Can a lazy, non-car-enthusiast buy a Viper?

[bugfighter]

I'm doing my research for a car to buy that is cool, fast and unique but I'm not a gung-ho car enthusiast. Going through this board and seeing reviews about the Viper, I always hear that non-enthusiasts need not drive it or they'll get bit in the a$$.

Is this true?

Can't a guy buy a Viper to just cruise around in a cool car during the weekend and not push the limits of the performance?

And what about if you do this for more than weekends and put, say 5,000 miles a year?

Thanks in advance.

[Polygon]

Sure you can. I wouldn't call it a daily driver but you can cruise around town without opening it up, but why wouldn't you?

[Rich]

Originally posted by bugfighter
I'm doing my research for a car to buy that is cool, fast and unique but I'm not a gung-ho car enthusiast. Going through this board and seeing reviews about the Viper, I always hear that non-enthusiasts need not drive it or they'll get bit in the a$$.

Is this true?

Can't a guy buy a Viper to just cruise around in a cool car during the weekend and not push the limits of the performance?

And what about if you do this for more than weekends and put, say 5,000 miles a year?

Thanks in advance.

Im with polygon. You can just cruise around in a viper, no problem, but why just lazily drive around when you CAN push the limits of the car. If I owned a Viper, I would drive it as hard as "safely" possible.

[F20C]

If you want to cruise around without using the full potential. You shouldn't buy Viper buy a SC430 or something.

[DVSNCYNIKL]

In my opinion, I would not buy a viper as a daily driver. Unless of course you can stand the rough ride and the money to put gas in it. As a weekend cruiser or cruiser in general, I don't see a problem with that.


Me personally, I wouldn't be able to keep my foot of the throttle.

[CivicRacerX]

I agree. It's not at all out of the question for an average, non-enthusiast driver to buy a Dodge Viper, but I also agree that it seems kind of silly. You could certainly just cruise around in it, and you probably wouldn't have any problems, but keep in mind the Viper really is designed as a performance machine, not a lazy afternoon ride. That said, if you're just interested in something exotic without so much power, why not buy a less performance-bred car and have a full service shop professionally customize it? You don't have to be an enthusiast to have it done, but it would probably mean more to you than just having a Viper, and you also wouldn't have to worry about "learning" to drive the Viper, as I've heard many people comment that it actually has a somewhat difficult learning curve if you've never driven a vehicle with such a high output. The other thing about the performance-bred Dodge is that you're probably not looking at the most comfortable ride, and if you're just interested in cruising around, why not be comfortable, and be able to relax? That concern could also be addressed by having a noteworthy shop design the interior of another car. Basically, there's nothing wrong with you owning the Viper, but there are plenty of other cars that would probably be more suited to what you're describing.

[Viper 10]

Bug:

I had to chime in here, because it seems that real feedback from Viper owners is a bit rare over here. First of all, I would not ever recommend that anyone buys a Viper just as a weekend cruiser or as a drag/street racer. Although there are plenty of old rich men that do use it for this. There are plenty of cars out there that will give you thrills, for a much cheaper price.

I do not agree with CivicRacer's assessment of buying a cheaper car and having someone tune it for you. That is a typical response of someone who is always chasing around stock Vipers for their thrills. You can throw all of the money in the world at a car, just to beat a Viper in one category or another. The reality is that you could not find a better performing car out of the factory for the price of a Viper. the closest competitor for this would be a Porsche TT that costs much more. The Z06 is a great car that would give you the thrills and actuallu be comfortable and drivable on a daily basis.

People do not buy Vipers for just looks (although the looks are stunning). Liking and admiring a car from a distance and owning a Viper are two completely different worlds. If a Viper fits into your lifestyle then you should get one. How many people can tolerate a car that has no cupholders, cruise control, vanity mirrors, ABS (until '00), traction control and adjustable ride adjustment? Who would want to drive a car that:
- does 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds?
- does a 1/4 mile in lesss than 12 seconds?
- pulls 1.03 G's on a skidpad?
- Has a top speed of 192 mph?
- Has 450 HP (my bone stock GTS is doing 417 RWHP)?
- Has 490 lb-ft of torque?

This is a car that demands your full undivided attention. It is not a car that should be driven with a cell phone in one hand, a Starbucks in the other and an open Wall Street Journal in your lap. If you make a mistake in a Viper, this car will bite you in the a$$ (and might even kill you). The reason being is that there is no other car on the road that has more torque (combined with HP) than a Viper. Make a mistake by being overly zealous with the gas pedal and you might be doing a 180 nor a 360 spin in the middle of the street facing oncoming traffic.

I would strongly recommend that you drive (or rent) a Viper before seriously putting your money down. All new Vipers are hand-made to order. if you see a Viper in a showroom, the person that ordered it probably canceled their order. Depending on what time of the year and which cars the Conner Plant is tooled up for (they produce all of the RT, GTS Vipers and Prowlers), your wait could be anywhere from 4 weeks to 14 weeks for your car.

I have let mny people drive my GTS Coupe (who were seriously considering the purchase of a Viper). 90% of those people ended up buying a Porsches, NSXs or Corvettes because the Vipers were such a handful to drive. I'm not trying to scare or disuade anyone from buying a Viper, but this is reality. I have helped many people buy new and used Vipers and there is one thing that I tell each and every one of them... enroll in a high performance driving school ASAP. You are right that this car is a waste of money if you do not plan on going to a road racing track.

If you are passionate about the driving experience and are committed to improving your skills, then buy a Viper. It is a throwback to the era of the AC Cobras and Cobra Daytona's. It demands more input from a driver than any car on the road. In the hands of a skilled driver, this car is very hard to beat. In the hands of an amatuer driver who doesn't treat the Vipers power and performance with respect, you'll be in a body shop faster than you will ever realize (hopefully not a hospital ER).

Just a word of note, that I have been driving on racetracks for more than 25 years. I have attended professional driving schools like Bob Bonderant (and attended more than 20 weekend driving schools), and go to the race track several times a year. Since buying the Viper I have attended 5 weekend track schools and done more than my share of spin outs on the track. The HP and the torque of this car will reduce your margin for error when you are on the extreme ends of the performance curve.

I hope that this sheds some light on your question.

Good luck.

Brad

[F20C]

After reading the first post again. He says he is doing a research project. So he isn't actually buying the car.

[bugfighter]

Thanks for the input Viper 10.

Actually, I'm researching what to get as my secondary car. I already have a primary driver that I'm happy with, an SLK 32 AMG. It's fast (4.5 seconds in 0 -60mph), supported with good service (all new Mercedes I've had, never gave problems), is reliable, easy to drive my grandma can take it to the market, and isn't too aggresive looking so I can drive conservative to a business meeting.

The "cool" factor has bitten me (or my ego) and for a secondary car, I want something that'll turn heads, is unique, and just have a little bragging rights to go fast if I wanted to occasionally (several notches better than my 32's 4.5 seconds) not that I'd make a habit out of it.

I considered a used Lambo but even if I can handle the purchase, I'm not rich enough to handle the inevitable high annual maintenance cost. Now, I'm asking about the Viper, but it sounds like that engine might just overwhelm me. I suppose I could get into it as small hobby/pastime but I'd never have the time and inclination to be a hardcore enthusiast.

[Viper 10]

Bug:

I have a friend that would be happy to sell you his '99 Diablo. The 10,000 mile tune up costs $30k and the clutch needs to be replaced every 4,000 miles (and costs between $4-5,000). The reliability is a real pain in the butt. It's so bad that he is considering swapping the Lambo engine for a Viper crate engine.

If you are in Southern Cal (or are venturing out this way), you can take my Snake around the block to verify anything that I have stated. A great weekend car would be a used 550. Don't touch the 360's because their prices are so inflated. The new Porsche TT's and the Carrera 4's are very civil cars to drive as cruisers.

Good luck.

Brad

[bugfighter]

Thanks again Viper 10! Thanks but no thanks on your friend's Lambo. I'm not there yet financially. Let's see: If I drive 2,000 miles a year, I have to pay $4k - 5k for a new clutch every 2 years, not to mention another couple thou oil change every 1.5 years then get tagged for another $30k 5 years later. And if a bumper falls off, that's $10k, and if other things go bad, etc.

Wow, my head is spinning! I can just see myself, homeless with tattered clothes, standing in front of an exit to the 405 Freeway, with a sign saying: "Help! Homeless man needs charity to feed his Lambo".

Hey, I see you live in Manhattan Beach. I live in the South Bay, too, and it'd be cool to see your Viper. You can check out my SLK 32 AMG but it's not as exciting. Yeah, it'd be nice to hookup, but I have to skip town to Vegas for a few days to go to Comdex.

Here's my e-mail address: ak@z-web.com

[F20C]

Homeless needs to feed his baby Lambo that would be funny.

[bugfighter]

... or standing in front of a super market with a Salvation Army uniform, ringing a bell and holding a cup with a sign that says "Lambo Charity Fund". :silly2:

[CivicRacerX]

Hey Viper10, I just wanted to respond, I guess to clarify my earlier statements in the thread. My suggestion was that he buy a less pure performance vehicle, and have it customized, as in the interior (or exterior), to his liking. I didn't suggest he have it tuned at all, and I never said it should be a cheaper car. All I suggested was that if he was looking for something to be comfortable and cruise around in, it would be worth looking somewhere else, and he said he was buying it to "look cool in," so it made sense to me that he could get that feeling from another car that he could give an individual look to. Also, just like your post, I said that the Viper had a tough learning curve because it was so powerful. I assume you just read through my post quickly and made your reply, but I don't appreciate putting the words into my mouth, and for the record, I've never "chased around stock Vipers."

[Viper 10]

Originally posted by CivicRacerX
Hey Viper10, I just wanted to respond, I guess to clarify my earlier statements in the thread. My suggestion was that he buy a less pure performance vehicle, and have it customized, as in the interior (or exterior), to his liking. I didn't suggest he have it tuned at all, and I never said it should be a cheaper car. All I suggested was that if he was looking for something to be comfortable and cruise around in, it would be worth looking somewhere else, and he said he was buying it to "look cool in," so it made sense to me that he could get that feeling from another car that he could give an individual look to. Also, just like your post, I said that the Viper had a tough learning curve because it was so powerful. I assume you just read through my post quickly and made your reply, but I don't appreciate putting the words into my mouth, and for the record, I've never "chased around stock Vipers."

Civic:

I did read through the post pretty quickly and I am sorry for the misunderstanding about your comments about the interior upgrades. Where did I say that you personally chased around stock Vipers? You have got to lighten up and not take things so personally. I did not intentionally take shots at you, nor did I contest your comment about the learning curve on driving Vipers (I thought that I just reiterated what you said i a bit more detail).

I've got no gripe with you or anyone else here, okay?

Have a good weekend.

Brad