Viper vs. ZO6

[whirlyone]

I just checked out the new viper coupe and zo6 Vette. Are any of you Viper enthusiasts disappointed about the new zo6 outperform the viper in every category, while being $21,000 less? The vette is more comfy, has better handling, and more acceleration. Is dodge going to do anything about their pricey badboy being put in second place by a much cheaper machine? I've always favored in the viper's cosmetics. But now its a toss-up with the new vette's look. I'd like to see the viper come back to be ontop of american muscle (exception of the exotics: saleen S7, ford GT).

[dust]

The Viper is still a great vehicle. I doubt they'll change the Viper at all to compare to the 'Vette's price. A Viper is a Viper; overpowered and high quality.

MAYBE, big MAYBE, they'll reconsider the Venom again.

[whirlyone]

I wouldn't think they'd change the viper's price, just the performance. And i'd bet the vette is just as high quality.

[dust]

What is the static/dynamic compression ratio of the Viper and Z06?

If I remember correctly, the Viper has lower static compression and can go up at least a point and still run on pump gas.

[custom880]

The boys at Dodge to notice when the Z06 beat the Viper (just barely) at a much cheaper price tag. The Vette is underpriced and GM loses money on each one, but since it is a very low volume car they can deal with it. The Viper has been taken off line for one year to be retrofitted for better performance. The big boys at DC just plain didn't like the fact that the Domestic king of the street was beaten out by a Vette. They are saying that when the Viper comes back next year it will sport somewhere around 600 RWHP a better suspension and quicker response. No enegine changes just beefing up the V10. The Germans pride themselves on performance and don't like to see things like this.
There are also rumors of a Super Hemi. Some sick and twisted street version mega block that will get over 700 HP. Just a rumor but I have heard it three times now from different sources. They are talking about stuffing one into a super coup that will be a Chrysler performance car.

[dust]

Originally Posted by custom880

The Vette is underpriced and GM loses money on each one, but since it is a very low volume car they can deal with it.

Not surprising, I somehow knew that.

Originally Posted by custom880

They are saying that when the Viper comes back next year it will sport somewhere around 600 RWHP a better suspension and quicker response. No enegine changes just beefing up the V10.

I said that to a guy here at work that the new Viper is expected to have around 600 HP. He told me about when he saw the new Viper prototype on Speed channel try to 0-60. The thing would not hook up in 1st and 2nd, just smoking the tires.

[Frank]

The cars are pretty close. DCX would need to do a ton of stuff to justify a 21,000.00 difference. 600rwhp isn't enough to justify that difference.

Pricing, resale value, collectability, aftermarket support, history, and even prestige (blood line), all belong to the 'Vette. A couple of tenths of a second on a controlled circuit have little to do with overall sales. Peak performance is a great sell point, but few viper and vette owners ever push their cars to their limits.
There are things that the Viper has going for it too. Appearance, exclusivity, brute power, and a certain Sparten appeal. The V10 isn't being strained, at 500hp, so there is room for more power.
DCX can cut their "PROFIT", get closer to the Vettes pricing, and not worry about the performance difference. Lowering the price will put more Vipers in more garages, than another 100 horses will.

[John Kunkel]

Performance isn't the only reason to buy a Viper, around here there isn't a day goes by that I don't see a half-dozen Vettes while driving around town.

In the last two years I've only seen two other Vipers on the road.

[whirlyone]

I was compairing stock vehicles here. I'm sure both engines are not being strained at all at 500hp. Just as the 505c.i. viper, the vettes 427c.i. can easily handle much more power. I've read reports of the '03-04 mustang cobra's 281c.i. safely handle 900+hp with stock block and heads. I can only imagine the power potentials of these bigger brutes.

I agree that performance is not the main selling point of these cars.
And its always much nicer to drive up next to a viper.