Hey Gateway,
What ooomph said about maintainence. I've had 3 Gen2's, and now my first Gen3. Two of them were 96 GTS's blue/white. They were awesome! They only made the blue/white GTS's in 96 and 97. 96 had the stripes all the way through the license plate area. That, plus I think a small cam change and nicer wheel polish were the only differences in 97. They actually made the most coupes in the blue/white, but it's still considered to be one of the most collectable. Now, in 06, they did a First Edition SRT Coupe in same blue/white scheme. I think they made 200 of them. Awesome cars too. I wanted a vert., so I found a 2005 commemorative edition...which is white w/ blue fang stripes. Love it! The brakes are awesome in the new car as well as some other small luxuries.
Best advice is to see them side/side and sit/ride in them both. Very different visually. I suggest calling Todd at NaplesMotorsports.com. I bought 2 cars from him cause he only finds/buys the best. If you go new, call John Gasteman at Roanoke Motors, or Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse Dodge. Top 2 Viper dealers with 10 star service. Good Luck...they're worth the wait!!