| Author | Message | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 306 Registered: 3-2002 |
where can i test drive a UPS truck? | ||
| C. Smith (Italianauto)
Junior Member Username: Italianauto Post Number: 81 Registered: 10-2001 |
Hmmmmm......there is nothing like the sound of a UPS truck at full throttle..... | ||
| Tim Gendreau (Tim)
Junior Member Username: Tim Post Number: 97 Registered: 3-2002 |
I have owned two Vipers and still have one which is a track car only. Gen I cars are much snappier than newer gen II car. the new gen III is real real real snappy. no, no dead pedal and racing it gets fatiguing. Heel and toe down shifting? Probably the easiest car on the planet to heel and toe. Heel and toe does not work on any car as it implies �Heel and Toe� its more like �Toe and side of foot� you roll your foot to the right to blip the throttle. Heel and toe was for old cars that the pedals were too far apart. The Viper is a pure torque car, just force it, no finesse. It is very well behaved and fun to drive but there is no comparison to a Ferrari. No matter what you do to the exhaust it still sounds like a UPS truck. New exhaust, no cats, straight headers, the UPS truck just gets louder. For the money you cant touch it if you want performance, corvette comes close and if your willing to forgo the extra power and don�t mind seeing yourself coming and going then get a vette. Most, not all, viper owners refuse to believe that any other car exists in the world that could be better than a viper. I like the corvette, I like the viper, I love Ferrari�s. A viper or corvette cannot be compared to a Ferrari, doesn�t matter if the viper or corvette is faster than a particular Ferrari and cost does not factor in either, there just is nothing like a Ferrari. Awesome sound, fun to drive, don�t see many of them, look beautiful, poor build quality, poor and expensive service that takes forever to get done, etc. a corvette is a corvette and a viper is a viper, but a Ferrari is a FERRARI.   | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 925 Registered: 6-2001 |
Yeahm vipers are huge, but so are F355's. I was most suprised by the 360 though. the first time i saw one in person i was amazed at how huge it was. Why cant they be small like the 308/328? | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
New member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 49 Registered: 4-2002 |
My last choice came down between a 95 F355 (@ $100,000) and a new 99 Viper (@ $80,000). I ended up with the F355 due to the materials qualities AND the fact that I'd wanted a Ferrari since high school (1966). By the numbers the Viper should have won any performance test (I was driving a corvette Grand sport at the time). But I found the driving of the Viper to be ponderous--more like the Vette, and considerably less lith than the F355. The viper interior is covered with plastic even with the congac leather package. While there are only a few pieces of plastic in the interior of the F355. I really liked the Viper, but for the money, I think the F355 is a better bargain (Bargain--A Ferrari is a bargain--Blasphomy--I think not!). You really don't know how big a Viper is, nor how small an F355 is until you park a pair side by side. | ||
| Ben Lobenstein 90 TR (Benjet)
Member Username: Benjet Post Number: 611 Registered: 1-2001 |
Vipers are hand built with a 2k per year production cap, just FYI. -Ben | ||
| Jack (Gilles27)
Member Username: Gilles27 Post Number: 290 Registered: 3-2002 |
The only Viper I drove was one of the early models. It had the side exhausts, and it was already 'hot' when I got in and proceeded to burn my left calf on the hot pipe. It was a fun car to drive, but didn't nudge Ferraris out of the top slot for me. | ||
| Richelson (Richelson)
Member Username: Richelson Post Number: 704 Registered: 12-2001 |
I think the build quality of a Ferrari is far superior to a Viper. I have driven many other cars and I always compare it to my Ferrari. I still think my Ferrari has great road feel, reponse, etc. When I test drive another car it usually feels cheap to me. | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 923 Registered: 6-2001 |
I would trust a machine building my car because they dont make mistakes and do everything perfectly. Meanwhile if guiseppe was a bit tired he might have done a bad job | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 304 Registered: 3-2002 |
frank thats because ferrari's are built by hand...dodges are built in factories. So if a Fcar is handbuilt the parts arent going to be perfect | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 892 Registered: 9-2001 |
Andrew, I was referring to the "build quality" not the engineering. Ferrari has never been known for exactness in puting its cars together. I have seen new Ferraris on the showroom floor with 1/4 inch difference in gaps from one side of the car to the other. Their interiors, while covered in fine leather is put together with the quality of a German car. Ferrari build quality is very much on par with an American car, although Ferrari does use higher grade materials. | ||
| Ernesto (T88power)
Member Username: T88power Post Number: 376 Registered: 2-2001 |
All my drives in Viper tell me one thing: it is a truck engine with lots of horsepower tied to two seat and huge tires. Little consideration for anything else. Horrible fit and finish - even when compared to a Ferrari. The whole thing felt like it was going to fall apart, and it didnt inspire much confidence in the way it handled when driving semi-aggresively. Bottom line is that a Vette is a much better all around sports car. Who cares what women think? Some people actually buy cars based on how they feel and perform... Ernesto | ||
| Andrew (Mrrou)
Member Username: Mrrou Post Number: 302 Registered: 3-2002 |
frank your saying that a viper has the same build quality of a ferrari? Think about that....sell your Fcar, buy a viper if you think dodge can build a car as well enginered as a Fcar | ||
| Harlan Mott (Hmott3)
Junior Member Username: Hmott3 Post Number: 119 Registered: 12-2001 |
Don't know about elsewhere, but weman seem to LOVE that car around here. We have two just down the road from our new house, my wife and several of her friends actually took a drive just to take a closer look. I can assure you they would not so much as looked at a ferrari setting in the same space, my wife doesn't even like the look of any of the ferrari's. I think more of them drive it because more of them like the way it looks. | ||
| chris cummings (Entelechy)
Junior Member Username: Entelechy Post Number: 83 Registered: 5-2001 |
Funny you mention that Willis - my friend who owns the one I drove is a woman. Nice to hear Dodge is correcting (or has corrected) my little quibbles. Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree, a very fun car to drive! | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 702 Registered: 8-2001 |
I don't find the new Viper bland at all. The only fault I see is the plasticky interior. Looking forward to the coupe also. On another Viper related subject. Why is it that whenever I see a Viper drive by around the Seattle area, it's alway driven by a woman? Nothing wrong with that but I haven't seen a guy driving one around here yet. | ||
| Mitchell L. Davidson (Jussumfastgi)
Junior Member Username: Jussumfastgi Post Number: 66 Registered: 4-2002 |
You can also Supercharge the Viper for around 1,100hp (intercooled) | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 891 Registered: 9-2001 |
I had a 1998 GTS and it was a great car. Its build quality was not on par with Porsche, MB and BMW. About the same as a Ferrari I would say. But, for the price, you cannot buy more performance any where else. | ||
| Marv B (Mdb69)
New member Username: Mdb69 Post Number: 41 Registered: 4-2002 |
The new vipers styling is a bit bland i think. Maybe they could spice it up a bit more when the coupes become available. | ||
| Willis Huang (Willis360)
Member Username: Willis360 Post Number: 701 Registered: 8-2001 |
A lot of ergonomic problems were fixed with the new viper. Looks like a very good car. I wouldn't mind having one. | ||
| Tenney (Tenney)
Junior Member Username: Tenney Post Number: 137 Registered: 2-2001 |
Pedals are adjustable. Could definitely use a dead pedal (coming in '03) and a shorter shifter, IMO. Has tons of torque and grip. The raw simplicity is cool and pretty uncommon in cars of today. A lot of car for the $, I think. | ||
| Mitchell L. Davidson (Jussumfastgi)
Junior Member Username: Jussumfastgi Post Number: 64 Registered: 4-2002 |
To me, the Viper is a great looking, great driving, toy car. Like a Hotwheels car sized up to scale... | ||
| Marcus Mayeux (Mmayeux73)
Junior Member Username: Mmayeux73 Post Number: 185 Registered: 4-2002 |
I got to ride in an ACR Viper about a month and a half ago. My friend wanted to race the viper with his R6 Yamaha. My friend on the bike did not launch correctly so he went in wheelies on first two gears we reached about 145-very fun and very loud! They had a re-match two weeks later needless to say the R6 cooked 'em. | ||
| chris cummings (Entelechy)
Junior Member Username: Entelechy Post Number: 82 Registered: 5-2001 |
Hey Guys, Had an opportunity to drive a friends 2001 Dodge Viper a couple times in the last month and each time I had a vastly different impression. First Drive: What a pure driving machine (little room for anything else). Love the feel, the power, the brakes, the steering, the shifting, etc. Very fun car to drive and I loved the way it "envelopes" you once you slide in. Second Drive: Now I became much more critical as the inital thrill had worn off. First, there is NO DEAD PEDAL that I could see. I could hardly believe that a driver's car with that much horsepower wouldn't have one. There is so much travel in the clutch - where do you put your foot to brace during high performance driving? Also, because the clutch has so much travel it is difficult to find a proper seating position to heel/toe. Also couldn't find a way to adjust the rake which made heel/toe shifting not impossible, but difficult. Originally, I liked the shifting angled towards me, but this time it felt too high up and the throw is so long that shifting into second and fourth felt like your arm was almost going behind you. Just a few quibbles, but on such an expensive car, and one that's ostensibly a "driver's car" you would think the ergonomics would be laid out better. Anyone agree, or is it just me? Looking forward to your thoughts... |