Auto Journalist...

[GhostStalker27]

Is it me or do a majority of automobile journalist trash the viper for reason's it should be loved? (or should I say the reason's why I love it)

Here's a list of things I've heard:
- Too brutal
- Challenging to drive fast
- Too loud
- Rides harsh
- Clutch is stiff
- Shifter is notchy
- Styling is too bold
- Intimidating
- Difficult to live with day to day
- Crap interior
- No safety/tech features (older gens)


I don't get it? I don't want my sports car to be any other way. In fact I want it to be the furthest thing from a daily driver. The more of a race car the better! Why are these journalist so concerned with creature comforts and features unrelated to racing? Why be concerned if it's a good day to day car? Makes no sense..

So I gotta ask - what do you all think? Maybe some of you own or have owned a good variety of sports cars and can comment on this. Why they seem to love the European and Japanese cars so much? Yet when I look at the production car track records of - let's say Mazda Laguna Seca and The Nürburgring - it's dominated by American sports cars. They go fast..that's the point, anything else is irrelevant.

[viperr]

It seems like they are reviewing a race horse. They complain about all the things that make it a race horse and apparently would prefer a little pony that you ride at the local fair with the little kids. If I wanted a Lexus I would buy one. As for me, I like a track car that is street legal. It actually has personality.

[Nine Ball]

Yes.

Think about it, and the reason they do this is simple to understand. A bunch of Camry-driving, California-based, beta-males that picked low-paying careers, and the only chance they have of driving cool cars is the fact that they got a job at a car magazine, instead of an arts & craft magazine.

[The_Greg]

Yes.

Think about it, and the reason they do this is simple to understand. A bunch of Camry-driving, California-based, beta-males that picked low-paying careers, and the only chance they have of driving cool cars is the fact that they got a job at a car magazine, instead of an arts & craft magazine.

I agree. Car magazines have it all wrong, besides tuner car magazines. Tuner car magazines don't compare production models and then aren't lulled into the easy 'let's compare them on paper and pick a subjective absolute winner' mind set. Instead, they search the nation for well built cars and praise the owners for the hard work they have done and what results that gives them. Production car writers get lazy and the articles become 'here is what makes this car imperfect' with a dash of 'but this particular part is pretty good' tossed in. It does not help car culture, it creates rifts in it just to sell magazines.

I have this idea of a car magazine that, at the end of the article, it doesn't display on-paper performance because a car is SO much more than a 0-60 and 1/4 mile time. Instead, it displays something that would actually convey the car's personality, like; Who is this car for? Why should you buy this car? Why will this car make you smile? If you are interested in this car, you may also be interested in xxxxx. Etc...

[Allan]

All the things that they say are bad about the car, are the exact reasons I love it.

[Thawk97]

Add to the list too expensive - seen that as an explanation for disliking the GenV and I'd have to agree. I'd enjoy it a lot more if it was $30k and I could afford one

[BlknBlu]

Yes, that car is all those things as described, however Dodge and SRT are not big advertisers in most magazines and that does not help in promotion of a great car. THe Viper has never claimed to be a luxury Sports Car. Until the GEN V came out it did have a very crude yet efficient interior. A lot of folks that buy the Viper look beyond the faults of the car and infact like those traits.

Long live the king

Bruce

[ViperSmith]

lets also not forget their only goal is to sell more magazine.

The Viper is a limited production vehicle, so the allure will be low.

Now, Ferrari and Lambo are too, but they are "dream" cars, so they are wins to write about as well.

The C7 is the "successful plumbers" car, so it is easy to write about as well, it is an affordable "dream car"

[VYPR BYT]

Think of it this way;

Some like the challenge of the total drivers experience where you must drive the car, while others like the car to drive itself.
The latter appears to be the bigger market.

Different strokes for different folks.

[KRATEDISEASE]

Here's a list of things I've heard:
- Too brutal
- Challenging to drive fast
- Too loud
- Rides harsh
- Clutch is stiff
- Shifter is notchy
- Styling is too bold
- Intimidating
- Difficult to live with day to day
- Crap interior
- No safety/tech features (older gens)

actually describes my wife

[Space Truckin]

Here's a list of things I've heard:
- Too brutal
- Challenging to drive fast
- Too loud
- Rides harsh
- Clutch is stiff
- Shifter is notchy
- Styling is too bold
- Intimidating
- Difficult to live with day to day
- Crap interior
- No safety/tech features (older gens)

actually describes my wife

[johniew398]

Everything in bold are the reasons I love the Viper:

Here's a list of things I've heard:
- Too brutal
- Challenging to drive fast
- Too loud
- Rides harsh
- Clutch is stiff
- Shifter is notchy
- Styling is too bold
- Intimidating
- Difficult to live with day to day
- Crap interior
- No safety/tech features (older gens)

And I disagree about it being difficult to live with day-to-day. If I were working I could drive it as a DD except during snow.

[swexlin]

actually describes my wife

That's effin' the funniest thing I've read all day! Beautiful!

[GhostStalker27]

It seems like they are reviewing a race horse. They complain about all the things that make it a race horse and apparently would prefer a little pony that you ride at the local fair with the little kids. If I wanted a Lexus I would buy one. As for me, I like a track car that is street legal. It actually has personality.

I'm with you, I think they just miss the point. Track-like car + beauty + exclusivity = Perfect car

All the things that they say are bad about the car, are the exact reasons I love it.

Right on, I do too.

Think of it this way;

Some like the challenge of the total drivers experience where you must drive the car, while others like the car to drive itself.
The latter appears to be the bigger market.

Different strokes for different folks.

I think you're right, I just wish it got respect for what it is - not what the majority prefer it to be. When you tailor a car to appease a general population you end up with something boring and definitely not a viper.

[Canadian venom]

actually describes my wife

VOA changed you for the best .... F...... Funny!!!!

[Nine Ball]

actually describes my wife

Awesome. Hahaha

[Policy Limits]

The critics can't have it both ways. I've read that it's too brutish and a real knuckle dragger. But the car has hill assist, rear view camera, cup holder and navigation. Then I've seen the opposite: that its too refined. Even that it has one if the best weight/speed ratios in the world, one of the widest radials on any production car in the world, has the largest naturally aspirated engine and is the only car made today that exclusively comes with side exhaust pipes that can burn your leg if you're not careful. Yup the frustrating thing for me is how critics seem to want it both ways. And in the past, what's worse, is it wasn't non owner mag journalists doing the bashing but viper owners themselves, but that's another story...

[GhostStalker27]

This is a great example of what I'm talking about. The Viper ACR is the fastest yet comes in 3rd (out of 4)...and 1st was the slowest car...makes no sense

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyesMboupuU