... especially keeping my ADD-flawed brain from getting bored and wanting to move on to something else.

My "finalists" included the MB AMG GT. It's a fabulous car, with great performance and I loved the fact that in my market, it cost about half what it's predecessor -the SLS AMG- cost, and that SLS AMG had cost about half what it's predecessor- the SLR McLaren had cost. But I've seen countless ridiculously high repair bills on older expensive MB products -including one to fix the backup camera that ran into 5 figures- and I just didn't want to be paying to fix a ten year old Benz in ten years.

I also love the 4C. Carbon tub. Manual steering. Sweet styling and super sharp handling. But... no Manny Tranny. And supplies were tight when I was looking. Plus, the cost was close to that of a Viper but the performance wasn't in the same ballpark. Not even close.

Corvette? I like the C7. But they were building about 40,000 per year when I was looking at them so there was no exclusivity at all. And a few years down the road... look at a 2008 Corvette, or a 1996 or a 1992 vs. a Viper built in those years, or ANY year. One's an inexpensive, dime a dozen car and the other is something really special. Plus, until the latest Z06 arrived, the performance wasn't exactly close. No contest.

That left Porsche. They're all great: well built and they take abuse all day long and beg for more. I have owned several, including one for 17 years. Like Vipers, a lot of owners enjoy their Porsches for a long, long time. But in my price range, I'd be getting a relatively base 911 with performance nowhere near as good as a Viper. A GT3 or Turbo costs about twice as much as a Viper. And though they're robust, I know what they cost to keep on the road when they're old and, well, it's an awful lot.

My previous Vipers had been dead reliable, super fun to drive, and cheap to maintain. Vastly cheaper than any of my other performance cars. The driveline is tried and true, and way understressed compared with the competition. It's such a shame that QC issues have affected several Gen V's and like many others, I also feel badly for the affected owners. At 16,000 Km's, my car has been trouble free and an absolute blast to drive for every single mile. It used about 1.5 litres of oil during breakin and not a single drop since. It is one of the best looking cars ever. The interior is really nice and the paint quality is in the same league as that of Rolls Royce and Bentley. It's crazy fast. And there's plenty of room inside for long trips. I've had a couple of minor issues but they've been attended to under warranty.

It's earned the respect of the Porsche guys... look at the length of the Rennlist thread on the ACR. Plus, several Porsche guys that track have now bought ACR's. People think that Vipers are huge and 911's are small, so I love pointing out that my car is about 3 inches SHORTER than the current 911. People think that they're heavy, so I gladly share my cars weight, compared with the weight of cars with similar power outputs. (New 911 Turbos and Z06's weigh roughly 200 pounds more.) People think that Vipers are made out of recycled Rubbermaid and Tupperware, until I show them my carbon fiber hood, XBrace and hatch, and mention the cf roof and superformed aluminum doors and sills. Even though they're famous for the highest technology, unless you buy a $2,000,000.00 La Ferrari, your Ferrari comes with aluminum body panels not carbon fiber. I could go on and on and on.

Bruce... thank you for a stellar thread. Other posters, thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences.

I unequivocally, absopositively made the right choice. Let's make this thread at least as long as the negative ones!

[swexlin]

Bruce, nice post, and it's great that you enjoy the car. In spite of the QC issues, and ongoing current issue, that my car has had, I am STILL a Viper lover, and do enjoy driving the car. Just a little disappointed, I guess. We will have to agree to disagree about you "expecting" issues, because it is a hand built exotic. I must disagree, a car at this price point should not have this many issues .My problem is, that for every " little warranty issue", it's a drive to the dealer, Uber home, Uber back, pick up, etc. It just gets tiring. I'm sure my Viper tech gets tired of it too!

But I don't want to derail the thread. You have a stunning car, and glad that it's done well by you.

[ChevyChad]

Awesome thread! Keep em coming everyone!

[nx91notch]

So far I completely happy with mine. 2013 SRT with the track pack. I picked her up back in June 2016 with about 1900 miles. As of now it has 4700 miles and I daily drive it. Couple 200 miles road trips but no track action yet. January I am going to the 1/2 mile even in Ocala, FL.

I think I got luck in the motor department. I am not burning much oil...if any at all.

Just small minor warranty issues I have had to fix but FCA gave me no issues. Replaced the 3rd brake light due to a stress crack. Replaced the wiper cowel because the seal was torn. And had to replace the rubber seals under the headlights that were coming loose. Plus new door clips due to the door panels rattling. Some say that's a lot of stuff wrong for a car that cost this much and get all pissed off about the little stuff. That's all minor stuff that FCA fixed under warranty no questions asked. I am happy.

Just installed ARH long tubes with the high flow cats and the stock mufflers and still on the stock tune...and with about 500 miles now with the headers on no check engine light has kicked on yet! I am trying to not void that powertrain warranty by installing the Arrow PCM. So far so good. It's like playing russian roulette every time I start her up....is that light going to come on or not? LOL. IDK what I did different than others since I was told it will turn the light on almost immediately with this setup. So if I only have to clear that light once every 500 miles....which takes me about a month or more to get that many miles....I am ok at the moment just clearing the code once a month. That's if it ever does come on. Watch I just jinxed myself it will probably turn on when I leave work today.

[ViperJon]

Just installed ARH long tubes with the high flow cats and the stock mufflers and still on the stock tune...and with about 500 miles now with the headers on no check engine light has kicked on yet! I am trying to not void that powertrain warranty by installing the Arrow PCM.

You might as well put the PCM in as headers are probably going to void the warranty anyway as things stand now. I know someone who asked FCA specifically about headers and was told they WILL void the warranty.

[nx91notch]

You might as well put the PCM in as headers are probably going to void the warranty anyway as things stand now. I know someone who asked FCA specifically about headers and was told they WILL void the warranty.

While it would be one hell of a job....IF the motor ever did go south on me take the headers off and reinstall the factory exhaust. They can't prove I did that! No electronic footprint.

[Dave292]

I love my ACR. No complaints here!!!

[SADVIPER]

Becoming a Viper owner is a dream that you realize one day, or whatever other car is your dream car. For those who are always negative this car is not for you.
Going down the Viper road knowing what the car is about and what hurdles you may face is part of the deal Bruce, so glad you are enjoying a healthy experience and long may it continue!

[genVer]

I owned my '13 GTS for over two years and put 16,000 virtually trouble free miles on her. I installed the Arrow controller and participated in multiple track events during my ownership and was continually impressed with not only the performance but the durability of that car.

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That was my first Viper and the reason I ordered my current '17 ACR!

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[TrackratViper]

Thanks for the great post Bruce. I love my Gen V ACR which I have owned for going on a year. I use it mostly as a track only car and it has been fantastic. Zero issues or problems. I came to Gen V Vipers (my first was a 2014 TA) from a long line of race cars and Corvettes all of which had issues from time to time. The ACR is the most stable car I have driven on track and it is a pleasure to drive. I certainly sympathize with those who have had problems as I certainly had my share with late model Corvettes. I hope everyone who has one of these great cars can enjoy them the way I have.

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[Bleed viper]

I've absolutely loved mine since day one. I swore back in 1995 I'd own one some day and finally pulled the trigger in Aug 2015. It was my first new vehicle ever and I bought it sight unseen and had it shipped here, that's how sure I was. I had never even driven one, it was just my dream car and I'd find a way to make it work. It's been a little over a year and I haven't regretted it once. It's had it's share of small issues, but everything has been fixed just the way it should be and I move on. Had it on the track about five times and had more fun than should be legal. I know it's the slowest track model being a GTS, but that doesn't stop me, I'm not out there to win any awards, I'm out there to drive fast and have fun. I'm going to drive the hell out of it until something does break and then I'll fix it and drive the hell out of it again.

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[Purple Haze]

Great post Bruce...Glad it's been a great experience! My 2016 is my first and waited a long time to get one...TA Two Oh nice post too!

[TA Two Oh]

Thank you. I just love my car. Love the Hendrix reference!

[Bruce H.]

Thanks everyone. It's your positive stories that are making this a great thread!

They say an unhappy consumer tells 10 other people their story and happy ones tell only 1. Often times people use the forum to discuss problems, as they should, and before long it's easy to get the impression everyone is having problems.

I hope we get many more responses from the silent majority so that everyone using this forum realizes that an awful lot of Gen V owners find this to be an outstanding car, even if some aspects of their ownership experience have been disappointing.

[Terminator02]

Bruce and TA Two oh, great posts. When I saw a 1996 blue/white stripe driving down Maple road in Michigan back in 1995-1996 I immediately fell in love with the viper. The car looked like someone cracked it in half as the proportions and lines were absolutely crazy and way ahead of its time. The car was and is an instant classic with forever perfect curves.

In 2005 I saw the new 2006 BW coupe being tested by a Chrysler executive. I signaled a thumbs up and he actually asked if I wanted to drive it. I remember posting on the VCA site about my experience and people thought I was trolling. However the subtle things I said in my story about my driving impression convinced the majority I was telling the truth (difficulty finding the seat belt, working the door, seeing only the hood, etc). I knew driving that 2006 that I had to get into a viper. So I spent hours in my downtime at a business I owned at the time studying up on the generations. I wanted to like the gen 3 more than the gen 2 because of the fit and finish and since it was newer but couldn't get there. I also couldn't get there price wise...in either car.

In 2008 I began my search for the viper. I spoke to many members on here and finally pulled the trigger in 2009 when I got a 1 of 35 solid red 2000 ACR at a steal of a price. I was ear to ear smiles and posted tons of pictures the first day I owned it to the website. I couldn't believe I "got one." I enjoyed that car for 6 years before upgrading to a gen V. My wife was finishing residency and we figured we would swing the higher payments just so we could get a brand new car. We knew it likely would be he only, or one of the only new cars we would ever purchase. We wanted the new car smell, the fact that no one has driven a mile on her and the few other benefits of buying new but paying much more. So in September of 2015 we got a black on black GT with the upgraded sidewinder ll wheels and Harmon Kardon audio.

I'll admit, I didn't love it when I first upgraded. It's arguable which car looks better and unless you are on the track, the gen ll "feels faster." I never felt like the ride was rough in my ACR and bought the seats were absolutely perfect. So my initial impression was a bit underwhelmed. However as I went through the break in process I really appreciated the evolution of the viper. The different suspension settings, engine development, carbon fiber everywhere, and the amazing audio. I realized that I upgraded to the absolute best version of the viper V10. I fortunately was able to grab Orange TA 33/93 that was previously owned by very active VOA members and have already doubled the miles on the car in one partial season. The person who optioned that orange TA did my dream build which is to have the Arrow Heads and Cam package so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I basically began daily driving this absolute monster as I couldn't get enough. The car, color, sound, everything is exactly how I want my viper to be. My dream viper was always to have a track focused viper with the best naturally aspirated power adders you could do outside of NOS and that's what I have in my car. My original plan was to pay off the GT and then upgrade to an ACR. However when I saw my deal pop up I couldn't let it go. I figured the TA was always a really good performer and had such a cool story of how it came to existence so having that with the heads and cam which dick winkles was a huge part of allowed me to realize I had basically the viper of my dreams.

All of us who own gen V vipers have something rare and special. It's limited production, NA, stick shift with outrageous hand built exotic looks. There is no "base viper" in my opinion. There is only a "perfect viper" and that's the one you decide is best for you. I've flirted with letting it go but my wife loves the car...and surprisingly loves the sound. We have our dream spring through fall car and our dream winter SRT Jeep (x5m was too much) and we couldn't be happier. I'm loving every second of the journey and have met some awesome people along the way.

[swexlin]

You just made an excellent point - through my Viper ownership, I have met and made many lifelong friends. Sounds corny, but perhaps the best part of ownership.

[aspman]

Even the turn signals are cool!