I own an NSX and love it very much. I would also like to purchase a 94-96 viper. Could anyone who has owned a viper tell me how they compare with the NSX other than horsepower.How are the maintanence costs, ect? Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you.
To those who have owned vipers
- Thread starter Dman
- Start date
Multisync23 HAD a Viper until recently. I think it was wrecked.
Hey Robert, are you still around?
Hey Robert, are you still around?
VIPER: A BARSTOOL ON A MONSTER ENGINE!
I don't agree with that statement. When the viper was introduced, I think it broke new ground in terms of aesthetic design and raw power. I would definitely consider the car exotic...
Which is hardly a barstool.
The Viper is fast.
But it IS shaped like a clown shoe.
But it IS shaped like a clown shoe.
I agree it's a crude car compared to an NSX, but in capable hands it's a monster, surpassing it in performance.
To me, a Viper is a track car.
A good driver can pull better lap times in a GTS than a Z06 and near equal to a 911 turbo. It's an awesome track car in the right hands.
On the other hand, an average will spin it all over the place and kill himself in the process. It was very similar to the more powerful vettes I have had. It almost spins itself through turns, but once you figure it out and know how to control the beast, it's a VERY capable car.
To me, a Viper is a track car.
A good driver can pull better lap times in a GTS than a Z06 and near equal to a 911 turbo. It's an awesome track car in the right hands.
On the other hand, an average will spin it all over the place and kill himself in the process. It was very similar to the more powerful vettes I have had. It almost spins itself through turns, but once you figure it out and know how to control the beast, it's a VERY capable car.
I have never really been interested in Vipers especially so after talking to John Hennessey. He is the guy the Hennessey Vipers, Viper Venom or something like that. I understand now he has a twin turbo one now that makes 800Hp!
He flat out told me that the cars are very poorly built are almost always requiring service. He said that he would never own one himself. I guess a guy that makes his living updating a car and wouldn't want one should tell you something.
With NSX's you have Mark J, Mark B, Chris and probably a few other that only make part of their income from selling NSX stuff and I am sure you all know they own one too.
A buddy of mine went for a test drive in a new Viper the first year they came out (as a passenger with a Chrysler Exec.) and while taking a high speed lefthand corner his door flew open from the chassis flex!
I know they have improved the cars a bunch, but take one for a drive and see if it fits your needs. If you want a great track car buy a Caterham, when we were out at Gingerman we were blowing the doors off of the Vipers!
Ask Dano to tell you his story about the new Viper out at Gingerman.
If you decide to get one, I don't think you will get too hurt buying a used one if later you decide to go with something else.
He flat out told me that the cars are very poorly built are almost always requiring service. He said that he would never own one himself. I guess a guy that makes his living updating a car and wouldn't want one should tell you something.
With NSX's you have Mark J, Mark B, Chris and probably a few other that only make part of their income from selling NSX stuff and I am sure you all know they own one too.
A buddy of mine went for a test drive in a new Viper the first year they came out (as a passenger with a Chrysler Exec.) and while taking a high speed lefthand corner his door flew open from the chassis flex!
I know they have improved the cars a bunch, but take one for a drive and see if it fits your needs. If you want a great track car buy a Caterham, when we were out at Gingerman we were blowing the doors off of the Vipers!
Ask Dano to tell you his story about the new Viper out at Gingerman.
If you decide to get one, I don't think you will get too hurt buying a used one if later you decide to go with something else.
Okay.
DanO, could you please tell us your story about the new Viper out at Gingerman?
My 2 cents- Viper experience is totally diff from NSX. Drove one around Florida for 3 days, it was very loud, very stiff and handled very "heavy" compared to the NSX.
I think they are neat cars but know going in that a Viper is a hammer, not a scalpel. Provides a very raw driving experience, which is what some folks want. Reminded me very much of a 72 corvette 454 a buddy owned. The car would terrify you and was fun to drive for about 15 minutes- after that, it got tiring.
After 3 days, I had a headache from the exhaust and when it rained, we got wet.
I prefer some refinement with my power.
I think they are neat cars but know going in that a Viper is a hammer, not a scalpel. Provides a very raw driving experience, which is what some folks want. Reminded me very much of a 72 corvette 454 a buddy owned. The car would terrify you and was fun to drive for about 15 minutes- after that, it got tiring.
After 3 days, I had a headache from the exhaust and when it rained, we got wet.
I prefer some refinement with my power.
Begin Story
OK, I’ll tell it--but please remember that this is one of Phil’s fishing stories if you know what I mean
End Story
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Vipers. I think they look fantastic and they are the most entertaining cars to watch on the track because they are so thunderously loud and fast and you never know when they’ll do a little lawn mowing. In the hands of an experienced driver, these cars are blazingly fast. Although, as Carguy said, a Caterham is about the most amazing car and eats nearly everything on the track for lunch. I’m sure the Viper guys don’t like being passed in the straights by Carguy in his R500.
Begin another story
I have an acquaintance who’s an engineer at Chrysler who says that the aerodynamics of the car are such that when exposed sideways to the wind (like taking a high speed corner) the aerodynamic lift characteristic of the rear end begins to look nearly the same as a DC-3 wing. For this reason, the engineers lobbied to put a big ass wing on the car to keep it planted, but the marketing dept. said no. Every fast Viper I’ve seen at the track has a big ass wing.
End story
I don’t think this post addresses the original question very well. Sorry about that.
DanO
I would like to revise my previous statement.
VIPER: A CLOWN SHOE WITH A MONSTER ENGINE!
VIPER: A CLOWN SHOE WITH A MONSTER ENGINE!
Originally posted by DanO:
Begin Story
OK, I’ll tell it--but please remember that this is one of Phil’s fishing stories if you know what I mean(although it really happened)So this one day at band camp, I mean at Gingerman Raceway there was this guy with a shiny new red Viper all ready to go with his helmet, driving suit and shoes…all ready to take his pride and joy out on the track and rip it around for a fun day of “driver’s education”. His only problem was, in attempt to show how cool the car sounded and how fast it/he was, he got on the gas a little too much (which, apparently is not much) in the pit-out lane and spun the car into the tires and armco (sp?) and totaled his car! The driver was physically unhurt. The sad thing is he never even got the chance to properly ball his car on up the actual racetrack.
End Story
Oh, THAT story! That's MY story; I was there, and it wasn't a fishing story. Close to the truth, except (a) the car wasn't totalled, it probably had a few grand rear end damage; and (b) I don't think he had a driving suit on. But the rest of it is true; he did go back end into the tire wall on pit-out. This was at one of GingerMan's "open track days", where there is no instruction given, no classroom or anything, just a drivers meeting. It was on a Friday preceding a weekend Viper event.
Have a look at this thread:
http://www.hybridforum.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=alley&Number=44502&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=2&part=
http://www.hybridforum.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=alley&Number=44502&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=2&part=
I don't understand your point, I never said I believed him to be an honorable man. If you could please expain I might be able to somewhat inteligently answer your post.
Also the bad thing with the Viper's climate control, I believe its either the cold AC on (real cold) or the heater on (real warm) and nothing in between.
A heater? Who needs a heater? You know how warm it gets down there in those foot
panels?
It was the same way in my vette. Say what you will, but my feet were always cozy.
[This message has been edited by ilya (edited 09 November 2001).]
panels?
It was the same way in my vette. Say what you will, but my feet were always cozy.
[This message has been edited by ilya (edited 09 November 2001).]
"I would like to revise my previous statement.
VIPER: A CLOWN SHOE WITH A MONSTER ENGINE!"
LMFAO!!!
VIPER: A CLOWN SHOE WITH A MONSTER ENGINE!"
LMFAO!!!
that was because the headers were right next to your lower right leg in the rt/10. it was corrected in the later gts.
even the gts' get hot in the foot and tranny area my friend has a gts blue/white and now painted it white/blue stripes (the gts-r look) anyway he has a 200 shot of nos and yes the car hauls-ass but having ridden in his car at 80 mph the car feels like it is going to shake itself apart he also has spun it out many times even though the car nearly dead-hooks???? in my eyes the car was made for the rednecks with money who want to go to a 1/4 track and thats about it. however, even though a clown shoe i could almost see (lol) i still think it look really nice.
Tabloid journalists do the "he said..........." print without first knowing if the source is credible. To regurgitate something from someone that has no integrity is of little value and doesn't intelligently add to the discussion.
You say he has a twin turbo in one paragraph and in the next you say "he said he would never own one himself". He has in fact had several in the past, run one lap of America (Which Viper has won back to back), salt flats, viper days, etc. You think he was driving Vipers owned by someone else?
Poor drivers will spin any car but in the hands of a skilled driver the current stock Viper will take out any stock street legal production car that costs less than $250k. Extreme limited production like saleen s-7 and a million $$+ McLaren F1 are the exception but have you even ever seen one on the street?
The NSX is a great drive but is a different experience than a Viper. Like when Ferrari went up against a Cobra/Daytona. The Cobra might be wearing, but winning is what counted.
Magazine tests that saddle the Viper with street tires and give a Mustang race tires and put the cars on a very short track belong in the supermarket line.
You say he has a twin turbo in one paragraph and in the next you say "he said he would never own one himself". He has in fact had several in the past, run one lap of America (Which Viper has won back to back), salt flats, viper days, etc. You think he was driving Vipers owned by someone else?
Poor drivers will spin any car but in the hands of a skilled driver the current stock Viper will take out any stock street legal production car that costs less than $250k. Extreme limited production like saleen s-7 and a million $$+ McLaren F1 are the exception but have you even ever seen one on the street?
The NSX is a great drive but is a different experience than a Viper. Like when Ferrari went up against a Cobra/Daytona. The Cobra might be wearing, but winning is what counted.
Magazine tests that saddle the Viper with street tires and give a Mustang race tires and put the cars on a very short track belong in the supermarket line.
For the street, it's all about what you are looking for in a car. I love the NSX and prefer it in every case on the street.
It's all preference and there is no argument wheh it comes to build quality.
However, I am still of the opinion that a Viper is probably the most awesome track car (for experienced drivers) one can buy.
If I was a seasoned driver and was planning on purchasing a car for the purpose of kicking ars and taking names at the track, my first trip would be to the Dodge dealer.
It's all preference and there is no argument wheh it comes to build quality.
However, I am still of the opinion that a Viper is probably the most awesome track car (for experienced drivers) one can buy.
If I was a seasoned driver and was planning on purchasing a car for the purpose of kicking ars and taking names at the track, my first trip would be to the Dodge dealer.
Acutually, I wanted a Viper as my dream car and after a few test drives, still had'nt bought. I drove the NSX and bought days later. I still love the GTS Vipers and if finances permitted would own as a weekender but I love to day drive my car and admittedly I am not a good enough driver to keep a Viper out of trouble. The NSX will carve through traffic like no other!
once spoiled with an nsx if you had a viper for 2 weeks i think most would change there mind about wanting a viper
Hehehe!!!
I saw a clown shoe oh I mean viper today!! Wow, what a resemblance!!
------------------
Kenji Ligon
91 Red CTSC NSX
[This message has been edited by Attitude Adjuster (edited 13 November 2001).]
I saw a clown shoe oh I mean viper today!! Wow, what a resemblance!!
------------------
Kenji Ligon
91 Red CTSC NSX
[This message has been edited by Attitude Adjuster (edited 13 November 2001).]
