Viper keeps me coming back...your help needed!!!

[Raheel]

While I am on a waiting list for a C6 Z06, I keep coming back to the idea of buying a Viper. The three things that keep me moving away from the Viper though are drivability, heat and the brisk steering response.


1. Daily Drivability

I want to enjoy the car that I buy on a daily basis not only on the weekends. Can I drive a Viper on a daily basis? How many of the members here drive theirs on a daily basis?


2. Heat

Lot of people mention that there is a lot of Cabin heat and that the air-conditioning isn't very effective. Is that true? Is the heat unbearable to the point of being uncomfortable to the driver that it limits your time in the car?


3. Steering Feel

It is said that it is really a two-hands car and if you are talking on the phone while driving you could easily end up in the other lane. Is this quick steering response really an issue for street drivability?

Your valuable answers to these three questions will clear the doubts in my mind and help me make an informed decision.

Thanks a lot for all your help.

 

[wormdoggy]

Although you might get biased answers on this forum, there is a recent post from a member who went from the Vette to the Viper. Perhaps you should read his post. As for some of your questions,

1. Daily Drivability

I want to enjoy the car that I buy on a daily basis not only on the weekends. Can I drive a Viper on a daily basis? How many of the members here drive theirs on a daily basis?.................. Although I do not drive my car on a daily basis for fear of leaving the car unattended, I do not see why you cant drive the Viper daily. Gas consumption might be an issue especially with todays prices.


2. Heat
Lot of people mention that there is a lot of Cabin heat and that the air-conditioning isn't very effective. Is that true? Is the heat unbearable to the point of being uncomfortable to the driver that it limits your time in the car?...................... I have owned many cars in the past and the air conditioning of the Viper is second to none. The cabin heat is certainly an issue for me. However, a simple exhaust modification can resolve that problem by eliminating the cross overs. By no means do I ever want to get out of my car once I am in it. 6000km in 3 months is testimony to that..............and thats only on weekends.

3. Steering Feel

It is said that it is really a two-hands car and if you are talking on the phone while driving you could easily end up in the other lane.................. With 500HP and 525ft/lb ............do you really think you should be talking on the phone? Both hands on the steering wheel and enjoy the ride

Is this quick steering response really an issue for street drivability?................. No although is does take some getting used to, but once you master it , you will love the precise accurate response.

Hope that helps somewhat.................


[/QUOTE]

 

[Turbo63]

Raheel, I have owned 6 corvettes and was also on the waiting list for a new Z06 - just like you I debated the issue - in the end, this past Saturday thanks to Bill Pemberton and great team at Woodhouse I got this instead

There is absolutely no comparison Viper to Vette - the Vette is simply a cheap, beginner sports car - the Z06 might have a beefier engine then the C6 but its still wrapped around a cheap wanna-be. To address your issues from a newbie owner the car can easily be a daily driver - its very comfortable (I am 6 feet tall), the seats are incredible much better then a vette and its so damn much fun to drive! It draws a crowd when parked, it makes others "drive up to you" in traffic to see what the heck it is -- heat, its not bad at all - infact the C6 center console gets warm/hot - the AC unit is incredible as well - dont worry about it as its a non-issue in my opinion - the side sills will get hot because the exhaust runs through them just like the old time muscle cars - the steering is great, the clutch is so damn much better the C6 corvette and so is the gear box - the fit and finish are 110% better then the corvette - no orange peel or other paint imperfections - I simply cannot stop similing - I drove from CT to PA last week and counted about 17 corvettes and as many Porsches - guess what, no VIPERS to be seen! You will love the car - Call Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse Viper and get a snake - Bill makes the entire process as smooth as silk and he has a ton of inventory - why be like everyone else - get something that is truly special, get a VIPER!

 

[snampro]

please tell me the cell phone question is a joke...if you are important enough to be required to talk on the phone you can afford to hire someone to drive you...

sorry, but living in Atlanta and riding motorcycles has helped me develop a hatred of cell phone drivers...

 

[Mopar426]

go w/ the Viper

 

[ulllose]

Raheel---
I was waiting for the c6 z06 but was not on any BS list. If you wanted to spend the 10k over sticker you could get one on the first production pull but I myself would never pay a damn dime over sticker.
The viper is like an old vette C4 era. It is hard to get in and out also watch out for your calfs or the sills will burn the hair off you legs.
It rides about the same as a 94/96 vettes.
Your seating positon is just like the c4 vettes.
the foot wells do get hot but with the top up the ac works great for cooling the feet down. Bad side of that is that you find yourself running the air at all times if the outside temp is above 70 F. Now on the flip side you won't pass to many vipers while your out cruising and the car looks great, but if your looking for a 500hp daily driver pay the dealer mark-up and you will have one by december. or wait till next year and buy @ sticker.
I decided to buy a 03 srt for 28K under sticker with 4K miles and really couldn't be happier for the money i spent.
But if it could of bought a z06 for the baseprice of 65,800.00 that same day i think i would had bought the vette. I was at the woodward Dream cruise over the weekend and met a GM rep with a black Z06 and that car is simply beautiful and mean looking. I had my viper parked next to him and we talked for awhile, don't get me wrong the viper is gorgous and mean looking but that z06 looks great. At the cruise though i saw 10 thousand vettes and 5 vipers the whole weekend and when i drove past people camera's were flashing,,,would that happen in a vette, probably not, would it happen in a z06 yes at first but then there will be 8-10 thousand a year being built,so the exclusity of it will be gone

 

[Mopar426]

Raheel---
I was waiting for the c6 z06 but was not on any BS list. If you wanted to spend the 10k over sticker you could get one on the first production pull but I myself would never pay a damn dime over sticker.
The viper is like an old vette C4 era. It is hard to get in and out also watch out for your calfs or the sills will burn the hair off you legs.
It rides about the same as a 94/96 vettes.
Your seating positon is just like the c4 vettes.
the foot wells do get hot but with the top up the ac works great for cooling the feet down. Bad side of that is that you find yourself running the air at all times if the outside temp is above 70 F. Now on the flip side you won't pass to many vipers while your out cruising and the car looks great, but if your looking for a 500hp daily driver pay the dealer mark-up and you will have one by december. or wait till next year and buy @ sticker.
I decided to buy a 03 srt for 28K under sticker with 4K miles and really couldn't be happier for the money i spent.
But if it could of bought a z06 for the baseprice of 65,800.00 that same day i think i would had bought the vette. I was at the woodward Dream cruise over the weekend and met a GM rep with a black Z06 and that car is simply beautiful and mean looking. I had my viper parked next to him and we talked for awhile, don't get me wrong the viper is gorgous and mean looking but that z06 looks great. At the cruise though i saw 10 thousand vettes and 5 vipers the whole weekend and when i drove past people camera's were flashing,,,would that happen in a vette, probably not, would it happen in a z06 yes at first but then there will be 8-10 thousand a year being built,so the exclusity of it will be gone

Guess it depends on the area, they are selling C6 Z06 for MSRP here in New Orleans w/ ZERO markup tacked on.

 

[sween]

silly question, get the viper

 

[DSR207]

Hey Mopar426, I had no idea you're practically in my back yard ... Here in Gulf port, dealers are adding 3k to the list price.

 

[ViperRay]

I drive my SRT-10 daily without any difficulty... got caught in a rainstorm today... no problem.

The only time I have difficulty getting in or out is when I'm parked in close quarters (at work between people who know I'll kill their family if I find a mark on the car from them) and can't swing the door open wide.

I don't notice any heat problem but have a Corsa exhaust which may make a difference.

I don't understand the steering issue. The tires are wide and some have felt tramlining but I frankly don't notice it and like the large patch size.

 

[DEVILDOG]

Sorry, but frankly, if you can't decide on your own you don't belong in a VIPER. Go with the herd and get the vette.

 

[98MODMTR]

Sorry, but frankly, if you can't decide on your own you don't belong in a VIPER. Go with the herd and get the vette.

Amen!

 

[Mopar426]

Hey Mopar426, I had no idea you're practically in my back yard ... Here in Gulf port, dealers are adding 3k to the list price.

There are a couple SRT's here in the city, though almost all that I have seen are red. I've only seen one black, and to me it's the best color IMO. Are you planning on attending Cruzing the Coast? I'm going to try to make it this year in the Vette, last couple times I brought the street rods.

 

[DSR207]

Yes I'm planning on it along with 2 more friends and their Vipers, 2002 yellow and 1998 red. You can't miss us....

 

[Mach10]

While I am on a waiting list for a C6 Z06, I keep coming back to the idea of buying a Viper.

ummmmm, ummmmmmmmmmm, hmmmmm...... Let me think.......
aa..... Yeah, i will have to go with a Viper... (that's my final answer, Regis)

 

[Warfang]

Raheel---
I was waiting for the c6 z06 but was not on any BS list. If you wanted to spend the 10k over sticker you could get one on the first production pull but I myself would never pay a damn dime over sticker.
The viper is like an old vette C4 era. It is hard to get in and out also watch out for your calfs or the sills will burn the hair off you legs.
It rides about the same as a 94/96 vettes.
Your seating positon is just like the c4 vettes.
the foot wells do get hot but with the top up the ac works great for cooling the feet down. Bad side of that is that you find yourself running the air at all times if the outside temp is above 70 F. Now on the flip side you won't pass to many vipers while your out cruising and the car looks great, but if your looking for a 500hp daily driver pay the dealer mark-up and you will have one by december. or wait till next year and buy @ sticker.
I decided to buy a 03 srt for 28K under sticker with 4K miles and really couldn't be happier for the money i spent.
But if it could of bought a z06 for the baseprice of 65,800.00 that same day i think i would had bought the vette. I was at the woodward Dream cruise over the weekend and met a GM rep with a black Z06 and that car is simply beautiful and mean looking. I had my viper parked next to him and we talked for awhile, don't get me wrong the viper is gorgous and mean looking but that z06 looks great. At the cruise though i saw 10 thousand vettes and 5 vipers the whole weekend and when i drove past people camera's were flashing,,,would that happen in a vette, probably not, would it happen in a z06 yes at first but then there will be 8-10 thousand a year being built,so the exclusity of it will be gone

Another newbie that seemingly had access to a z06... what are the odds? hmmm? And sooo objective, but the scale always seem to tip in the vette's favor.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Hi Ullose - About 20 VCA members from CA(one from AZ) were at the Woodward Dream Cruz(what a great weekend). Chrysler had a large part of a shopping center parking lot at 13 Mile and Woodward. A red 2006 Coupe was one of the many cars on exhibit and it was pretty nice. The Z06 Vette may be a serious street or track competitor but it is a volume production car. The Viper is hand assembled by a great team of proud crafts-people and I would bet it will have a better build quality and fit and finish than the Vette. Time will tell but based on history the Viper is the better choice. In my Viperholic opinion.

 

[SRTRICKY]

Sorry, but frankly, if you can't decide on your own you don't belong in a VIPER. Go with the herd and get the vette.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Sorry, but frankly, if you can't decide on your own you don't belong in a VIPER. Go with the herd and get the vette.

+1

 

[DocAdam]

Personally, I find the SRT very easy to drive. I tend to drive one handed (with my right hand on the gearshift, not on the cellphone) and have no problem.

The 3 things that kept me from really looking at the vette were the lack of exclusivity, no convertible and the markup from the dealers.

I am very happy with my purchase.

 

[ulllose]

Fred--

Yes the weekend was great,,,,i wish i would have checked online before i went up to see were the viper's were at. I'll be honest i think i turned around at 11 Mile and headed back down to Big ****** both times i drove up the strip. Next year I think I'll go up on Thursday and stay till Sunday. That was a first time for me and it was great..

 

[ulllose]

Raheel---
I was waiting for the c6 z06 but was not on any BS list. If you wanted to spend the 10k over sticker you could get one on the first production pull but I myself would never pay a damn dime over sticker.
The viper is like an old vette C4 era. It is hard to get in and out also watch out for your calfs or the sills will burn the hair off you legs.
It rides about the same as a 94/96 vettes.
Your seating positon is just like the c4 vettes.
the foot wells do get hot but with the top up the ac works great for cooling the feet down. Bad side of that is that you find yourself running the air at all times if the outside temp is above 70 F. Now on the flip side you won't pass to many vipers while your out cruising and the car looks great, but if your looking for a 500hp daily driver pay the dealer mark-up and you will have one by december. or wait till next year and buy @ sticker.
I decided to buy a 03 srt for 28K under sticker with 4K miles and really couldn't be happier for the money i spent.
But if it could of bought a z06 for the baseprice of 65,800.00 that same day i think i would had bought the vette. I was at the woodward Dream cruise over the weekend and met a GM rep with a black Z06 and that car is simply beautiful and mean looking. I had my viper parked next to him and we talked for awhile, don't get me wrong the viper is gorgous and mean looking but that z06 looks great. At the cruise though i saw 10 thousand vettes and 5 vipers the whole weekend and when i drove past people camera's were flashing,,,would that happen in a vette, probably not, would it happen in a z06 yes at first but then there will be 8-10 thousand a year being built,so the exclusity of it will be gone

Another newbie that seemingly had access to a z06... what are the odds? hmmm? And sooo objective, but the scale always seem to tip in the vette's favor.

hardly seemingly,,If i wanted to pay over sticker i would have had it buy November as long as GM didn't hold back production. I love the viper, I love it even more for the price I paid for it.... I Love that its a convertible unlike the Z06. Like I said before the viper is bad ass and i love it but i was just giving my .02

 

[ulllose]

Fred----
Well how many of you drove your cars from CA?

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

We(Kelly and Christian) drove from the Wheeling area to Detroit in our Dodge Caravan. John Penn drive from DC to Detroit in a Durango. We are brand loyal event when renting. After all who wants to see another brand in the CAAP or SRT parking lot. Did part of Woodward Thursday and watched(13th and Woodward both days) on Friday and Sat.

 

[ulllose]

I'm not sure if i would have gone without my car......

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

Hey Raheel, have you ever test drove either a Viper or the new Z06? I would never buy a new car without testing and comparing. I have not driven the new Z06 but can testify my stock Viper is a thrill ride and always gets looks. If you ever plan to modify your engine, a V10 will always be a better choice than a V8. Good luck.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

UlLlose, pretty hard to get three people in a Viper for a 10 day trip. We have taken two cars to Zone events about 400 mile drive one way and that was okay but 2400 miles is a different story and the time on the road would have exceeded our available vacation time.

But I agree it would have been great to Cruz in our Vipers. When our son gets a little order I may do a factory delivery to Cruz then ship the car back to CA. School has started in CA so the window for playing is limited.

 

[SweetRed04]

The SRT-10 is fine for a daily driver. Entry and exit takes a little effort, but it is VERY MUCH WORTH THE EFFORT.

Heat has not been a problem up to 95 degrees I've seen in Iowa. The AC works well when the top is down and keeps thing very comfortable. With the top up the AC works as well as in any car. My car has the factory exhaust.

Steering feel is precise and nicely weighted. Any car with wide tires will follow road ruts, but it is not a problem if you are engaged with your driving.

Heat was my biggest concern before buying the car, but it has NOT been a problem. Further, after driving a new C6 it is clear that there is really no comparison - the Viper is 10 times more FUN than the new Corvette.

If you are interested in a coupe the upcommng Z06 may be of interest but I can't see buying a hard roof sports car- especially if you drive for pleasure. I think performance wise both of these cars provide more than enough for the street (and for most on a track).