It was a good long run. RIP Viper.

Interesting point of view. I am not aligned with any brand and I have owned most and enjoyed the experience.

They are expensive for the brand yet Ford pulled it off with the Ford GT And I loved my 2005.

I am not sure how to define "cool American muscle. I did just add a Hell cat to my car bunch. That is a wicked fast car. The Viper feel under powered by comparison.

The two Viper I have owned were reliable and good cars. They are noisy and are a harsh riding car. The high horse power Corvette and the low priced optioned Viper are the same price in my area. The fully optioned Viper is very expensive but in my opinion worth it. But as you point out most people do not feel that way. I have never seen another Viper on the road, so it is an exclusive car. The Viper causes as most excitment as some of my other super cars.

Good post

Best

Lee

 

I used to think of viper as an american lambo. Then the hilarious comedy on hbo about the redneck baseball player killed viper image to me. his green gen 2 was epitome of trailer park supercar. Still love the new acr though

 

Won Le Mans a few times ...

 

And 5 FIA GT Championships, 2 ALMS titles, and numerous others... it was quite a successful and well decorated platform.

 

Ford GT was a legend from the golden era of automobiles though, just like many old Fords. Dodge Viper debuted in the 1992 and carried a 1990's aura with it forever IMO. When I see one, it reminds me of that 90s arcade game Cruis'n USA. Ironically, there is a Ferrari in that game.

Just my opinion

 

It's going to take a few years for the prices on good condition, lower mileage cars to appreciate. Out of production will stem the depreciation curve a little and things will remain flat for a while. I was in a disagreement with a Viper owner who thinks they going out of production will suddenly amp up demand and remained blind to actual rock bottom market prices today. They almost instantly began the personal attacks which I can't say I was overly surprised at reading. Viper Alley used to be a den of the biggest ******bags on the Internet, I don't know if that changed.

I agree that it's track focused image and lack of livability in dense metro areas affected how successful it was sales wise. It's pretty telling when the early years are worth less than a Supra Turbo, which appreciates due to the massive cult following and adaptability, to which the Viper deserves and never obtained. It doesn't help many Viper drivers act like Iceman from Top Gun and find their driving ability exceeded by their hubris further separating it in the minds of people as a usable, tameable car. It took a dealership less than a week to wreck a GenIII Viper a friend traded in.

My old man wants one, so I will need to buy one here soon before people tack on a ridiculous Viper tax.

 

Herd mentality is a powerful thing. It was not until 1959 that the concept of "separate but equal" was outlawed. Joe McCarthy ruined many people's lives by branding them "communist." These are hyperbolic and perhaps somewhat inapt, but in my mind are the reason that the post above about seeing some TV show with a person driving a Viper could have any effect at all on whether the car is good or not.

 

TV is pop culture and cars are a very cultural thing. It's not surprising that the they can influence one another and overlap. Fast and the Furious made imports super lame for a long time, right?

Steve McQueen influenced the classic Mustang image, James Dean influenced the 959 image, James Bond is tied to Aston Martin, etc.

Give an idiot washed up redneck baseball player a Viper and make it a super popular and long-running comedy in the US, and it will influence the Viper's image.

 

The reputation the Viper earned was entirely through it's own merits. That it was less compromising than its competitors is why we have $25K Vipers advertised for sale.

If you search on Google news for Dodge Viper in tonight's results, look at how many less than favorable results pop up with words like bad rubbish, carefree beast, impressive, brutish, notorious, good riddance.. it's driving manners (or lack thereof) polarized the automotive community in a negative way.

It was completely outclassed by the Z06, ZR1, GT-R, and GT2/GT3. The concession to add stability control in MY2013 over a decade later to, "I want the new Viper to be a more forgiving car to drive and accessible to more people" said by Ralph Gilles is the awakening that their fangs are rooted in their own tail.

It's dead. Long live the GT350R.

 

lack of driving manners? It's an extremely well-balanced and good handling car, which gets people in to trouble without the driving 'nannies', especially on a car without ABS or TC and has enough power to break the tires loose at a lot of different speeds.

If you blame the Viper's handling on anything other than being responsive, proper, and rewarding good driving and punishing those who drive over their head, you should also discredit every 911 up to the 996 (especially the turbos), S2000s, and actually most responsive cars that use TC and stability control to protect their drivers from the result of their poor inputs.

0.02

 

Each generation of the Viper got better. My gen 5 is a very good sports car. The only thing I like better is my '16 Hell cat. My Adventador is quicker I think but the visceral feel of the Hell cat has to be felt to be believed.

best

Lee

 

I've tracked Hellcats and (Gen 2-5) Vipers. The hellcat is not in the same world in terms of handling performance, response, and balance as the Viper.

 

Didn't know James Dean drove a 959

 

Whoops. 356 I meant.

 

Thought you guys might enjoy this craigslist Viper for sale advertisement

odometer: 11400
paint color: black
title status: rebuilt
transmission: manual
type: convertible



•safety tips
•prohibited items
•product recalls
•avoiding scams



2001 Dodge Viper For Sale $30k

Okay. Full disclosure. I almost killed myself in it.
It is VERY powerful. Extremely, EXTREMELY fast.
I've driven Ferrari's that don't feel as crazy as this thing. I am frankly afraid of it now.
That's right. It's in my garage and I'm afraid to drive it because it's like a crazy steroid bull that wants to kill me.
I've done 130 mph on a Ducati while laughing into the face of death. The viper is a completely different bowl of crack. The engine sounds like 40 pit bulls eating kittens while lifting weights.
I cannot truly explain it's power. It has whiplash acceleration in 3rd gear at 60mph. That sentence doesn't even make sense. But it's true.
That's why I'm telling you. I will not have your soul on my conscience.
You need to know what you are getting into. What insane level of crazy you are buying.
Can you resist the urge to mash down the accelerator? Can you? CAN YOU?!
Because it's like owning your own demon. A demon that only wants to kill you. We all know one person that for the right amount of money would kill you. But since no one is paying, they smile in your face and go about their day.
It's like that, except the Viper doesn't bother to ever pretend it doesn't want to kill you.
And it will do it for free.

Some brilliant engineer designed a beautiful sexy bulging body, fantastic suspension, great handling, aerodynamics, and all American style. While he was out on his lunch break, some demented maniac dropped 100 times more engine power than necessary into it and sent it out the door. It's mentally and psychologically unbalanced. It is a Decepticon.

Look,
If you are the type of person that can be talked into having one more drink at midnight when you have a very important presentation or interview early the next morning, then the Viper is not for you.

The whole car is constantly whispering sweet lies to you.
"You got this".
"Open me up and ride free, you got this"
"What are you a wussy?"
"Just do it", "Do it", "you got this".

Do not do it. You don't got it. Turns out you ARE in fact a wussy. Because you don't want to die.
You will sit on the curb and settle your heart after it tries to kill you the first time.
You will get back inside and it will immediately get back to the business of trying to get you to let it murder you. You will park it and it will start its siren call again, tempting you to get into this murder machine.
"You got this. This time you know. That last time was just a fluke. You ain't no wussy".

Repeat after me.
You
Don't
Got
This.

I suggest you go hug your wife, forget you ever read this, and go and buy a nice comfy safe Toyota Corolla. Live to be a hundred. Or you can do all the stuff on your bucket list and THEN buy a Viper.


But if you insist, for $30k you can look the devil in the eye and take this ride.

You were warned. May God have mercy on your soul.

 

That is funny. Great post. Do you have an image to go with it?

 

Very funny stuff!!

 

Awesome advert! A++, will read again.

 

I agree on handling and balance. I own both and I am sorry to disagree with you but the Hellcat is much quicker than the Gen 5 Viper. If I drive the Hellcat and move to the Viper, He Viper feels slow.

As you point out the Viper is a much better sports car. The Hell cat has a lot of weight and a long wheel base. Not the makings of a sports car design. On the track there is no comparison, the Viper wins.

I also love the sound of the hell cat. I would buy it just to listen to the growl. The Viper is good also but not as deep as the Hell Cat

I like both cars but I love the looks of the Viper better. The hellcat is just a car in appearance. My gen 5 Viper handles much better than the Gen 3. The chassis felt nervous. I did not like the car as a drivers car. The new Viper is very good as a drivers car. It is a unique experience.

Best

Lee

 

I never thought of it that way but you are probably correct.

Best

Lee

 

Gen 2-4s are GREAT drivers cars. They just have less nannies than the Gen 5, which I agree has the most refined handling of the 5 gens, but 2-4s are wonderful on track.

 

The add was for a 2001 black/cognac RT10 with pics (salvage title)
A friend sent me the link since it was just like my 2000 Roadster, that I had let him drive.
The add was flagged for removal and has been taken down.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VuhQZt0ASc[/ame]

 

hes got some collection besides the acr too! wow

it is such a shame theyre stopping viper production but that's why I think its going to be like a 60's Shelby cobra on the lawn at pebble in 50 yrs

 

In 50 years they'll be trailered to the lawn at Pebble Beach with a self driving truck and you won't be able to drive it on the street.