Gen V Viper...?

[Randy M]

Apparently these cars are not selling that well. I sat in one this morning and it feels real cramped inside. My eyeline was at the very top of the windshield. If the car had more headroom I might find myself in one as I am admittedly a Mopar fan. Not only that but there are 2013's with discounts approaching $40K off. Kinda makes one give it some thought:

http://www.bobbakerchryslerjeep.net/...9857c9226c.htm

There's a guy on a Viper forum who bought one identical to this one (except it had the $5K stripes) for $99K and change. It's likely you could get this one above for $95K as it's at the same dealer. My M4 order is at $80K.

[Carl L]

Totally impractical cars but fast enough to whoop an M4 like an Accord...totally depends on what you're looking for but discounts of that size certainly make it part of the conversation.

[W///]

So I wanted to bump this up and see if anyone here actually considered a Gen V.

I just happened to look at a dealership not far from me, and they happen to have 5 Vipers sitting on their lot. I know it's a completely different car than an M3/4 obviously, and serve a completely different purpose. However, I'm already seeing used 2014s with low mileage going for high 70s, which I think seems like a crazy good deal for what you are getting in terms of performance.

Has anyone owned one of these? Anyone tempted to own one of these?

[TrevorM3]

i will absolutely consider the gen V viper after my M5. This car is balls to the wall. I need to experience something like that before i get old. manual, lightweight v10... everyone chatters about the z06, but very few talk about the Viper, which is quite a shame. I love that car.

i think alot of people are ashamed to admit they like the dam thing to be honest, or their scared to actually own one because of how raw it is. But they did a good job making the interior etc. nice on this current and last gen Viper

[W///]

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

i will absolutely consider the gen V viper after my M5. This car is balls to the wall. I need to experience something like that before i get old. manual, lightweight v10... everyone chatters about the z06, but very few talk about the Viper, which is quite a shame. I love that car.

i think alot of people are ashamed to admit they like the dam thing to be honest, or their scared to actually own one because of how raw it is. But they did a good job making the interior etc. nice on this current and last gen Viper

To be honest, the Z06 doesn't do much for me at all. I can also certainly respect cars like the GT350, but no American car talks to me like Viper. The good news though, is that because no one seems to like the Viper (enough to actually pull the trigger), there are definitely deals to be had and the car is pretty damn exclusive. I think I've only seen 1 Gen V on the road.

I've seen a 2014 GTS with 4k miles going for $78k. That seems like a hell of a lot of car for the money.

The more sensible part of me is saying stick with the F80CP. The inner child in me is wondering why not a Gen V for just a bit more money. I'm single with no kids, and have 2 M3's when I want to drive something more sensible with more room (even though they're both coupes).

But as you said, when else are you going to be able to drive a V10 6MT with 645hp

[TrevorM3]

Originally Posted by W///

To be honest, the Z06 doesn't do much for me at all. I can also certainly respect cars like the GT350, but no American car talks to me like Viper. The good news though, is that because no one seems to like the Viper (enough to actually pull the trigger), there are definitely deals to be had and the car is pretty damn exclusive. I think I've only seen 1 Gen V on the road.

I've seen a 2014 GTS with 4k miles going for $78k. That seems like a hell of a lot of car for the money.

The more sensible part of me is saying stick with the F80CP. The inner child in me is wondering why not a Gen V for just a bit more money. I'm single with no kids, and have 2 M3's when I want to drive something more sensible with more room (even though they're both coupes).

But as you said, when else are you going to be able to drive a V10 6MT with 645hp

dump one m3, and get the Vipe. I'm in no way comparing my c63 to the power levels of a Viper.. but i will say that my car in 1st and 2nd gear is gut-wrenching. I absolutely love the feeling. Then when i think about a v10, with over 600hp weighing what, 500lbs less?? maybe more? I simply cannot resist. I will have that car.

[Rambler]

I love the Gen V Viper. Does anyone know if dealers are offering such discounts with the ACR? That's the one I want but not at $140k.

[BwoodBMW]

That car would be an absurd amount of fun...
I see 2-10 other F8xs every single day...
I think I've seen 2 Gen V vipers on the road.
May be a bit intense as a daily driver but if you are buying a weekender it would be a strong consideration for me.

[W///]

Here are example of deals I'm finding online. Like I said, I don't really know what else you can get for this money that ticks all the boxes like this:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...27310380&Log=0

Originally Posted by TrevorM3

dump one m3, and get the Vipe. I'm in no way comparing my c63 to the power levels of a Viper.. but i will say that my car in 1st and 2nd gear is gut-wrenching. I absolutely love the feeling. Then when i think about a v10, with over 600hp weighing what, 500lbs less?? maybe more? I simply cannot resist. I will have that car.

The E36 would have to be used as a DD if I got a Viper, plus it's an appreciating car so it can stay.
The E92 is the car I said I vowed never to get rid of, and I still stand by that. I still love that car to death. That would still be comfortable (relatively) cruiser for road trips.

I can kind of see how the Viper would slot in there. I also have a really old beater 4Runner I still plan to keep to haul stuff, although I would not trust that car to go too far from my place haha.

Originally Posted by Rambler

I love the Gen V Viper. Does anyone know if dealers are offering such discounts with the ACR? That's the one I want but not at $140k.

I've heard of them going for invoice. Not sure how true that is though. ACR is overkill for me anyway and way out of my budget.

[Gibson6594]

Are you opposed to selling the E36 and daily driving the E92? Nothing wrong with dding the E92 and clearing up some room for a Viper. I know you said it's appreciation, but you only live once.

[W///]

Originally Posted by Gibson6594

Are you opposed to selling the E36 and daily driving the E92? Nothing wrong with dding the E92 and clearing up some room for a Viper. I know you said it's appreciation, but you only live once.

Not opposed by that much. To be honest, it's not really that I have to get rid of the E36 and E92 to make the Viper work because the plan was to add the F80CP.

I'm just wondering whether it's a good idea. At least with the F80, it was going to be a DD and I could justify it being expensive. But I would get to use it all the time. With the Viper, it'll be just a bit more money, but it'll be much more 1 dimensional. It's not like it'll be going on roadtrips or out when it's 30F outside.

Guess we'll see. I think I'm going to head to the dealership to try to test drive one (I'm sure they won't let me as I've never had any good experience with American dealerships). Who knows, it might not even be my cup of tea at the end of the day.

[ghost34]

pure lust for the viper, not sure it's marriage material but I've always appreciated the raw beast. The interior is finally worthy of a 100k car

[04cobra]

Worth it. Especially since they said they are no longer making Vipers after 2017 due to the inability to fit side curtain airbags without completely restructuring the frame etc.

However, a lot of the reviews I have read, is that it is a very uncomfortable ride and cramped inside. If you are planning on getting one to drive on the weekends or occasionally then I would say 100000% get one. If you are planning to DD it I would highly advise against it.

I am in the same boat, I see tons of BMW everyday, but see a viper MAYBE once or twice a year. I also see 15 corvettes per day. My next car will probably be somewhat of a compromise and get a 2018 GT500 whenever they release it. I rarely see Cobras (of any year) on the road, and if the new one is anything like it is rumored to be, it should be up there with z06/viper speeds

[swanson]

I've wanted a Viper since day 1. I would LOVE to get the latest Gen.

[W///]

Very neat to see some folks that appreciate the Gen V. It's a shame that they are selling so badly

[bb1857]

Originally Posted by W///

Very neat to see some folks that appreciate the Gen V. It's a shame that they are selling so badly

I think the crappy dealer network has a lot to do with poor sales. These idiots are used to selling Ram trucks and minivans...the Viper comes with a different set of standards(as it should) and I seriously doubt many of the Dodge dealers can uphold it. Such a badass car though!!

[W///]

Originally Posted by bb1857

I think the crappy dealer network has a lot to do with poor sales. These idiots are used to selling Ram trucks and minivans...the Viper comes with a different set of standards(as it should) and I seriously doubt many of the Dodge dealers can uphold it. Such a badass car though!!

Completely agreed. That is the one part I would not look forward to. Here's a post Edmunds made about their long term review of the Viper (which is great btw, you really get a feel of what it'd be like to own one)

"Our 2015 Dodge Viper earned its place atop the Dodge performance lineup. True, Hellcats have blurred the leaderboard recently. But there should still be no contesting the recognition and attention that a 645-horsepower, $100,000 Viper deserves ahead of the high-volume likes of the Dart or Avenger.

So why is the Viper service experience so poor?

Or rather, why has our service experience with the Viper been so poor?

Maybe we have bad luck. After all, one advisor wanted his body shop to cut a hole in our Viper SRT-10 to reach a bracket that was accessible by simply removing one interior panel. More recently we encountered another tech trying to pop the rear hatch to access the engine.

Maybe other manufacturers just do it better. When we needed service for our long-term Audi R8 and Nissan GT-R it was like the world stopped. Cars parted. Porters opened our doors. Heads poked out from cubicles. It was a red carpet treatment by comparison.

Our most recent 12,000-mile Viper service had two parts.

Part one was a complete bust. We called a dealership 16 miles from our office for an appointment. The service writer gave an estimate of two days if we brought the car in the following morning. That was fine with us. But a surprise work obligation arose and we had to reschedule.

We called and asked to drop it off that afternoon instead. This was when he broke the news that the next available appointment wasn't for another two to three weeks. He offered no explanation aside from their Viper tech being booked until then. We took our business elsewhere.

Part two was a success, on paper at least. We called a second dealership 29 miles from our office, Glenn E. Thomas Dodge in Long Beach. It had a slot for us at 7:00 am the next morning. Perfect. We arrived 10 minutes early. On the phone we did not specify an advisor, so it took a few extra minutes to determine who would take our car. Once settled, our advisor promptly checked us in. No upsells or drama. She pointed us to the waiting area and gave an estimate of 60-90 minutes. It was 7:30.

At 9:30 the Viper was ready. It was 30 minutes longer than our quoted time but we were in no hurry. We then sat patiently while the cashier juggled running our invoice, covering for the dealership phone operator and snacking on fries. She was so polite we didn't mind. The total cost was $168.14 for inspections, an oil change and a left-to-right tire rotation.

Parts one and two of this adventure averaged out to a check in the box, overall. The work was completed. The quality of service at the second location was acceptable. The cost was perhaps the highlight when compared to our R8 and GT-R long-termers. Still, the experience left us wanting more.

Service is part of any ownership experience and for a Viper it should be different, even special. But in our experience, it is not. So far, that's the most disappointing part of owning a Viper."

[RobbyMack]

Personally I have always felt the Viper was special. Mostly because every single time I see one on the road I stare. I see plenty of Vettes or Mustangs, and while I would be happy to own special editions (Shelby, Boss 302, z06 et) of either neither speaks to me like a Viper. If I had no wife and kids I would absolutely pick one up. Maybe after the kids leave the house I can pick up a used version as a fun weekend car. by then I may need it since everything new will be some version of a hybrid or full electric.

[W///]

Originally Posted by RobbyMack

Personally I have always felt the Viper was special. Mostly because every single time I see one on the road I stare. I see plenty of Vettes or Mustangs, and while I would be happy to own special editions (Shelby, Boss 302, z06 et) of either neither speaks to me like a Viper. If I had no wife and kids I would absolutely pick one up. Maybe after the kids leave the house I can pick up a used version as a fun weekend car. by then I may need it since everything new will be some version of a hybrid or full electric.

Couldn't agree with you more. I certainly respect the Mustangs and Corvettes, but I actually lust after a Viper. I've always loved them since the original Need for Speed game (anyone remember that?? )

And fortunately, I'm in a position where I don't have kids and I don't have to answer to a wife as to why I'm buying a pet T-rex.

[hanszilla]

I really liked the Viper when I first laid eyes on them back in the 90s. I still like them now, the styling is subjective with the long hood. I like how it looks, it is a bit small inside, but that Viper emblem that lights up when you brake is awesome. Now if they are giving 40k off MSRP, I would shell out some dough for something I can stare at.

[Brindle101]

Originally Posted by Randy M

Apparently these cars are not selling that well. I sat in one this morning and it feels real cramped inside. My eyeline was at the very top of the windshield. If the car had more headroom I might find myself in one as I am admittedly a Mopar fan. Not only that but there are 2013's with discounts approaching $40K off. Kinda makes one give it some thought:

http://www.bobbakerchryslerjeep.net/...9857c9226c.htm

There's a guy on a Viper forum who bought one identical to this one (except it had the $5K stripes) for $99K and change. It's likely you could get this one above for $95K as it's at the same dealer. My M4 order is at $80K.

I have 2 gen V's including a TA. I have an m4 and a bunch of other cars. The viper and m4 are apples and oranges although both great cars. Viper is flat out a race car, m4 is a performance coupe. Enough said! For Rambler, no they are not giving discounts on ACR's.

[Rambler]

^ Haha, I didn't think so. Heck, they're probably a bargain at 140k for what they offer but that's much more than I'm willing to shell out at the moment.

Good Edmunds story... Unfortunately, I bet that experience will only become worse when they stop making them and the available viper techs begin to diminish or eventually go away altogether.