I am SO SICK of people claiming Vipers do not handle well !!!

Warfang

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because....

"I can't drive well without nannytech" = "The car doesn't handle well"

wasnt this already a thread a couple months ago?
 

Warfang

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Fact is... if you stuck a lukewarm v8 in the viper with traction control... everyone can handle it like a champ. It's the POWER that makes it hard to control. Tame the power, the handling comes easy.

Who cares what the other forums have to say? They drive crappy cars. Vipers didn't win all the races because the drivers all spin them out of control at every turn.
 

CAS

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I think there's a big difference between someone saying that Viper's do not handle well and that they do not have high limits. A Viper has tremendously high grip/power/lateral acceleration numbers but is difficult to drive, especially at the limit. It does not necessarily 'handle well'.
 

Daston

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Well over here in the UK its seen as all american cars dont handle well. I think it comes down to people seeing what some american cars were like back in the 80's and early 90's and then assuming its the same for all of them. However Clarkson (Driving Jounalist who has a dig at american cars for those who dont know) was very suprised with the SRT-10 and described it as "knowing your best mate that you go and have a drink with is secretly an axe murderer, you just cant seem to relax". He did point out that due to the car having excelent grip and was very quick it did mean that when things did go wrong you had only seconds to put it right.

The one problem we get over here is all cars seem to be benchmarked against lambo's, Porche and Ferrari that are normally 4x the price.
 
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PhoenixGTS

PhoenixGTS

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Daston do the Brits **** on the TVR Tuscan like Americans **** on the Viper? Seems to me the Tuscan is the closest British relative of the Viper.
 

Viperfreak2

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Fact is... if you stuck a lukewarm v8 in the viper with traction control... everyone can handle it like a champ. It's the POWER that makes it hard to control.
Exactly. Drive a 350Z through a corner, foot to the floor. 300 hp output going to the rear wheels.

Now add 300 hp. How much more can the tires take?

It takes time to learn how to 'read' what the Vipers signals are tryin to tell you. Once you learn them it's a whole lotta fun.
 

Daston

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yeah in modern terms it does get bad press the closest thing we have I would say is the TVR Griff 500 came out around the same time as the Gen 1 and has a 5L V8 rather than the tuscan straight 6. Any way due to a bad batch of engines that TVR put right free of charge they get bad press now from people who dont know jack!
 

DodgeViper01

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The reason is because the Viper is raw and people are not used to that. People like their comfort zone and LOVE comparing this car to the Corvette. The Corvette has this and that etc. I am not a hater of the Corvette, the Z06 looks sweet but there is a difference between the two cars. If you want a car that is comfortable and nice to drive with little room for error, go with the Vette but if you want something that will scare the crap out of you on a track and make you fight to keep it in line, get the Viper. There is nothing like driving a Viper on the edge on the track and I am only talking from extreeme autocross experiences. I have never done any high speed oval tracks. I could only imagine what that is like.
 

Warfang

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All things considered... stick an idiot in a comparable eurotrash car with it's usual nanytech, then in a Viper. Chances are, to an idiot, the Viper can't handle worth a damn, and I don't blame the idiot for thinking that.

Now stick a relatively skilled driver in both cars and the results match up pretty evenly between the two cars. The only difference is the guy will have more fun driving the Viper.

One car assumes you're an idiot and needs to hold your hand, while the other KNOWS you're an idiot unless you practice practice practice.
 

CaptainDavid

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The reason is because the Viper is raw and people are not used to that. People like their comfort zone and LOVE comparing this car to the Corvette. The Corvette has this and that etc. I am not a hater of the Corvette, the Z06 looks sweet but there is a difference between the two cars. If you want a car that is comfortable and nice to drive with little room for error, go with the Vette but if you want something that will scare the crap out of you on a track and make you fight to keep it in line, get the Viper. There is nothing like driving a Viper on the edge on the track and I am only talking from extreeme autocross experiences. I have never done any high speed oval tracks. I could only imagine what that is like.

A Corvette is a car that you drive. A Viper lets you drive it if you are nice and in complete control. If not then @3&*%@#:omg:
 

Purdue_Boiler_Viper

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This one is easy. The answer is how you define "handle well". If you took this person to the track, and told them to drive fast around a tight turn in their front wheel drive Honda Accord, they would do fine and think they drove pretty fast. Then, hand them the keys to your Viper. But, don't get in the car with them!

After they have spun out and crashed the car, they will get out and tell you that the car does not handle well. They define handling well as being forgiving and predictable. Anyone think the Viper is forgiving and predictable in the hands of a novice? :D
 

Kenneth Krieger

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Raw, in your face power, hammered me when I bought my first Viper in 2000. On the way home with my 94......turned a corner and blipped the throttle too much and didn't give the respect for the torque and I did a neat 180 with my wife in the car.....turned out to be a great thing though....she said "I'll never drive this car!" and........she never did.......now have 05 Commemorative Edition.....and she hasn't driven this car either!!
 

RAYSIR

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Has any body ever tried the Z06- Viper mod??? Remove all the fluff from the Z06 the traction control, cup holders, automatic. Install a V10, 550-600hp. Widen the rear wheel wells. And get it on with a Viper.??:rolaugh:
 

viperbilliam

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So the Viper doesn't handle heavy throttle and turning at the same time - I found that out recently and it cost a few dollars but very lucky I didn't hit anyone. This doesn't make it an ill-handling car but it is a relatively unforgiving one! I'm putting in a Quaife unit in the hopes of making it a little more forgiving. I like to get on the throttle as I'm coming out of the turn (not hammering it) without fear of spinning. We'll see.
 

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