**** Plants & Viable Options

[ViperInBlack]

In the years during which I considered the purchase of a Viper, I rarely considered other cars. I occasionally touched base with the idea of a turbo Porsche, an AMG SL or an older Ferrari. Lambo was out of reach and the GT-40 obviously was not yet a twinkle in its father's eye.

I received a provocative e-mail today (while harvesting **** and watching small animals) from a die-hard Corvette guy. Nice fellow. He was explaining to me how he struggled between the recurrent choice of yet one-more Corvette or perhaps, this time, a Viper. To him, these are equivalent decisions. To me they never have been.

While I like the golf shirts and the idea of saying "Howdy" when greeting others, otherwise the Corvettes after `67 held no interest for me. They seemed like "the people's car," and the Viper always seemed other-worldly.

The writer could not fathom this. He said that they were apples and apples. I countered that they were more like apples and grenades. He insisted that they are equivalent decisions and are roughly equal (C6 he means) vehicles. He insists that the build quality is the same, and (understandably) that his car is truly the finer of the two...that the Z06 closed the gap and took the lead.

I was unable to agree less.

So it occurred to me to ask, in comparative seriousness manner, whether a Corvette was ever the A-B choice for you, or did you feel, as I, that the Corvette was never a consideration; never part of the equation?

Alice & The Viper Blog

 

[vipah]

It wasn't even a thought when I got my '99 GTS. But now the Z06 would have to be considered versus the SRT. It is just too close, and will likely be a lot less in price.

 

[TOPGON]

I realized the Corvette for me (owned six) was an entry into true sports car driving once I got behind the wheel of the Viper. In my view the General (now rated junk investment status as of today) is all about arrogance when they design and promote the Corvette and the design of the new C6 ZO6 ALL ALUMINUM frame in my view will take them to their knees. Can you imagine the average Chevrolet technician with no special training working on C6 ZO6 components supported by aluminum framework and then putting it all back together with all the CORRECT fasteners and the end product being as structurally sound as new? NO WAY , the advertised 70% all new parts in these cars will be too much to ask these poor folks to tackle as GM does not have Corvette Techs or special training ie: Viper Techs. They just don't get it and have been able to get by until the all new C6 ZO6. I may be wrong but I don't think so and I envision more folks like myself switching over to the snake after some horror shows at their favorite dealers shop.

 

[BigCarrot]

I went from a 98 Vette to a 2001 Viper, back to a 2002 Vette, and back to a 99 Viper. If I had to drive it every day, the Vette would be a no brainer. For weekends, it's Viper all the way. I might take a look at converting to the new Z06 if it's all they say it is.

 

[TOPGON]

I should add to my former statement about GM not having Corvette Techs in some high volume areas I have found very good GM technicians and some with Corvette training my point is in general this is not the case. There are far too many areas with fairly low volumes of Vipers and Corvettes and even if you have to travel a bit you can generally find a Viper Tech. If GM has a Corvette Tech qualification it's not well known and more often than not what you find is a good technician with some GM training. This will not suffice with the sophistication of C6 ZO6 in my opinion.

 

[Turbo63]

Guilty as charged - I have a black C6 corvette - yes its a manual - I have been debating for a while the purchase of a Viper - and I work for the profitable subsidiary of GM which today was downgraded to junk bond status (like Ford) by S&P - and yes a negative outlook as well - that being said I have car dealer friends that own both Chevy and Dodge dealerships - in contemplating the Viper purchase my Dodge friend let me take a used 2003 SRT 10 overnight - I believe the build quality and materials are very similar vette to viper - park them next to one another and compare as I did and be honest with yourself - the new corvette seems smaller then the viper but the finish interior and exterior were about the same - nothing compelling on either car over the other - I did think the wider tires of the viper were more appealing - driving the cars is different - the torque on the viper especially at lower RPMs is far greater and I easily 180'd out of my driveway this morning in 40 degree temps with a little moisture on the the ground - the car is more difficult both from pedal placement and overall driveability then the corvette - on public roadways both cars are tough to get out of 3rd gear so experiencing the power and performance (unless you track the cars) is tough - they end up being cruisers unless you race - I dont. The vette is easier to drive, hooks up better in northeast climates, doesnt have the torque but can get out of its own way on the road as well. The long/short is that the Viper becomes a tough purchase choice - the Vette (convertible at $62k MSRP is an easy choice - its affordable to buy - the Viper however at $70 to $80k is a tougher decision as if you are going to spend that coin on the car why not simply go for a higher end Porsche or Ferrari (not new but..).. so this was our little discussion today - I returned the car to my dealer friend tonight and logged on to the site to see whats up - the Vette sites are kind of silly comparatively to this one - the folks here are more informed not squabbling over the "corvette waive" -- In any event I think a hold pattern until the new Z06 comes out is the best bet for me - then a good decision can be made - until then I am content with the corvette, Wal-Mart and the fact that I got to tool around in a Viper for 48 hours and felt returning it (for now) was a good thing. Now it would be interesting to try a Gen I or Gen II viper compared to the SRT 10 - might make different conclusions who knows - there is a used car dealer 10 miles from here that has an RT-10 - I might pay them a visit this weekend. As for GM mechanics its important to find a dealership with a GM Master Mechanic - especially if one intends to buy a new Z06 - they will be the right folks with the right skill set to work on the car - I agree the smaller dealerships with Moe in the service station area isnt a wise choice.

 

[VIPER D]

I had a 1999 c5 in 1999 and went to a 2000 gts in 2000. The only reason that I didn't have a gts in 99 is that I only like to buy new and couldn't afford it.

take it from me a vette is a very nice car for the money. But a viper is in a totally different league when money is not a factor.

vd..

ps how do you harvesting **** (do you have *** plants)

 

[vincent_esq]

It was either the new C6 convertible or the SRT. When I decided to buy a used SRT at the same price level as the C6 convertible, it was a no brainer. The C6 is probably much more comfortable than the viper. However, I chose the viper because:

1. exclusivity...It's an exotic, right?
2. The Wow factor....my GOD, everywhere you drive, people look. Yes, I am a ***** for attention.
3. The power and torque
4. The viper looks so much nicer than the vette.

 

[Camfab]

I too was a corvette guy, different cars. I love the viper, but please give me a break. While I will acknowledge there are some knowledgeable Viper techs, there are just as many who aren't. GM and Dodge are no different when it comes to service, you are just another sucker. I trully feel sorry for individuals who aren't mechanically savy.

Some Dealers are great, but unfortunately corporate America really just doesn't get it. First clue...junk bond status.

 

[SRTRICKY]

There so close for me that I had to get both! Today I made a fast left turn and the back came out and that would never happen in the Vette...The Vette is a much better all around car. The Viper is a rare exotic that is made for occasional driving. At least thats my opinion! I was really TRYING to push the Viper today but it just wouldn't hook...I Could feel the tires letting loose a lot between each shift...car can't be floored in 1st or it just doesn't stick, and the list goes on....

 

[knuk]

There so close for me that I had to get both! Today I made a fast left turn and the back came out and that would never happen in the Vette...The Vette is a much better all around car. The Viper is a rare exotic that is made for occasional driving. At least thats my opinion! I was really TRYING to push the Viper today but it just wouldn't hook...I Could feel the tires letting loose a lot between each shift...car can't be floored in 1st or it just doesn't stick, and the list goes on....

Just out of curiosity, have you ever attended a high performance driving school? The Viper is totally a drivers car, is awesome on the track, and is made to be driven...more than occasionally!
I believe you are in Vancouver? Why not check out www.performancedriversclub.org
Come out and join us for a day ... bring the Viper...

 

[SRTRICKY]

No I haven't...I personally don't want to push this car to the limits on the road and end up smashing into something. I think I will go to something like performance driving school when I get some free time!

 

[SylvanSRT]

my guess is the **** plants are for makeing homemade rope! nudge nudge, wink wink, know what i mean

 

[knuk]

No I haven't...I personally don't want to push this car to the limits on the road and end up smashing into something. I think I will go to something like performance driving school when I get some free time!

June 13th in Mission! I hope to be there and as well usually a couple of other VCA members will also show up. You should try to make it - lots of fun in a safe environment. You will be placed in a group according to your track experience and will get a lot of professional instruction. You can register on line.

 

[don527]

At first I was thinking as just a "car guy," "What a silly post."
If you love cars, you love performance and are considering a sportscar, why not have the Vette on anyones list?

But it dawned on me that you cannot just ask if Car-X was ever a consideration without knowing what drives that person to make that choice. A-B-C choices depend on what you are looking for in a car and the passion behind the motive. It's that passion, or IMO lack of it, that keeps you from understanding the so-called 'die hard Corvette guy' comparing the two and it's that passion that helped make your choice towards the SRT-10.

From what I can read and the other cars you mentioned on your short list, you require a performance car with a 'wow factor' but also with a perceived sense of exclusivity that make you look as if you stand above the rest... that you are in a different class from the rest.

Yet even you have limitations because you admit that the Lambo is out of reach yet I'm guessing that if you could own a Lambo, that you would be writing on AllanLambo's site and contemplating the same thing with Viper owners.

If you were looking at a performance standpoint? I think that most people understand that die hard vette guys view and will agree, the Z06 will be hanging with the SRT-10 or the Coupe and would be worth considering (some of you I suspect will be fortunate to have both in your garage) and will satisfy a few that also need a little wow factor there.

Just not yours Alice.

Don

In the years during which I considered the purchase of a Viper, I rarely considered other cars. I occasionally touched base with the idea of a turbo Porsche, an AMG SL or an older Ferrari. Lambo was out of reach and the GT-40 obviously was not yet a twinkle in its father's eye.

I received a provocative e-mail today (while harvesting **** and watching small animals) from a die-hard Corvette guy. Nice fellow. He was explaining to me how he struggled between the recurrent choice of yet one-more Corvette or perhaps, this time, a Viper. To him, these are equivalent decisions. To me they never have been.

While I like the golf shirts and the idea of saying "Howdy" when greeting others, otherwise the Corvettes after `67 held no interest for me. They seemed like "the people's car," and the Viper always seemed other-worldly.

The writer could not fathom this. He said that they were apples and apples. I countered that they were more like apples and grenades. He insisted that they are equivalent decisions and are roughly equal (C6 he means) vehicles. He insists that the build quality is the same, and (understandably) that his car is truly the finer of the two...that the Z06 closed the gap and took the lead.

I was unable to agree less.

So it occurred to me to ask, in comparative seriousness manner, whether a Corvette was ever the A-B choice for you, or did you feel, as I, that the Corvette was never a consideration; never part of the equation?

Alice & The Viper Blog

 

[Ken Lally]

In the years during which I considered the purchase of a Viper, I rarely considered other cars. I occasionally touched base with the idea of a turbo Porsche, an AMG SL or an older Ferrari. Lambo was out of reach and the GT-40 obviously was not yet a twinkle in its father's eye.

While I like the golf shirts and the idea of saying "Howdy" when greeting others, otherwise the Corvettes after `67 held no interest for me. They seemed like "the people's car," and the Viper always seemed other-worldly.

Car snob

You have to own a Vette to get it, great heritage, great community, great fun...it was the "A" choice for me.

KL

 

[JWVIPER]

Will always be a heated discussion, if you asked how many folks that own Vipers have upgraded from say a Vette vs how many Vette owners have upgraded from say a Viper, I would guess you would see the natural progression of things for most people, not all, but most.

 

[Turbo63]

I think Don527 hit the nail on the head - I agree with his perspective.

 

[97 B/W GTS]

Considered a Vette for about 5 minutes. Then went on the hunt for my perfect car...the 97 B/W GTS. Didn't want a common car. They are both performers. But to me, the Viper just looks sooooo much better than a Vette.

I have no problem with Vettes or Vette owners for that matter. Vettes are great cars too. We're lucky to live in America where we have so many choices of performance cars. "To each his own" ya know? We all choose our cars for our own right reasons. Doesn't mean that some else that chooses another car has made the wrong decision.

A ZO6 or an SRT? IMO, $70K-ish for a Vette is not really different than $80K-ish for the Viper. What's $10K at that point? It's not like comparing a new Viper to a new Lambo or Ferrari or whatever.

Someone said the Vette is more of a daily driver than a Viper. Huh???? Why is that??? I've never understood that. If it just cause of the softer suspension, well again, "to each his own".

 

[VIPR GTS]

I have had several vettes, like the cars and like the new ones, but. I was a manager in a Chevy store when I bought my new GTS in 2001. I could have had a new Z06 at employee cost minus dealer holdback, and my boss tried hard to force me in that direction. It was a nice car, but once I had driven a GTS, there was just no going back to the vette, no matter what the difference in price. It is one of those things, the car gets you or it doesn't, it got me bad.

 

[mark1962]

I considered used a used Ferrari or 993 Turbo but really didn't want to buy used and liked the idea of an open car - that made the SRT-10 an easy choice.

Everybody has a Corvette so it was never a consideration.

 

[SRTRICKY]

Someone said the Vette is more of a daily driver than a Viper. Huh???? Why is that??? I've never understood that. If it just cause of the softer suspension, well again, "to each his own".

Plenty of power + Traction control + Active handling = One hell of a daily driver

 

[Vic]

The Viper has emotion! Too many other cars have no zeal, no pizzaz. The Viper appeals to your gut instincts to eat meat and howl at the moon.

 

[ViperRay]

I gave a Chevy dealer some money last week to order me the new ZO6.
I am fortunate in that I will not have to sell my GTS (track car) or SRT (you need a vert, right?).

I also have a '67 vette BTW, Alice and I agree with you that it was the pinnacle of Corvette styling.

I will buy the ZO6 not because it is exotic in looks but because it is exotic in engineering and I want to experience it's performance.

I would buy the Ford GT too if it would sell for sticker (I don't have so much money that I'm willing to be fleeced by dealers).

I guess I am a car guy.


PS...the corvette is easier to drive because ingress and egress is easier, pedal placement is better (although heel/toe is nice in the Gen III) and it has electronic nannies which makes it safer for the inexperienced.... and I do know how to drive a viper on the track and street.

 

[TOPGON]

Both the Vettes and the Vipers are indeed great cars. I drove Vettes as daily drivers for the last 15 years and I buy an SRT and only drive it two to three times a week even I haven't figured that one out? Moreover I clean it top to bottom each time I drive it which I never did with any Vette I think it's the Viper bug. I really think I would buy a new Viper again before a ZO6.

 

[Kai SRT10]

I didn't consider a Corvette. If I were in the market today, I would look at the new Z06, but when I bought my Viper (more than a year ago) there just wasn't any Corvette that was even a contender. The only cars I looked at seriously were the 911 and a used Testa Rossa. Neither swayed me even a little.

I wanted a Viper ever since I first saw the original concept in a magazine. When I saw the GTS Coupe concept, I wanted one even more, but when they finally came out with a real convertible with the Gen III, I knew that was the car I had to have. (I love convertibles.)

That said, I may get a C6 Z06 in a year or two when the dealers stop demanding premiums (also I don't like the thought of buying such a high strung car in its first year of production.) I think that GM has really done it right with this car, particularly for folks who want to take it to the track.

Even though my head tells me that the new Z06 may well be a "better" car in many respects, my heart will always belong to my Viper convertible. It has a combination of looks, performance, and soul that has a unique appeal to me.

 

[VTen555]

Traded an 03 Z06 for my 04 SRT...I don't know if that answers the question. I would like to have both. For me it was from A to B not A or B.

 

[RX VIPER]

Will always be a heated discussion, if you asked how many folks that own Vipers have upgraded from say a Vette vs how many Vette owners have upgraded from say a Viper, I would guess you would see the natural progression of things for most people, not all, but most.

Ah yes, my theory of natural domestic automotive progression: my Mustang GT in college evolved to a Corvette upon graduation to my 1st Viper two years later. Now on my 3rd and I don't see any mutating DNA in this snake...

 

[Kelly06]

Best topic I ever read

 

[vipersrt10]

no one ever told me i had a nice car or cool car or anything in the z06, but the viper gets thumbs up, people walk over and look at it, etc, no matter how fast or good the new z06 is, there still is no comparision, its still a dime a dozen vette.