Are Vipers GRM yet?

In reply to aussiesmg:

These must be some of the worst panel gaps I have ever seen. What the hell happened to that car.

aussiesmg wrote: Bad boy Hennessey http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HENNESSEY-VENOM-1000-Twin-Turbo-510-CI-STROKER-Aero-Body-Upgrades-1600-RWHP-/300923555664?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4610710f50

Oh god that car is berkeleying hideous.

And i'd like to see the moron owner swap the turbos in 90 minutes like he says, let alone at the track.

Swank Force One wrote:

aussiesmg wrote: Bad boy Hennessey http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HENNESSEY-VENOM-1000-Twin-Turbo-510-CI-STROKER-Aero-Body-Upgrades-1600-RWHP-/300923555664?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4610710f50

Oh god that car is berkeleying hideous. And i'd like to see the moron owner swap the turbos in 90 minutes like he says, let alone at the track.

That crappy hood cost $8900!! If I spent that much on a hood I would be pissed if it fit like that just from "winter storage"!

Also, doesn't the 1000 in "Hennessey Venom 1000TT" mean 1000hp? Though if his "driving around everyday" turbos are GT35R's, it could make 1600+ in theory....

i highly doubt that taking a 500" engine out to 510" is done with a stroker crank... i'm gonna guess that you gain that extra cubic inch in each cylinder just by running a hone down thru the cylinders 5 or 6 times...

so, yeah, the guy doesn't know what "stroker" means...

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I think their crowning grassroots moment came when the late great Paul Mumford won in the old Speed world challenge back in 03 as a private guy against all the big money teams. He also got pushrods banned from the old SCC ultimate car competition.

Oooh, I remember that car and the pushrod banning butthurt it caused.

novaderrik wrote: i highly doubt that taking a 500" engine out to 510" is done with a stroker crank... i'm gonna guess that you gain that extra cubic inch in each cylinder just by running a hone down thru the cylinders 5 or 6 times... so, yeah, the guy doesn't know what "stroker" means...

Engine was 488 ci, so it was taken out 22 ci. FWIW

Engine 7.998 L (488.1 cu in) V10
400 bhp (298 kW)
465 lb·ft (630 N·m)

Gearheadotaku wrote: A Vette impresses at the track, a Viper impresses at cruise night.

Not with the mail truck/industrial vacuum cleaner exhaust note, they don't.

Corvettes can at least get an impressive popcorn-popper exhaust note going on with some relatively inexpensive camshaft and exhaust system changes. $3000 exhaust system and $1500 in camwork IS cheap compared to Viper money.

sethmeister4 wrote: That crappy hood cost $8900!! If I spent that much on a hood I would be pissed if it fit like that just from "winter storage"!

The factory hood is more than double that, so it IS a crappy hood.

A friend's Viper broke loose in his enclosed trailer once, damaging the hood and a couple of panels. It was almost totaled because of it. Panels are EXPENSIVE for that car.

A guy here at work DD'd one for 6-9 months out of the year for a couple years, with a civic as his beater. He really enjoyed it, but said that the 8MPG was just unreasonable. He replaced it (and the civic) with a GTR.

pinchvalve wrote: When do we start seeing these in the pages of GRM?

It was only about a year/year and a half ago that they ran a BIG article where one of the staff (I think it was J.G.) drove one at Sebring in a viper cup race. The impression was that with the added aero it handled a lot like a more powerful miata.

(I only recall this because I was rather surprised by that....impression.)

[EDIT: I just dug through the magazine pile. It was the Dec. 2011 issue. J.G was the driver (...and author)]

When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro."

The Viper and Vette are as different as a hammer and a torque wrench. If you are blind to stigma and it's the right tool for you, It's an amazingly capable car.

racerdave600 wrote: A friend's Viper broke loose in his enclosed trailer once, damaging the hood and a couple of panels. It was almost totaled because of it. Panels are EXPENSIVE for that car.

That is why the Gen III went to a traditional hood over a clam-shell design. Maintenance is a bit harder though, but the motor comes out really easy.

To me a properly setup viper feels very close to a S2000, I know it sounds weird but it does. Mind you its a S2000 with 4 x the torque and 3 x the HP but it has a very similar feel.

Tyler H wrote: When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro." The Viper and Vette are as different as a hammer and a torque wrench. If you are blind to stigma and it's the right tool for you, It's an amazingly capable car.

I have a wide variety of cars and bikes, so am finally blind to stigma, in large part to people like you. And just so you know, people like me that drive whatever they want regardless of stigma, could care less what people like you think about our dicks.

Cotton wrote:

Tyler H wrote: When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro." The Viper and Vette are as different as a hammer and a torque wrench. If you are blind to stigma and it's the right tool for you, It's an amazingly capable car.

I have a wide variety of cars and bikes, so am finally blind to stigma, in large part to people like you. And just so you know, people like me that drive whatever they want regardless of stigma, could care less what people like you think about our dicks.

Thank you

wearymicrobe wrote: To me a properly setup viper feels very close to a S2000, I know it sounds weird but it does. Mind you its a S2000 with 4 x the torque and 3 x the HP but it has a very similar feel.

I'm not sure why people don't think they have a similar feel. The suspension has a lot in common with the S2000. miata, etc. I get the impression that the average person expects the Viper to handle like it has really bad geometry mac struts or something.

Cotton wrote:

Tyler H wrote: When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro." The Viper and Vette are as different as a hammer and a torque wrench. If you are blind to stigma and it's the right tool for you, It's an amazingly capable car.

I have a wide variety of cars and bikes, so am finally blind to stigma, in large part to people like you. And just so you know, people like me that drive whatever they want regardless of stigma, could care less what people like you think about our dicks.

Yuuuuup. The supercar stigma is right up there with the Miata stigma. Or BMW, Porsche, et al. as another poster mentioned.

Buying or avoiding a car based on what others may think of it/you is absurd. And quite common.

To answer the OP's question, I think the Viper is grassroots, particularly if you buy one and kick ass on track with it. Grassroots to me needs to have an air of taking the path less traveled, and a track monster Viper qualifies.

The also do really well at UTCS every year, so it's clearly possible to turn one into a killer.

wearymicrobe wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: A friend's Viper broke loose in his enclosed trailer once, damaging the hood and a couple of panels. It was almost totaled because of it. Panels are EXPENSIVE for that car.

That is why the Gen III went to a traditional hood over a clam-shell design. Maintenance is a bit harder though, but the motor comes out really easy. To me a properly setup viper feels very close to a S2000, I know it sounds weird but it does. Mind you its a S2000 with 4 x the torque and 3 x the HP but it has a very similar feel.

I was going to say a Miata. Similar turn in and steering feel, but coupled with a truck-like shifter. My experience is in a 2nd gen car. I wasn't all that impressed with the power considering it was supposed to have 500hp, but a lot of that I think was that it had a good suspension and worked well. In general though, I liked it. Tons of cockpit heat though, like a 60's big block muscle car.

Spinout007 wrote: Until I rode in one I agreed with the too big comment. They feel much smaller. And they need the monster steam roller rubber out back.

For some reason, Vipers look a lot bigger in photos than in person. I don't know why, but the pictures have me thinking it's the size of a Toyota Tacoma.

racerdave600 wrote:

wearymicrobe wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: A friend's Viper broke loose in his enclosed trailer once, damaging the hood and a couple of panels. It was almost totaled because of it. Panels are EXPENSIVE for that car.

That is why the Gen III went to a traditional hood over a clam-shell design. Maintenance is a bit harder though, but the motor comes out really easy. To me a properly setup viper feels very close to a S2000, I know it sounds weird but it does. Mind you its a S2000 with 4 x the torque and 3 x the HP but it has a very similar feel.

I was going to say a Miata. Similar turn in and steering feel, but coupled with a truck-like shifter. My experience is in a 2nd gen car. I wasn't all that impressed with the power considering it was supposed to have 500hp, but a lot of that I think was that it had a good suspension and worked well. In general though, I liked it. Tons of cockpit heat though, like a 60's big block muscle car.

The Gen II's are only 400ish HP at the rear wheel in stock form with some mods. Unless its got FI or major head/Cam work a gen II is not making 500 hp.

The power is very linear, easy to recover traction when you are to hot on the throttle. Consumables are pretty cheap as well except for tires, my track pads run I think 250$ for a whole set when they get offered at discount. I paid ~49$ for all four wheels for a non OEM pair. Rotors are cheapish, 200, and they last forever, plus there is always some schmuck selling their stock parts so they can put on the newest set of BBK that they have no need for.

Vipers are really tiny when you see them in person and they are parked next to something you are used to the scale of, the extremely low weight also throws some people for a loop. Merc makes 600+hp cars all day long but all of them weight 1/4-1/3 more then a viper on the best days.

Tyler H wrote: When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro."

I've never owned a Viper but I drove one once. I didn't see any particular danger to the hootus that wasn't present in other cars I've driven.

Maybe you just had a bad experience? Was it the door slammed - they are surprisingly heavy.

In reply to wearymicrobe:

"only" 400whp

Cotton wrote:

Tyler H wrote: When I see a Viper on the road, I think "Sorry about your dick, bro." The Viper and Vette are as different as a hammer and a torque wrench. If you are blind to stigma and it's the right tool for you, It's an amazingly capable car.

I have a wide variety of cars and bikes, so am finally blind to stigma, in large part to people like you. And just so you know, people like me that drive whatever they want regardless of stigma, could care less what people like you think about our dicks.

Pretty much what I was thinking. But I do appreciate people like that thinking about my dick.