New Car and Driver Sidesill Image..

Supposedly PVO has fixed this problem, and the production SRT-10's will not have heat issues. I believe the car used in this test was a mule. Time will tell, but I'm sure this image will be the highlight on Corvette forums.

Ya know, maybe its a good thing, this red dwarf star comparible heat producing side sill thing. at least we know itll prevent any ******* or pansies from driving a viper (only for real men). ohh man i hope i dont take heat for this post, LOL

Where's the bagel??

The C+D test car was not a mule, but a PVP vin-numbered car, one of the 1st 30 built at CAAP. The heat issues are real, but the photo and the popcorn photo was staged. Author John Phillips is QUITE the sarcastic kidder.....

I arranged an Alcan Hiway Iditarod trip for him with a Benz SUV.....he's the guy that 'wears' the white Husky on his shoulders.....

Guys,
I was speaking with one of the PVO guys and they said that the car that Car and Driver had WAS a mule.

Check out this classic shot of the side sill of the SRT-10. I thought the article was very informative and uncharacteristically positive (in most respects).

Anyway, just thought some of you who avoid the biased car mags might enjoy the picture.
Scott

Russ, we better hope that you're right and not Jon B, otherwise I infer that we'll have the same side sill heat problem as C&D. Not that I really care for my own personal comfort, but if Dodge thought they were making the SRT more refined and user friendly, they obviously missed the mark in this area.

BTW, I've spoken to a number of people whom I do not consider to be idiots who all thought this was not a staged photo. I know Phillips was just kidding with these photos, but did he realize that there are many people who read his article who now think the side sills are really hot enough to fry eggs? Don't you think that's going a little too far? This is not the sort of negative press that the SRT needs.

Also, Bullet488, in what respects did you think the article was positive? I found it to be fairly negative, especially given all the hype from PVO et al. They show acceleration and braking to be nearly matched by the Z06 (see the bar charts on p.46). They laugh at refinement issues (hot side sills, unrefined trunk, rough idle, terrible handling on rough streets, unpleasant shifter, etc.). Then they conclude by saying the Z06 is much cheaper, easier to drive, more comfortable, etc.

Hey, I don't mind all that crap, because the performance is great, but I thought PVO was going for more refinement with the SRT, hence the bland styling, dead pedal, etc.?

On a technical note, is it really physically possible for that part of the car to be hot enough to fry bacon and eggs and still retain its shape like that? That'd be amazing. I know that Jet-Hot makes really nice header coatings (though not in glossy red, AFAIK), but for the paint and bodywork to stand up to that kind of heat is miraculous. The SRT-10 still uses RTM resin/fiberglass for its body, right?

I agree with Mike... I think maybe we're digging a little too deep to find the positive aspects of the article. I thought it was overall a pretty bad review of the car, yet it was one of the best reviews the car got. I've also heard that the heat issue is NOT confined to pre-production cars. Have you guys ever noticed that whenever something is said that portrays the car badly that is not true, a hundred VCA officers "in the know" rush forth to correct everyone? Well, notice how none of them have said anything? From what I know, the heat problem is very real, and I really don't know why they are experiencing it this late in the game after all that Arizona testing, but it really concerns me.

Guys,
There is no doubt that the article was a negative one. I also know for sure that the car WAS a mule. It's my opinion that some of the negatives stem from disappointment in the lack of outrageous styling that the original cars had. Performance wise, we know that we can't be beat. 500/525/500 Performance is awesome. For my money, Dodge could have made it even more crude. That's was separates us from the Corvette crowd. A Viper is a beast and I love it. If I wanted sophistication at a loss of performance, I would have bought a Ferrari.

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On a technical note, is it really physically possible for that part of the car to be hot enough to fry bacon and eggs and still retain its shape like that? That'd be amazing. I know that Jet-Hot makes really nice header coatings (though not in glossy red, AFAIK), but for the paint and bodywork to stand up to that kind of heat is miraculous. The SRT-10 still uses RTM resin/fiberglass for its body, right?
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I do know this - I have a 98 GTS, and before the high flow cats I could easily fry eggs on the side sills. In traffic on a hot day, they got hot enough to burn your leg if you touched them.... Not sure about the material on the SRT10, but the GTS has aluminum side sills. Can withstand incredible heat, but the paint will discolor (yellow) on lighter colors over time.

Later

The picture was not only insulting but also teters on misrepresentation!

As much as many may understand the sarcastic photographic of the sidesills, there is no denying that there are others that will surely have that picture implanted in their mind for a very long time.

From what I understand, PVO had made quite sure that the writers/testers were informed that these were NOT the refined and adjusted production models that the buyers will receive, but instead, C&D decided to fixate on the only negative issue they could actually find (other than the lack of creature comforts that we LOVE so much).

As was posted last week, PVO has addressed the heat issues with a production installed insulation package that will make the SRT's cooler than our current generation cars.

Man it's been a long time since I've posted on any Viper forums.
Please let me addres the heat issue that eveyone seems to be so hung up on. First off, why? If it's not a problem why are people worried about it. And if it was at the time of the Car and Driver article, it's not anymore.
That's right people. We were informed Friday that the issue with the heat has been addressed and fixed. A car was sent to Arizona or some other state for testing. And it passed with Viper colors.
I belive some of the people on this board may have lost their faith in our (my) abilities to build a quality car. And that hurts. I personally not build anything but the best. I will and always have built every car as if it were going to be mine.

Good night,
Thomas

Thomas, don't be a stranger to this site. Your input and comments are well appreciated.

Thomas
Don't take the posts personally. If you have been following these discussions you know that the whiners have taken over and feel that we all want to read the constant complaints. Consider that the 03 I have on order will be my 5th Viper and that the entire year's production was sold on faith. Continue to do the best you can and thank you for efforts.

Thomas, like many of us you have been around for a long time, but as Andy said above, some people would rather listen to the media than the ones who have built these things for years. You will just have to get some thinker skin, like many of us have learned too. Thanks for getting back on the site!

Mike B, I guess one of the reasons that I have not "said anything" is because I found the article pretty much what I had hoped for. I love a crude and rude car. But if it makes you feel better here is what I sent to the editors at Car and Driver:

Dear ED,

After reading your assessment of the new SRT/10 Viper I had to send you this note and tell that as a VIPER owner I found your article very inspiring. John hit the nail on the head by stating that the Viper has "brutality" and that MANY of the current owner appreciate that virtue. But young John showed his lack of understanding on a few points and I thought it my duty to clarify a few points.

First, he and a few of you may have "large dogs", but until you own an English Mastiff (my male is 252 lb. you don't possess the BIGGEST dog, so give it up!

Second, while I understand that it may be difficult to drive around in a car that has heat (in more ways than one), but to say that it would prevent you from having ******** covered ladies enjoying the passenger side just shows how little your writer understands about CHIVALRY. I, a three time Vett owner (yes even a 67 427/435), have found an advantage with having a Viper spew heat from it's sills. As any good gentleman would know, walking around to the passenger side of a car and opening the door for a lady in either shorts (hopefully very short ones) or even the slightest of skirts, is a must in a Viper, and it generally leads to some of the best attributes of what Viper is all about. But being that your so called writers seem to enjoy pampers I guess they will never understand this truly beneficial feature that Viper has built in for its crazed owners group. And since I have seen what a Vett attracts to it's passenger side, I would say that we all would be better served if we NEVER see any of that so called eye candy in anything less than a parka!

In closing, Viper is and never will be for the masses. It is designed and built for those of us that want something very special and unique, which is one promise Viper has never failed to deliver.

Thank you,

Steve J. Ferguson
Burr Ridge, IL

PS, I know you won't print this since I am certain that no one in your organization will ever comprehend it's meaning!

Steve,

I have to agree with you. At the end of the article you had the feeling that the new Viper was rude and crude and too much horsepower. And we all know that you can never have too much horsepower. I put the magazine down and thought to myself I wish I had to the cash for this new beast. I also liked how they compared the new Viper to the AC Cobra. If I were a Viper designer I sure as heck would have taken that as a compliment. The AC Cobra is nothing short of wild fast. As for the heat and side pipes, I have burned my leg on my Factory 5 sidepipes and haven’t met a Cobra owner who hasn’t. Would you sell your Viper because you got a little burn on your leg? Not me. If you have a pet snake, sometimes they bite back, comes with the territory. They knocked the suspension or the “feel” of the car but yet they have to admit how well it performs. Bottom line is superior speed in a straight line and corning. What does comfort have to do with a pure racecar? The new Viper sounds like nothing short of riding a wild animal and that is what I would want. Perhaps the test drivers got their pink polo shirts snagged on the belt buckle in their C-5 on the way to work that day.

Great!

let the wusses drive a cool silled vette.

I guess it just comes down to what each individual likes?

I spent all day Tuesday with the SRT/10 and the media in Chicago. All they could keep asking me was"don't you think the Viper needs traction or stability control"? "Hell no" I kept yelling. viper owners want a car that THEY can drive and get a thrill out of, not a car that DRIVES for them. At least that's the way I see it. Who nows, maybe I am the weird one?

Way to go Thomas! Nice to hear from you again!

(and for those who don't know who Viperlss is, Thomas is one of the fine Team Viper assembly people that build our Snakes!)

He is a man with the same passion that we have, and he gets to see ALL our Vipers before we ever get into the drivers seat.