Great Articles on the Viper (Some good press!!!)

[crimson11]

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehic...rack_test/?sm_id=social30223786&__federated=1


Here's some goodies:

What’s there to dislike? The Viper is 3,402 pounds of carbon fiber, steel, and aluminum—there’s even some magnesium in the cowl—wrapped around an 8.4L (that’s 512 ci) V10 producing 640 loud, mean horses. At the very center of that crunchy shell is a chewy leather-wrapped cockpit, a six-speed manual transmission, and the controls to enough torque that you can leave an intersection in Fifth and barely notice. Aside from the fact that the shifter ball is comically oversized, the interior is **** and comfortable, and as I looked for excuses to keep driving—“I’m just going to run out to the corner store by way of the Malibu canyons, be back in six hours”—I couldn’t figure out why the car has such a vicious reputation.

This is for those who constantly moan about the looks:

Convinced I was doing something wrong—perhaps one needs a certain level of driving skill before one can hate the Viper—I invited Kevin Wesley, an experienced rally, road-course, and autocross driver, to join me for a roadtrip and track day in the Dodge. I picked him up at the airport, where a young pilot shouted across the terminal that if I’d let him drive the car he’d let me fly the plane. His passengers can thank their lucky stars that I was too busy trying to fit Kevin’s luggage in the trunk to take him up on the offer. That, by the way, is not a knock on the Viper’s cargo space, which although small, is perfectly acceptable. Kevin packs like Mariah Carey going on tour.

I was feeling pretty enamored, but I hadn’t really pushed it. Perhaps it didn’t show its nasty side to track sissies like me. I went out as a passenger with Kevin in the advanced class. He turned off all the electronic nannies, and I lost count of how many times we lapped the field of Ferraris, McLarens, and GTRs.

We pondered the fate of the Viper as we drove home the next day. It’s a sort of outlier in its class. Its low-slung, two-seater configuration and six-figure price tag should mark it as a sports car, but sports cars today are so delicate and refined. “Sporty” becomes a misnomer for something that doesn’t occasionally make you sweat. If you can find one with a manual transmission, it’s hooked up to numerous electronics to make you seem like you know how to rev-match, to keep you from being able to stall out at Cars and Coffee. Modern sports cars are such ****-ups. The Viper may not actively be trying to kill you, but if you’re stupid, it won’t save you either.

Next Article:

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/la...-viper-demands-respect-tons-article-1.1910719

“It sounds very different, and I really kind of like that.” That was my intern’s impression of the Viper’s exhaust note, and it sums things up perfectly (thanks Brian!). With each pipe rumbling away on either side of the car, the Viper doesn’t have the growl of a V-8, or anything close to the scream of a V-12. It’s strange, but it really does grow on you.

For moaners who complain because the hellcat has more HP:

Having driven the two, there’s really no comparison. The Hellcat is viciously fast and wonderfully loud, but it can also be driven like any normal, mile-munching Challenger coupe. The Viper, on the other hand, is not like anything I’ve ever experienced.

No more spoilers enjoy!!!

 

[MoparMap]

I've felt the same way about the car for a long time. I daily my 04 through all kinds of weather and conditions and if you just drive it like a regular car, guess what? It acts like a regular car. The lack of safety nets on the old cars is largely where I think the reputation came from (deservedly so), and the fact that it has tons of torque, which I don't think many people were/are used to. Lots of high horsepower cars are just that, high horsepower and typically pretty soft on torque, so they aren't as prone to kick the back end around with less throttle. I really enjoyed the caption on one of those pictures though. Essentially it said it's not easy to drive the car fast, but you didn't buy the car because you wanted it to be easy did you? I'd also agree with the statement that the Viper isn't out to kill you, it just won't save you when you do end up doing something stupid.

 

[pathoguy]

I daily my 04 through all kinds of weather and conditions and if you just drive it like a regular car, guess what? It acts like a regular car

I don't read car magazines. Don't trust them to be unbiased or accurate.

I daily the Gen 5 except when the forecast is thunderstorms and heavy downpours like today. I too drive it like a regular car. Coming from a Gen 3, I find this one to be a lot more user-friendly and forgiving.

For moaners who complain because the hellcat has more HP:

It is still wrong for the Dodge halo supersports car to have less hp than a Dodge 4 door sedan.

 

[Bryan Savage]

That Hot Rod article is great! My dad is a subscriber and he photocopied it and mailed it to me when it was published. LOL

Anyone out there have an Italian or British supercar you'd let me drive? I don't think my Viper is harsh, but I have nothing to compare it to.

GIVE ME YOUR KEYS!!!