Was buying a Z06, decided to check out the Gen V. first

[2doorrocket]

Wow, Thank you all so very much. I am just floored by all the kindness I have received here, seriously, thank you all.




One in the same!

I miss my Supra everyday, I really do; thanks for the great advice, Thus far I have been very impressed by the Viper. What is a GTC? is that a new trim? You know me all too well it seams, I am still a track rat.



My plan is to buy a Gen V and build a turbo kit for it now there are some good ECU options (Pro-EFI), looks like I can run 800+ on the stock motor without too much in the way of issues.

So GTC is basically a build it however the hell you want it, in whatever the hell color and stripe option. Goto Drivesrt.com/Viper and play with the customizer. It's essentially a GT and you can put the GTS interior in it, SRT hood, whatever stripes. etc... you get the point

[Junkie]

Wow, Thank you all so very much. I am just floored by all the kindness I have received here, seriously, thank you all.

One in the same!

I miss my Supra everyday, I really do; thanks for the great advice, Thus far I have been very impressed by the Viper. What is a GTC? is that a new trim? You know me all too well it seams, I am still a track rat.

My plan is to buy a Gen V and build a turbo kit for it now there are some good ECU options (Pro-EFI), looks like I can run 800+ on the stock motor without too much in the way of issues.

Ross is going to have a PNP Motec setup for them soon, as well as turbo kits complete...

[Gadfly]

Ross is the man.

[dethred]

Just the forum difference from the vette forums to here was a big deciding factor for me when I was deciding on another vette *C6 Z06* or the Viper... I don't know much about the Gen V's but as for the community, that alone was worth it to me Just stay away from the Alley lol.

This^^^

There are actual people over there that think the C7Z is objectively THE best car in the world. No, I'm not joking.

Nineball's race video and the reaction of the geniuses over there made me completely discount the possibility of buying a Z06. June 16th is the closing date on my other house and I'll either be ordering a 2015 to spec or grabbing a 13 or 14 if the price and options are acceptable. I'll be choosing a car that is apparently second fiddle to "the best car in the world". Oh well. :-P

[rlhay2]

Ross is going to have a PNP Motec setup for them soon, as well as turbo kits complete...

And now I need to swing by Dynosaur and visit with them...

[Malu59RT]

Dodge should be paying you a commission for all the viper pimping you have done!!

But I am not mad, my wallet may be, but I am not...

I honestly didn't think it was on your radar, so it surprised me when you started looking. But I remember the night I made you drive it, you said it would be an expensive test drive...sorry, not sorry

Is there a certain unwritten rule (time frame) on how long the 1 post op has to respond back to you guys going way out of your way to help him?

They are just really good cars, that people don't know enough about. It fits the role of being exclusive, exotic looking, while not having to be a millionaire to own and maintain it. I really don't think a single car out there compares to it. I have let a ton of people drive mine, and those I know well, I've offered to let them borrow it. To really understand what this car is about, you have to drive it!!

[timberwolf]

Same here, and my factory clutch goes back in next week so it'll be out a lot more!

What happened with the aftermarket clutch? I was hoping you'd put one in and run 9s!

[Junkie]

I honestly didn't think it was on your radar, so it surprised me when you started looking. But I remember the night I made you drive it, you said it would be an expensive test drive...sorry, not sorry

They are just really good cars, that people don't know enough about. It fits the role of being exclusive, exotic looking, while not having to be a millionaire to own and maintain it. I really don't think a single car out there compares to it. I have let a ton of people drive mine, and those I know well, I've offered to let them borrow it. To really understand what this car is about, you have to drive it!!

Haha don't feel bad Ronnie, Jason has convinced me to buy 3 cars now. Two of which I've been 100% thrilled with!

What happened with the aftermarket clutch? I was hoping you'd put one in and run 9s!

It works fine, but it is very loud. Not something I'm willing to deal with, so it looks like I'll stick to street racing for now lol

[Schen]

So a friend of mine bought a C7Z, finally saw it for the first time today. It was nice, outside visually it's a nice car and I'll admit that. It's got lines and curves I didn't notice a year ago from last years NYIAS. Indoor lighting does make a difference.

However when I got in it...I was just. Disappointed. And it's not the materials I don't like, those are course par with what I expect. It's just, the seats and the overall view out the front window just didn't wow me. I didn't really get that OMG THIS IS AWESOME sensation. It was more, 'eh I'm in a car' kind of feeling. Those seats just don't impress me.

Anyway back to the thread.

--RS

[Malu59RT]

Haha don't feel bad Ronnie, Jason has convinced me to buy 3 cars now. Two of which I've been 100% thrilled with!

I feel like I tried to talk you out of the middle one, or at least make you think hard about it before buying that color. I knew it would make it impossible to blend in!!

[ViperDC]

They are just really good cars, that people don't know enough about. It fits the role of being exclusive, exotic looking, while not having to be a millionaire to own and maintain it. I really don't think a single car out there compares to it.

Exactly. Exotic looks and exclusivity, great performance, and low maintenance.

[Junkie]

G5 Viper is by far the best "sports car" I've ever owned, which is a pretty extensive list. G4 Viper and Z06 are right under it for me.

[darbgnik]

I absolutely love my '13 Track Pack car. Like Tony said above, it has the lightweight Sidewinders, and 2-piece StopTech (and wow, do they stop!) May car also has the full leather seat upgrade. It doesn't have rearview, I've never had a car or truck with one, so I can't really say I "miss" it, but as on my Gen 3, the ass on this car is big, and would be nice to have.

Honestly, in the years I owned my 07 Charger SRT8, I never once used the "3-mode" ESC, so again, I don't miss it here. As to the 2-mode suspension, maybe, but not a deal breaker. Whatever Viper you choose, it will STILL be supercar performance, at a fraction of the cost. And of course, one of the best looking cars on the road.

My thoughts were similar to yours. The ride quality of sports cars has never bothered me too much, it's usually the road noise from the tires, and exhaust note that get tiring.....

I didn't have the patience to order one when I decided I wanted one, and I really had to have the SRT 6 vent hood, and the new Competition Blue. Also couldn't see myself in the new TA 2.0, although I'm sure they're nice track tools, I just can't get over the wing. Nice on other cars, just not on mine.

All these points pretty well pointed me to my 2015 SRT Comp Blue with track pack. There were a few great deals on some leftover 2014 GTS's actually better value than my SRT for under sticker, but I wasn't keen on any of the colors on the picked over models, and of course, not a fan of the GTS hood.

There was a 2014 TA that I was considering, if this deal fell through, but again, a year old, not priced quite right either. I do like the TA Orange, but prefer the Comp Blue more. I am also a fan of the nylon seats, I really am. Which the SRT and TA's both have. These seats need a long highway drive to be sure, but just sitting in the car, the seats are 10 times more comfortable than the ones in my Gallardo, those things are rocks, and kill my back on the highway.

Either way, I'm pretty sure I'm capable of showing a few people the tail lights on the road course this year...... even in my lowly SRT Track Pack. lol

[swexlin]

Great post Brad. That Comp Blue is a killer color for sure. And like you, I much prefer the 6-vent hood. The thing about Vipers is, it's like picking from the supermodels in in Playboy, there are no bad choices!

[Viktimize]

To really understand what this car is about, you have to drive it!!

This 100%!! I finally got to take mine out for a jaunt the other day. It is just awesome. I'm used to my old Gen3, but this car is a whole new animal. Still feels "raw", but in a more precise way. The shifter is a million times better, so accurate, and the throw is nice and short. The gearing all finally makes sense in the car now. You don't have to lug 2nd gear or downshift to first for school zones anymore. You just leave it in 2nd gear and it is nice and smooth from virtually a stop all the way up to high RPM's.

My only small complaint so far is the throttle response. That drive by wire is a tad slow for my liking. But it is easily worth living with over a Vette.

[Bruce H.]

One in the same!

I miss my Supra everyday, I really do; thanks for the great advice, Thus far I have been very impressed by the Viper. What is a GTC? is that a new trim? You know me all too well it seams, I am still a track rat.


My plan is to buy a Gen V and build a turbo kit for it now there are some good ECU options (Pro-EFI), looks like I can run 800+ on the stock motor without too much in the way of issues.

Hey...glad to hear it's you! You'd appreciate that every aspect of this car was designed by track rats at SRT for racing and track rats, and the factory was out racing the car before you could even buy one for the street. You don't need to mod the car to track it, and there's no weaknesses or excuses when running hard on a hot day on track all day...and I've found all temps stay well within range on track even on a 100 degree day. The TA pushes track abilities to the max. I think I bolted in my Team Tech 6 points (standard kit made for Gen V) within the first week using the factory provided 6 point harness mounts through the factory provided harness seat slots. If laws allowed you'd be able to check off harnesses on the order form. I just ordered another set of Corsa R-compounds yesterday at 1/2 price ($1550) directly from Pirelli as part of a VOA promotion and they shipped the same day with shipping included to Canada! Just a great tire for those who want one tire to drive in the dry and wet on the road and track.

I forget what suspension you had on your Supra but I had the Advanced Design racing coil-overs (800/500#) on mine, and I think we both ran the CCW Classics with 285/18 and 315/17's. Great set-up, and I could balance mine on the head of a needle on track, and steer it with my right foot at BPU power levels. It took me a while to work up the confidence, but the TA is just like that, and very controllable on the limits of adhesion. Progressive and controllable break away. Completely neutral, and every aspect of performance is just sharper than the track modded Supra as you would expect of a purpose built track car that is tame enough for the street.

The SRT gurus strongly recommended the TA to me for aggressive track use, and I can see upgrading from there if you're really hard core. Some will agonize over whether the Z06/07 is better, easier or quicker in the hands of other drivers, but the more important thing to me is having a car that is designed to stand up to that use...and enjoy the challenge of driver skill being the deciding factor in which car is quicker on any given day.

Not sure how a turbo setup would do on track, but the stock NA power level really gets the job done on the road course with great reliability and minimal wear on consumables.

Good luck with your plans!

Bruce

[swexlin]

This 100%!! I finally got to take mine out for a jaunt the other day. It is just awesome. I'm used to my old Gen3, but this car is a whole new animal. Still feels "raw", but in a more precise way. The shifter is a million times better, so accurate, and the throw is nice and short. The gearing all finally makes sense in the car now. You don't have to lug 2nd gear or downshift to first for school zones anymore. You just leave it in 2nd gear and it is nice and smooth from virtually a stop all the way up to high RPM's.

My only small complaint so far is the throttle response. That drive by wire is a tad slow for my liking. But it is easily worth living with over a Vette.

Same comment from me coming from a Gen 3 as well

[outnumbered]

I've seen a dozen C7 Z06's in the last month, and not one gen 5 Viper. I love exclusivity.

[LmeaViper]

I've had the base model '13 SRT and now the '14 TA, and I would only recommend the "must have" options as the 2-mode electric shocks (TA, GT, GTC, GTS) and the rear view camera (only early '13 SRT's didn't have this standard). The rest is just cosmetic, upgrades that can be done later for most parts. I do like the Sidewinder wheels, they are the lightest model. I also like the 2-piece Stoptech brake rotors, those save about 32 lbs of rotating mass on the car vs the standard rotors.

Interior wise, I had the upgraded leather in my SRT, and now have the ballistic cloth in my TA. I prefer the cloth, it looks better and breathes better. Also, I put 10K miles on my SRT with the leather, and the seats still looked brand new. Not a single crease in them. The Laguna leather doesn't age as well, it shows wrinkles and indentions easier than the other interiors. If I were picking leather, I'd go with the standard GT or standard non-Laguna GTS leather, the type with the suede inserts.

The fastest model will be the SRT base model with track pack (Sidewinder wheels, 2-piece rotors) because it is the lightest model. The fastest around a road course is the TA model. The TA cars seem to hold their value best, as they are a good balance of luxury and performance.

Since you are only 3 hrs from Houston, I'd suggest making an appointment with Bernie at Tomball Dodge and visiting the locked vault upstairs. They have several cars in stock, which would make it easy for you to see all the different options and compare the different trim levels. These pics were from 3 weeks ago. That Stryker Orange and the Comp Blue were making me drool. Silver too!

Nineball, in the 3rd picture...are the 2 red cars bracketing the orange vert the same color? The far one looks more metallic? Or is this just the light?
Man would I love to visit that place and poke around.

[darbgnik]

Nineball, in the 3rd picture...are the 2 red cars bracketing the orange vert the same color? The far one looks more metallic? Or is this just the light?
Man would I love to visit that place and poke around.

I think the far one is Stryker Orange, middle is Orange, and closest is red.

[GreenVenom]

6th picture down is Stryker Orange. Not sure of the vert. but it may be Y'Orange or a one off color close to it.
Had 4 Vettes and sold last one in October. Won't have another unless I win it in a raffle.
Gen 5s rocks!! Definitely gotta have one.

[Nine Ball]

Nineball, in the 3rd picture...are the 2 red cars bracketing the orange vert the same color? The far one looks more metallic? Or is this just the light?
Man would I love to visit that place and poke around.

Both the orange and the yellow Medusa convertibles are custom paint colors done by Prefix. Stryker Orange is the darker orange in these photos.

[LmeaViper]

Both the orange and the yellow Medusa convertibles are custom paint colors done by Prefix. Stryker Orange is the darker orange in these photos.

Sorry, I was referring to the 2 red colors looking different.
thks

[LmeaViper]

Ah, very nice color...Striker Orange,
thks

[Gadfly]

[QUOTE=Bruce H.;128534]Hey...glad to hear it's you! You'd appreciate that every aspect of this car was designed by track rats at SRT for racing and track rats, and the factory was out racing the car before you could even buy one for the street. You don't need to mod the car to track it, and there's no weaknesses or excuses when running hard on a hot day on track all day...and I've found all temps stay well within range on track even on a 100 degree day. The TA pushes track abilities to the max. I think I bolted in my Team Tech 6 points (standard kit made for Gen V) within the first week using the factory provided 6 point harness mounts through the factory provided harness seat slots. If laws allowed you'd be able to check off harnesses on the order form. I just ordered another set of Corsa R-compounds yesterday at 1/2 price ($1550) directly from Pirelli as part of a VOA promotion and they shipped the same day with shipping included to Canada! Just a great tire for those who want one tire to drive in the dry and wet on the road and track.

I forget what suspension you had on your Supra but I had the Advanced Design racing coil-overs (800/500#) on mine, and I think we both ran the CCW Classics with 285/18 and 315/17's. Great set-up, and I could balance mine on the head of a needle on track, and steer it with my right foot at BPU power levels. It took me a while to work up the confidence, but the TA is just like that, and very controllable on the limits of adhesion. Progressive and controllable break away. Completely neutral, and every aspect of performance is just sharper than the track modded Supra as you would expect of a purpose built track car that is tame enough for the street.

The SRT gurus strongly recommended the TA to me for aggressive track use, and I can see upgrading from there if you're really hard core. Some will agonize over whether the Z06/07 is better, easier or quicker in the hands of other drivers, but the more important thing to me is having a car that is designed to stand up to that use...and enjoy the challenge of driver skill being the deciding factor in which car is quicker on any given day.

Not sure how a turbo setup would do on track, but the stock NA power level really gets the job done on the road course with great reliability and minimal wear on consumables.

Good luck with your plans!

Bruce[/QUOTE


I think the Viper is a better car overall, and I have to admit, looking into the bolt-ons it looks more than possible to do a solid 650rwhp N/A. There also seams to be a lot of improvements that the aftermarket is not addressing.


I ran a few suspensions on the supra, Tein Flex, HKS, and KW's; yes on the wheels and tires, ccw classics, 285/315's. I was a great setup but i was running @800 rwhp and those old turbos made spooling out of corner ... difficult. That is why I went to the GTR, which I loved; but it went away when I got divorced (yeah... hence my absence over the past 4 years, divorce, lost my shirt, then 4 year long custody battle for my daughter.)

I am getting very excited about a Viper, doing my research, and I will try to meet up with some locals to check it out in person.