I drove a viper once and wasn't really impressed. I didn't fit very well compared to the FD and the pedals were also somehting that bothered me. I still haven't found a car that i like the styling of better than the FD (except for a few products from our friends in italy).

Vipers also lack a lot of creature comforts. The A/C is undersized and keeping cool is nearly impossible. Contrary to what others have said, after driving an FD the viper feels Very much heavier.

Having said all of that, no matter what car forum you go to, or what car you own, the pinnacle of "racing stories" or the benchmark on which many modded cars are measured is how they fair against a viper, and with a little laughing gas i'm sure they are a beast.

 

only 404 hp with a T-78, with all that lag?

put some BNRs on that baby!

 

i sooo feel you! GOd damn kid who don't know what they're doing! grRr (i'm 16 ) but y a viper? y not a modena? i pulled up on one today and just looked over and he was like shaking his head smiling, as if laughing at me saying in his head don't even think about it. haha but yea... #$% the viper! hahah

 

lag isn't too bad, just gotta be in the right gear. 404rwhp was only at 6400rpm, but fuel pump couldn't keep up and it was leaning out, so its easily capable of much more power with enough fuel if taken up the redline, power was increasing steady to that point.

 

The late model GTS's are very nice. You will probably never have doubts about making that switch if you can handle the financials for the car. People turn their heads at an FD, but for a Viper, its even better. The only thing I'd warn you about is the drivability of the thing. Makes you feel like you're trying to park something else besides a car when you go places, and the amount of gas it eats will cost you investments that shouldn't be made more than once a week. Deffinitely not a daily driver unless you don't have to drive much and fuel is a dollar a gallon. The car can do incredible things and once you learn to drive it, its downright badass, but it does take work to do and if you were to get back in an FD, it would feel so easy to toss around.

 

Frankly, if you are concerned about mystique, or class I can't understand why you would ever consider a Viper. To me, the viper is huge horsepower without the rest of the package to make it useable. And the sidepipes make the interior heat impressive, even with AC. You don't like the NSX (which I think is pretty cool, although I will never afford one). What about a Lotus Esprit? They are very similar to the RX7 concept but faster and cheaper than a viper?

 

Go for a Lotus, I'd love to have one of those. On a side not, I picked up my FD for 6K about a week after I turned 18 Found it by chance too, what luck

 

Id go for a viper if i could afford one, why not. the only thing is, if you can afford a viper, you should be able to afford the FD as well

BTW: Are vipers that hard to work on (engine wise)? Obviously parts will cost expensive but are there special tools you need to buy?

 

working on a viper, hard...no. it just an eninge sitting in an engine bay. there is more than plenty of room to work in there. the rx7 is pretty cramped. the viper you would be able to drive and not have to worry about changing fuel ratios, maps, etc... there is honestly less to worry about. hmmmm, you would also have tires in the rear that all of us 7 guys wish we could put back there. 18x13's in the rear. our rear tires are usually smaller than the front tires too, 18x10 in the front.
kris

 

why not a lotus elise...1700 lbs. can't beat that

 

Why not a import a euro car and try to make it legal and etc etc. Can't get an Elise, an Esprit is expensive and expensive to fix and dun tun dun not reliable! The only car I can reasonably afford is the viper but not both cars.

 

nope, they are bring a US version over.

http://www.lotuscars.com/elise_announcement.html

"Group Lotus PLC and its subsidiary Lotus Cars U.S.A. Inc. will expand Lotus' presence in the U.S. market with the introduction of a U.S.A. specific version of the world-acclaimed Elise and a future product strategy that will include a new family of exciting models over the next few years.

U.S. sales of the 2005 Elise are scheduled to begin in mid 2004. The "Federal" Elise will retain the benchmark performance, handling and dynamics that have proven so popular in the U.K. and Europe but at the same time complying with U.S. regulations

The recipient of numerous industry awards and accolades for design, performance, drivability and handling, the Elise is constructed around a strong, rigid, yet lightweight extruded and bonded aluminum chassis. Consistent with the Lotus design philosophy of achieving performance and efficiency through light weight, this high tech chassis weighing less than 150 lbs allows for a complete vehicle weight of approximately 1700lbs (current European specification).

 

The Viper engine was NOT designed for a truck. NONE of the parts from either engine are the same. All they really share is the displacement.

Anyway, My dad owns a '97 GTS and I can tell you from driving both that it will easily smoke my R-1. It is a heavier car but it feels quite light. The grip is unreal. The tire size is 275 on the FRONT. With a few more mods I could keep up, but the thing is I need to drop a few thousand to keep up with a stock car. My dad can consistently run low 12's in the 1/4 mile in the Viper with stock tires on it. The only mod he has is a SS catback that he actually made himself because of the high price of aftermarket parts. The best 1/4 I ran in my R-1 was a mid 13.

 

i'm pretty sure the viper engine is based on their truck engine. the parts may not be shared, but it was based on the trunk engine.

 

Trust me, it was not.

 

Ya, that is about correct, a stock Viper will consistantly turn low 12s and about 117mph in the 1/4 mile on street tires.

There are tons of single turbo FDs that will beat these times and cost a lot less than a Viper.

I bet once you drive a Viper like you are interested in you will stick with your FD and maybe soup it up. Either through single turbo or drop a 500bhp Chev V8 and a T56 into it ala JIMLAB.

Either one of those combos will wax a stock or lightly modded Viper.

Ken

 

You know, if I had 40K, and didn't want my FD, I'd wait for the Elises once Lotus starts bringing them in next year! 1700 lbs!!!!

I see ttb beat me to this recommendation. At least he knows what is happening, and has had his first wet dream and isn't thinking about Modenas...

 

Well i went from an FD to a C5, then to a Viper GTS(wrecked it) then an Audi S4....now guess what? I'm getting another FD

There is just no car that can match an FD, especially a heavily modified one, it is an all-around knockout. I do know what you mean saying that it is losing it's mystique, while Supra's still go for $30k+ ours are stumbling under $20k....and yes all these younger kids get them, jack up the boost and throw a bunch of cheap parts on them....it sucks, flat out sucks.

If i were you, i would drive a Viper, hell just sit in one, and you'll know if the car is for you or not. They are the most uncomfortable car ever, there is no room, there isn't even a foot rest for your left foot, you better learn how to drive with 2 feet fast. The visibility is **** poor, and that was the one thing i hated about the car, ther window is so tiny, the nose is so long, and the back end sets up high, so you can't see ****. Also for a $70k car, the interior is soooo cheap, it's pathetic, but hey, it's meant to be a track car.

The Viper is not really a car you want to drive everyday, it was built to be a factory racer, and that's what it does best. It is fast, brutally powerful, and corners like it's on rails....but it still doesn't have the 'go-kart' feel the FD has. Light, nimble...quick.

 

But the Elise is one and a half years off and has been yanked before.Plus it is a little tiny for me. I was looking at the new Supra that is supposed to be on it's way too, but when?
There will NEVER be a V or I anything in my RX7, and it's pretty fast now.
This is the car by the way.

 

I would stick with the FD. I have both driven and raced a stock Viper. The drive I was impressed with but this was before I really started modding my FD. With a fmic, dp, cb, pfc, and intake with full suspension. We started through some turns on a back road and I destroyed him and waited for him once I got to a straight. Then we took off again. I wasn't pulling on him to bad but he never caught me. Vipers and RX7s are my two favorite cars. If you want something more flashy then get the Viper cause it is still damn fast. But I would keep the 7.

 

I think some people are missing the point. He's not saying he wants a Viper for performance reasons. He wants a Viper because the price tag will distance him from the "Fast and the Furious" crowd that now owns third gen. RX-7s.

The third gen. used to enjoy semi-elite status as garaged, pampered 2nd or 3rd cars for the professional workforce. Now many of them are cheap, beat-down daily drivers for kids that a few years ago would have been driving used Civics instead.

I can sympathize with Donovan completely. To be perfectly honest, if I hadn't decided to transform my RX-7 into what I wanted, I more than likely would have sold it a long time ago, at least partially for the same reason.

 

*perk* Did i hear my name? Howdy there Mark

Donovan, i own a 2000 RT-10 and a 93 CYM R1. Both are bone stock, therefore a direct comparison between the two will hold water. If you have a specific question about the Viper, please ask and i will be glad to answer any questions you may have. I'm not sure exactly what it is you are looking for in respect to the Viper vs. RX7, might you be a little more specific?

Darril

 

bwaahahahahha that's great stuff...Personally I don't care much for Uhmericun cars but if I were to get one it would be the Viper....But then again a 3k exhaust aint my thing either

 

You guys talk about how snotty Viper and other exotic owners are but you sit here and trash anyone who's not a professional w/ 2-3 cars who owns a 7. I'm 20yr old and am going to have to struggle to pay the $15-20k tag that's on a FD now between school and opening up and internet/gaming cafe. I'm going to have to use it as a daily driver b/c I can't afford 2-3 cars sorry if I'm not "professional" enough for this car. You can't just assume that every person under 35-40 is going to trash their car just b/c they can afford it now. Some people actually really apreciate the fact that they can actually now get a real sports car instead of having to buy a ghey *** civic. I plan on babying the crap outa my car once I get it (god knows when it will be though ). So don't always jump to judgements just due to peoples age and don't get so high and mighty about being in an elite group some of us young people love and respect cars too. And for once I actually see having a nice car I enjoy driving and learning about in my reach so don't knock us all please. Oh and by the way I hate PEOPLE that rice and rag their cars too not just teens.

 

If you could afford it, go for it. Make sure it's yellow with black stripes or blue with white stripes though....Those combinations kick ***