Test drives????

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

So did most of you buy the Viper without ever driving one?

I did, and if I had to guess, maybe 80-90% of us did. I bought from a dealer halfway across the country, Not only had I not driven the car I bought, I had not driven one period. If you want one of these, you just do. You come here and you check references.
Now, what no one else has mentioned is what we all have learned over the years. A VERY large majority of Viper accidents occur under the following conditions. Brand new car on the way from the dealership, test drive at the dealership by a customer OR A MECHANIC, letting a friend drive it for the first time, even with the owner in the car, AND test drive to a prospective customer when it is for sale, and cold pavement accidents by new and sometimes not so new owners. A large percentage of these involve fatalities. All these stories have made us collectively a little nervous. What WE know about the car that YOU do not know is that you cannot get on this car at all around a corner, you can not miss a shift from second to third or 3rd to fourth. And it is VERY easy to miss those shifts in this car. Catch the wrong lower gear and you are going round and round across the median and into opposing traffic. These situations HAVE happened and with frightening regularity to OWNERS. We read them here every time the pavement becomes cold, which doubles the problem.
And the problem is 500+ ft/lbs of torque, that is completely different from any of the cars you have mentioned. The NSX and almost any Ferrari under $300,000 are pussycats compared to the Snake's bad behavior if mishandled. This car is a race car that you can drive on the street. Most of us know that and that is why we are cautious with this issue.

 

[Saint_Spinner]

So did most of you buy the Viper without ever driving one?

I did, and if I had to guess, maybe 80-90% of us did. I bought from a dealer halfway across the country, Not only had I not driven the car I bought, I had not driven one period. If you want one of these, you just do. You come here and you check references.
Now, what no one else has mentioned is what we all have learned over the years. A VERY large majority of Viper accidents occur under the following conditions. Brand new car on the way from the dealership, test drive at the dealership by a customer OR A MECHANIC, letting a friend drive it for the first time, even with the owner in the car, AND test drive to a prospective customer when it is for sale, and cold pavement accidents by new and sometimes not so new owners. A large percentage of these involve fatalities. All these stories have made us collectively a little nervous. What WE know about the car that YOU do not know is that you cannot get on this car at all around a corner, you can not miss a shift from second to third or 3rd to fourth. And it is VERY easy to miss those shifts in this car. Catch the wrong lower gear and you are going round and round across the median and into opposing traffic. These situations HAVE happened and with frightening regularity to OWNERS. We read them here every time the pavement becomes cold, which doubles the problem.
And the problem is 500+ ft/lbs of torque, that is completely different from any of the cars you have mentioned. The NSX and almost any Ferrari under $300,000 are pussycats compared to the Snake's bad behavior if mishandled. This car is a race car that you can drive on the street. Most of us know that and that is why we are cautious with this issue.

Thanks for the insight, Lee. I guess I'm not the only one that's ready to purchase a Viper without ever even sitting in one. Thanks for clearing up a few points. I hardly ever "step on it" when entering or exiting a corner (unless its a FWD ), but now I know NEVER to do it in a Viper. I appreciate any constructive feedback. I guess its not so much the price or value of the car as it is the ease in accidently destroying one. I'm starting to understand that you will all be weary even if this car only costs $15K....

 

[santo]

I DID test drive the Viper I bought before I bought it. I actually test drove two before deciding. I bought in November when I was able to drive it for three or four weeks before putting it in storage (I'll never do that again because I can't wait for spring). My test drive was very short with the salesperson next to me. He told me to "push it" but I did not as there was a lot of traffic and I remember the warnings here. I've only had one chance to drive it on the highway with minimal traffic and it was great but I was still reserved (110 or so) because of what I read here. I don't mind taking the time to get to know the car before "pushing it" and I plan on some sort of racing school to learn the limits.

I find it actually amusing that I'm a little nervous pushing it when I had no problem with my old car (Stealth TT) but this is a different kind of animal. Vipers need respect or it will bite back and the venom can do some serious damage. That being said, I can't wait to give it a good run when the time comes ;-)

Santo
Viper Newbie