Would Only a Tool Drive a Dodge Viper?

[flo]

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the porsche is the better car by a huge difference.

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um.... You need to explain this.

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Porsche engeneering > *

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Lots of responses, but as one of the resident car nuts, here's a clear answer. This is a lot like the cheating threads. If you have to ask, the answer is YES.

So yes, only tools generally drive Vipers - unless they're driving them on the track. If you spend a good deal of time at the track recreationally, then a viper as a second, near-dedicated track car is badass. But yeah, Vipers are track cars. They're $60k cars with $40k in engine and the rest of the car is built like typical american junk.

Yes, they go incredibly fast in a straight line. most unskilled drivers (i.e. without some significant seat time at a track) can't drive them for [censored] if you throw in a single curve in the road. They're incredible unstable for a normal driver - one of the biggest problems with the early generations was that people would continusly break their rear axel... because they'd be taking a corner at a stoplight and give it just a little too much gas and whammo right in to the curb.

Its a penis with wheels. Its a big engine in a sexy body and yes its pretty much the biggest midlife crisis car you can get. That and the boxster.

When you drive a nice car, people with other nice cars tend to talk to you a lot. I can definately say that something like 90% of the viper owners that I'd meet were douchebags. And almost all of them were stereotypical midlife crisis guys: older, balding, paid-for girlfriends with bad tans and worse fake breasts, etc.

Buy a used 996 911 Carrera for the same amount of money. The prices on the early 996 C2s and C4s have fallen quite a bit since the introduction of the Cayman. Its a classy car that's amazing to drive, has just as much interior room, and looks just as sexy but doesn't scream douchebag.

Or buy a nice used BMW M3 / M5 if you want a little more utility.

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What he said.


If you want a real raw, uncontrollable but incredible fast car, buy one of these.
Weineck Cobra

If you want a drivers-car, go for a porsche.

[Taso]

For some reason, I didn't think there were this many people that appreciated the Dodge Viper.

GET THE VIPER, that's my dream car.

[jws43yale]

I would say to drive the car and see if you really enjoy it. I am always amazed by how many people own Porsche's, but it seems like the reason is they are a joy to drive. Your top speed and 0-60 don't matter if the car sucks to drive. I personally also feel that it is impractical to get a long wheelbase speed car for everyday driving. The Porsche and other small whellbase cars are not a chore to drive eeryday. They also supposedly dominate cars like the Viper anywhere turning is involved.

Viper is great for long fast straightaways, but doesn't make much sense otherwise. But if this is what you want, and you like the way it drives, buy it, who cares what others think.

[microbet]

This year old thread got bumped and it wasn't because Utah is bringing the car over for my test drive!!!!

[Yobz]

What if you're young? I mean like clearly not midlife crisis?
I'm 22: what if I step out of a Viper?
I drive a subaru wrx sti, does that make me a tool?

[samsonite2100]

*Grunch*

Yes, most people will assume you're a midlife-crisis suffering retard if you drive a Viper.

[Blarg]

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Holy crap, your lady friends clearly don't understand quality engineering. I bet the only reason why they are hating on the car is because it's not european. Seriously buy a car magazine and read up on the car.

If someone says something like this to me I normally ask them if they think if Bose home audio is a high quality product. If they say yes, then I put them in the "your opinion on consumer products doesn't mean [censored]" category.

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Haha, nice to see you back wacki!

[Boris]

"Problem, Mrs. Utah says driving a car like that screams midlife crisis and it will make girls think that you are trying to overcome deficiencies elsewhere."

Uxorious

[Blarg]

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Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, imo, are driven by men who are established and successful-its my perception and happened to be the perception of my two girlfriends(and we have never discussed this). Their responses were completely spontaneous. We all agreed that the Porsche is the car that would not make you look like a tool.

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Porsches don't have the cachet to me that they used to. They've built down to the market for a long time now. They used to be godly to me, but then in the 80's and 90's, everyone had one, and they still started building them cheaper anyway. Now they're far behind the top, at least in my mind.

I think a problem is that when you're talking the truly nice cars, $36k isn't going to get you one anyway. So you guys need to be happy with what $36k can buy, if that's the spending neighborhood you're in. A car that speaks of "wealth and/or sophistication" isn't going to come in at 36k, so why bring that into the decision making process anyway?

[Boris]

Blarq - you can get a used M5 for $36k. It's a bad machine. It speaks wealth and sophistication.