>Good-Bye Viper GT<
#1
03-16-2016, 02:38 PM
>Good-Bye Viper GT<
Good-Bye, 2015 Dodge Viper GT > Like the great Chevrolet Monte Carlo,
all great cars come to an end.
all great cars come to an end.
Enjoying some of the final miles we’ll get in Dodge’s straight-up shot of anger.
By: Conner GoldenMarch 8, 2016
T
he Viper’s venom is circling the drain. Detroit’s hand-built supercar is not long for this world, as rumors emerge that the Viper’s long-running Conner Avenue manufacturing plant will go dark next year. Pitiful sales caused a production pause in 2014 and a drastic $15,000 price cut soon after, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss Sergio Marchionne now says this particular generation of the Viper can’t be retrofitted with mandatory side curtain airbags.
We’re losing a car that’s absolutely unapologetic and uniquely American. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the Viper maintained an unshakable aura of danger, with a reputation as an unruly, uncomfortable beast that only the clinically insane would drive. I developed a primal uneasiness around the Vipers I saw while growing up at car shows and meets, but it is not until now, looking at the rolling hills of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest through the low-slung windshield of an Adrenaline Red Dodge Viper GT, that I actually get to experience a Viper for myself.
he Viper’s venom is circling the drain. Detroit’s hand-built supercar is not long for this world, as rumors emerge that the Viper’s long-running Conner Avenue manufacturing plant will go dark next year. Pitiful sales caused a production pause in 2014 and a drastic $15,000 price cut soon after, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss Sergio Marchionne now says this particular generation of the Viper can’t be retrofitted with mandatory side curtain airbags.
We’re losing a car that’s absolutely unapologetic and uniquely American. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the Viper maintained an unshakable aura of danger, with a reputation as an unruly, uncomfortable beast that only the clinically insane would drive. I developed a primal uneasiness around the Vipers I saw while growing up at car shows and meets, but it is not until now, looking at the rolling hills of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest through the low-slung windshield of an Adrenaline Red Dodge Viper GT, that I actually get to experience a Viper for myself.
Tendrils of modernization have breached the fifth-gen, and now you get things like launch control, a five-tier stability control system, optional dual-mode suspension dampers, Nappa leather seats, Alcantara trim, fabulous Uconnect infotainment, and a standard suite of SRT performance-monitoring apps. All are welcomed and stand in stark juxtaposition to the Viper’s still simple cornerstones, including steel brakes, hydraulically assisted steering, side-exit exhaust pipes that burn your calves as you exit the car, and a naturally aspirated 645-hp, 8.4-liter, odd-firing V-10 that’s a Neanderthal among today’s advanced turbocharged engines.
I pulled over to catch my breath on the side of Ohio State Route 26, a 67-mile stretch of unbroken asphalt curving its way through mid-America’s hill country. I terrorized the peaks and valleys as the Viper’s digital tachometer swung up to 5,000 rpm in first gear and its 14-inch-wide rear tires broke loose as onboard assistance systems struggled to pin down 600 lb-ft of torque. Second gear doesn’t run out of forward motion until the car is somewhere very close to 100 mph.
The slotted, platter-sized steel brake rotors and massive calipers have ferocious stopping power, which is important when you have wide-open straights barreling through windswept panoramas that quickly give way to sharply banked curves. The steering is wonderfully communicative — not too quick with good, linear response. Route 26 spits the Viper out into the city of Marietta, Ohio, and I feel like I’ve just driven something from a different era, a different place.
The slotted, platter-sized steel brake rotors and massive calipers have ferocious stopping power, which is important when you have wide-open straights barreling through windswept panoramas that quickly give way to sharply banked curves. The steering is wonderfully communicative — not too quick with good, linear response. Route 26 spits the Viper out into the city of Marietta, Ohio, and I feel like I’ve just driven something from a different era, a different place.
I then realize the Viper’s hold on existence is slipping, and I can feel its encroaching demise. This will almost certainly be the first and last time I drive an all-new Viper, at least one built in this vein: a sports car that offers what is perhaps the most uncut and unfiltered driving experience available and is, for better or for worse, the palate cleanser for the artificial sweetening of today’s most potent performance machines.
2015 Dodge Viper GT Specifications
2015 Dodge Viper GT Specifications
On Sale:NowPrice:$99,090 (base)Engine:8.4L OHV 20-valve V-10/645 hp @ 6,200 rpm, 600 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpmTransmission:6-speed manualLayout:2-door, 2-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupeEPA Mileage:12/21 mpg (city/hwy)L x W x H:175.7 x 76.4 x 49.1 inWheelbase:98.8 inWeight:3,415 lb0-60 MPH:3.4 sec (est)Top Speed:206 mph
T
he Viper’s venom is circling the drain. Detroit’s hand-built supercar is not long for this world, as rumors emerge that the Viper’s long-running Conner Avenue manufacturing plant will go dark next year. Pitiful sales caused a production pause in 2014 and a drastic $15,000 price cut soon after, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss Sergio Marchionne now says this particular generation of the Viper can’t be retrofitted with mandatory side curtain airbags.
We’re losing a car that’s absolutely unapologetic and uniquely American. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the Viper maintained an unshakable aura of danger, with a reputation as an unruly, uncomfortable beast that only the clinically insane would drive. I developed a primal uneasiness around the Vipers I saw while growing up at car shows and meets, but it is not until now, looking at the rolling hills of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest through the low-slung windshield of an Adrenaline Red Dodge Viper GT, that I actually get to experience a Viper for myself.
he Viper’s venom is circling the drain. Detroit’s hand-built supercar is not long for this world, as rumors emerge that the Viper’s long-running Conner Avenue manufacturing plant will go dark next year. Pitiful sales caused a production pause in 2014 and a drastic $15,000 price cut soon after, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles boss Sergio Marchionne now says this particular generation of the Viper can’t be retrofitted with mandatory side curtain airbags.
We’re losing a car that’s absolutely unapologetic and uniquely American. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the Viper maintained an unshakable aura of danger, with a reputation as an unruly, uncomfortable beast that only the clinically insane would drive. I developed a primal uneasiness around the Vipers I saw while growing up at car shows and meets, but it is not until now, looking at the rolling hills of Ohio’s Wayne National Forest through the low-slung windshield of an Adrenaline Red Dodge Viper GT, that I actually get to experience a Viper for myself.
Tendrils of modernization have breached the fifth-gen, and now you get things like launch control, a five-tier stability control system, optional dual-mode suspension dampers, Nappa leather seats, Alcantara trim, fabulous Uconnect infotainment, and a standard suite of SRT performance-monitoring apps. All are welcomed and stand in stark juxtaposition to the Viper’s still simple cornerstones, including steel brakes, hydraulically assisted steering, side-exit exhaust pipes that burn your calves as you exit the car, and a naturally aspirated 645-hp, 8.4-liter, odd-firing V-10 that’s a Neanderthal among today’s advanced turbocharged engines.
I pulled over to catch my breath on the side of Ohio State Route 26, a 67-mile stretch of unbroken asphalt curving its way through mid-America’s hill country. I terrorized the peaks and valleys as the Viper’s digital tachometer swung up to 5,000 rpm in first gear and its 14-inch-wide rear tires broke loose as onboard assistance systems struggled to pin down 600 lb-ft of torque. Second gear doesn’t run out of forward motion until the car is somewhere very close to 100 mph.
The slotted, platter-sized steel brake rotors and massive calipers have ferocious stopping power, which is important when you have wide-open straights barreling through windswept panoramas that quickly give way to sharply banked curves. The steering is wonderfully communicative — not too quick with good, linear response. Route 26 spits the Viper out into the city of Marietta, Ohio, and I feel like I’ve just driven something from a different era, a different place.
The slotted, platter-sized steel brake rotors and massive calipers have ferocious stopping power, which is important when you have wide-open straights barreling through windswept panoramas that quickly give way to sharply banked curves. The steering is wonderfully communicative — not too quick with good, linear response. Route 26 spits the Viper out into the city of Marietta, Ohio, and I feel like I’ve just driven something from a different era, a different place.
I then realize the Viper’s hold on existence is slipping, and I can feel its encroaching demise. This will almost certainly be the first and last time I drive an all-new Viper, at least one built in this vein: a sports car that offers what is perhaps the most uncut and unfiltered driving experience available and is, for better or for worse, the palate cleanser for the artificial sweetening of today’s most potent performance machines.
2015 Dodge Viper GT Specifications
2015 Dodge Viper GT Specifications
On Sale:NowPrice:$99,090 (base)Engine:8.4L OHV 20-valve V-10/645 hp @ 6,200 rpm, 600 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpmTransmission:6-speed manualLayout:2-door, 2-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupeEPA Mileage:12/21 mpg (city/hwy)L x W x H:175.7 x 76.4 x 49.1 inWheelbase:98.8 inWeight:3,415 lb0-60 MPH:3.4 sec (est)Top Speed:206 mph
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#3
03-16-2016, 03:28 PM
Hi John, Hopefully in your future you will be able to get a nice used one..."Don't give up on your dream" >4-Sure.
** When I was working the Miami Port, one of the workers had a 2015 Focus ST & he let me drive it
WoW, what a fund ride 4-Real....I loved it & the shifter is great + for a FWD it handles superb WoW, I really, really liked it.You must have a blast with the super roads in your area. He had a few mod's like exhaust/CAI and a tune. He is saving for a RS and he knows everything about them. He doesn't abuse his, but he drives it aggressively....It's Red with dark tint...
#4
03-16-2016, 03:35 PM
I hope so! Lol
Yes the focus st is a really fun car for a daily driver. I just put my summer wheels and tires back on and could go shave some corners again finally and I was having so much fun!! My focus is also modded a bit, the tune really wakes these cars up!!
Yes the focus st is a really fun car for a daily driver. I just put my summer wheels and tires back on and could go shave some corners again finally and I was having so much fun!! My focus is also modded a bit, the tune really wakes these cars up!!
#5
03-16-2016, 03:40 PM
Thanks `John for your reply, I think any car guy that drove one would love the Focus ST. Ford did an excellent job building this one. You are a lucky man to have so many super rides, but I know that you have worked hard to get them & keep them. Post a picture of your `if you have any `OK. Thanks
#6
03-17-2016, 11:02 AM
>Parting is such sweet sorrow : (
More Power
645 Horsepower, 600 LB.-FT. Torque
0-60 MPH
low 3-second range
Quarter Mile
mid 11 second range
Top Track Speed
206mph
Record Setter
Holds production car lap records at nine U.S. tracks
2015 Dodge Viper SRT | driveSRT
http://www.dodge.com/en/viper/
^ Click above link
(Super Page/Pictures + + +)
Last edited by BeachBumMike; 03-17-2016 at 11:08 AM.
#7
03-18-2016, 04:01 PM
>Dream & EnJoy<
I was only going to post the Viper below, but I thought a few member's might enjoy seeing and reading about the other rides
The Cayman GT4 Is a Near Perfect Arrangement of the Porsche Lego SetThe mix and match nature of modern Porsches has created a winner.BY JACK BARUTH
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The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Is a Brash Sledgehammer With a Magnificent WingIf you get it, you get it. BY SAM SMITH
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Is the Corvette Z06 Actually a Corvette ZR1 in Disguise?Has the track focus taken a back seat to outright speed? BY JACK BARUTH
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The Ten Things You Learn After a Weekend in the Alfa Romeo 4C SpiderIt's very flawed. But for some reason, you won't care. BY TRAVIS OKULSKI
The Cayman GT4 Is a Near Perfect Arrangement of the Porsche Lego SetThe mix and match nature of modern Porsches has created a winner.BY JACK BARUTH
ROAD TESTS
The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Is a Brash Sledgehammer With a Magnificent WingIf you get it, you get it. BY SAM SMITH
ROAD TESTS
Is the Corvette Z06 Actually a Corvette ZR1 in Disguise?Has the track focus taken a back seat to outright speed? BY JACK BARUTH
ROAD TESTS
The Ten Things You Learn After a Weekend in the Alfa Romeo 4C SpiderIt's very flawed. But for some reason, you won't care. BY TRAVIS OKULSKI
#8
03-18-2016, 04:10 PM
Everything You Learn After a Weekend With a Lamborghini Huracan
It recalibrates your brain * I'd love to get my brain recalibrated
1. It's unapologetically fast. Yes, this sounds obvious, but there isn't really anything to prepare you for how quick this car actually is. Even a light acceleration will see you doing triple digit speeds in no time. It wants to go fast, it begs you to go fast.
2. It's civilized in traffic. Lamborghinis of old would be hell in traffic. Their gearboxes -- manual or single clutch auto -- would be laborious and just plain awful. Acceleration would be jerky and braking would be far from smooth. You'd be constantly concerned about it overheating. Not so with the Huracan, and this must be the Audi influence coming through. It's perfectly content sitting still in rush hour NYC traffic and stop and go isn't a head jerking affair. Instead it just does what you ask with no issues.
3. People gawk to a point where it becomes inconvenient or just awkward. It's not everyday that you see a Lamborghini on the roads, so it naturally becomes a point of curiosity. Sometimes, that curiosity is downright dangerous. People will weave in and out of traffic to rush up to get a close look. People will try and encourage a race. People will hang out of car windows to get a photo. But that's not the worst part. People will spend so long gawking that they'll fail to notice they're blocking you from trying to move over to make an exit. People that spotted you from a distance will pull up so fast that they risk an accident. It gets old really fast.
4. It's low. If you buy a Huracan (which you absolutely should), you should option the front axle lift system. It's a lifesaver for speed bumps, driveways, or slight pavement imperfections that could risk the nose of the car.
5. It's easy to drive. Unlike Lamborghinis of old, the Huracan take a few minutes to get used to and then after an hour you're driving it like it's a Civic. It's not easy to see out of the rearview mirror, but the side mirrors work well enough that you won't hit everything. You can't see the front corners, but you get used to them after minutes of being in the car. The gearbox is easy to work, the Audi-sourced MMI controller is a breeze, and it all feels normal nearly instantly.
6. That gearbox. The old automated manual in Lambos was awful. Really awful. Terrible. It felt like it was actively trying to ruin the car from within on every single shift. It wasn't ideal. This new double clutch is totally different. It's just as good as Porsche's PDK, which is to say it's as good as the best dual clutch gearbox on the market.
7. It's the best sound in the world. There's something about a naturally aspirated V10 that no other engine can replicate. It's not smooth like a V12 or booming like a V8, but it is totally fierce, and the crescendo it comes to at higher revs is anger in mechanical form. It's pretty much perfect.
8. The electronics setup is pretty great. The Lambo is the first car in the VW Group to use Audi's 'virtual cockpit' gauge cluster, though it doesn't use the same processing power as an Audi. The Huracan is a driver's car, so everything is right in front of the driver. So what if the passenger can't easily change the radio station? That doesn't matter at all.
9. It's gorgeous. In photos, the Huracan doesn't look as dramatic or crazy as the Gallardo it replaces. But when you see it in person, it's low, wide, lean, and impossibly pretty. The Huracan might be the best looking car you can buy today. It's amazing that something that looks like this also adheres to all the laws that govern road cars and is street legal.
10. It's fun to drive on the road. You might think that a 610 horsepower Italian rocket ship would be boring on the road unless you were going 200 MPH. You'd be wrong. Somehow, at speeds that aren't the speed limit but also aren't going to get you sent to jail, the Huracan feels alive. It speaks to the sensory experience that Lamborghini has been able to include in the Huracan. And even with all-wheel drive, it feels wild and untamed while still being controllable. It's a triumph, a brilliant car.
So has Lamborghini built a car that can dispel any stereotype you've had of cars from the brand? Yes. Absolutely. It's an absolute weapon. Amazing car.
More on the Huracan soon...
It recalibrates your brain * I'd love to get my brain recalibrated
Lamborghini
23.5k
Like it or not, there has long been a stigma that surrounds Lamborghinis. People assume they aren't serious cars, that corners were cut or that it wasn't engineered as much as a Porsche or a Ferrari. They're cars for show offs, not cars for people that care how they actually drive. Also, they're uncomfortable, unreliable, and a pain to be in.
While that may be true for some old Lambos, it's definitely not true for the current cars coming out of Sant Agata. The Aventador, especially the SV, has proven that is just as fast, if not faster, than any of its competitors. The Gallardo, the original baby Lamborghini, evolved over time to become a vicious sports car that was also a weapon for track duty, even if it was a bit unrefined.
While that may be true for some old Lambos, it's definitely not true for the current cars coming out of Sant Agata. The Aventador, especially the SV, has proven that is just as fast, if not faster, than any of its competitors. The Gallardo, the original baby Lamborghini, evolved over time to become a vicious sports car that was also a weapon for track duty, even if it was a bit unrefined.
And then we come to the Huracan, a car that promises to be as exciting and refined on a road as it is on a track. It's an ethos change for a brand that used to not care about being great on a track or refinement on the road. They were bombastic and insane cars. Has the push towards refinement gotten rid of the edge?
Here's what we learned.
Here's what we learned.
Lamborghini
1. It's unapologetically fast. Yes, this sounds obvious, but there isn't really anything to prepare you for how quick this car actually is. Even a light acceleration will see you doing triple digit speeds in no time. It wants to go fast, it begs you to go fast.
2. It's civilized in traffic. Lamborghinis of old would be hell in traffic. Their gearboxes -- manual or single clutch auto -- would be laborious and just plain awful. Acceleration would be jerky and braking would be far from smooth. You'd be constantly concerned about it overheating. Not so with the Huracan, and this must be the Audi influence coming through. It's perfectly content sitting still in rush hour NYC traffic and stop and go isn't a head jerking affair. Instead it just does what you ask with no issues.
3. People gawk to a point where it becomes inconvenient or just awkward. It's not everyday that you see a Lamborghini on the roads, so it naturally becomes a point of curiosity. Sometimes, that curiosity is downright dangerous. People will weave in and out of traffic to rush up to get a close look. People will try and encourage a race. People will hang out of car windows to get a photo. But that's not the worst part. People will spend so long gawking that they'll fail to notice they're blocking you from trying to move over to make an exit. People that spotted you from a distance will pull up so fast that they risk an accident. It gets old really fast.
4. It's low. If you buy a Huracan (which you absolutely should), you should option the front axle lift system. It's a lifesaver for speed bumps, driveways, or slight pavement imperfections that could risk the nose of the car.
Lamborghini
5. It's easy to drive. Unlike Lamborghinis of old, the Huracan take a few minutes to get used to and then after an hour you're driving it like it's a Civic. It's not easy to see out of the rearview mirror, but the side mirrors work well enough that you won't hit everything. You can't see the front corners, but you get used to them after minutes of being in the car. The gearbox is easy to work, the Audi-sourced MMI controller is a breeze, and it all feels normal nearly instantly.
6. That gearbox. The old automated manual in Lambos was awful. Really awful. Terrible. It felt like it was actively trying to ruin the car from within on every single shift. It wasn't ideal. This new double clutch is totally different. It's just as good as Porsche's PDK, which is to say it's as good as the best dual clutch gearbox on the market.
7. It's the best sound in the world. There's something about a naturally aspirated V10 that no other engine can replicate. It's not smooth like a V12 or booming like a V8, but it is totally fierce, and the crescendo it comes to at higher revs is anger in mechanical form. It's pretty much perfect.
Lamborghini
8. The electronics setup is pretty great. The Lambo is the first car in the VW Group to use Audi's 'virtual cockpit' gauge cluster, though it doesn't use the same processing power as an Audi. The Huracan is a driver's car, so everything is right in front of the driver. So what if the passenger can't easily change the radio station? That doesn't matter at all.
9. It's gorgeous. In photos, the Huracan doesn't look as dramatic or crazy as the Gallardo it replaces. But when you see it in person, it's low, wide, lean, and impossibly pretty. The Huracan might be the best looking car you can buy today. It's amazing that something that looks like this also adheres to all the laws that govern road cars and is street legal.
10. It's fun to drive on the road. You might think that a 610 horsepower Italian rocket ship would be boring on the road unless you were going 200 MPH. You'd be wrong. Somehow, at speeds that aren't the speed limit but also aren't going to get you sent to jail, the Huracan feels alive. It speaks to the sensory experience that Lamborghini has been able to include in the Huracan. And even with all-wheel drive, it feels wild and untamed while still being controllable. It's a triumph, a brilliant car.
Lamborghini
So has Lamborghini built a car that can dispel any stereotype you've had of cars from the brand? Yes. Absolutely. It's an absolute weapon. Amazing car.
More on the Huracan soon...