spidartanks

I am in process of selling my SVT Cobra Convertible and i had my eye set on a Z06 Corvette however recently i was approached for a trade (plus cash) on an 03 Dodge Viper SRT 10.

now i know that on a mustang forum ppl will tell me keep the cobra, on a viper forum they will tell me get the viper and on here "get the z06"

i was just wondering if anyone else on here had any thoughts or experiences with a Viper vs. a z06?

i will be buying used and both cars will be around the same price it seems, i feel the viper has more crowd appeal and is more eye grabbing and more powerful, but the corvette reminds me on a supercar and is bad ***.

i'm 25 and i want a car that i can have fun with and enjoy driving it, do love the convertible right now but i am willing to go hard top z06 too,

i am really really confused about this decision any advice here?

thanks

saleen556

You may want to drive both to make the decision. I have a friend with both a blown viper and a built C5 vette with nitrous. The viper is a bit loud and i don't feel as refined as the vette.

I own an 02 built saleen myself and am going to get in to a grandsport or Z06 in the near future.

Slovette2000

Im 32 and had vettes since I was 20
700+ rwhp
stock one
my latest one upper 500+s
Im selling my Z06 and leaning against a GTS 0r a 06 up coupe

I wont care what the car drives like or whatever , I want a fast RAW car viper or Z we would see

z0sicks07

z06 is faster than a 03 viper definately more refined, people complain about their corvettes interior they've obviously never been in a viper...if it were a later model viper id say go for it but not an 03 i bought my Z when i was 20 and havent traded up for anything since. hope that helps.

jeffreystar

I just made this decision:

C6 Z06 vs. 996 Turbo vs. GTS Viper

I drove them all and went with the Z06 but that was what worked for me. You have to drive all of them to know.

CrashTest

I owned an 05 Viper for 5 years prior to buying my Z06 about 3 months ago.

Viper is a beast. More like driving a raw racecar. Z06 is like driving a really fast Lexus.

Kurac

Not exactly what you are looking at, but my brother has an 01 GTS and I have a 06Z. He's let me take his car out numerous times. It's definitely pretty to look at, but when it comes to DRIVING the car, I much rather prefer the Z. It's more comfy, has more creature comforts, is fast as hell, and stops insane. Where I live the Z is rare. Even non-Vette enthusiasts come up to me and ask if the Z is some sort of special edition or something?

3LZZ06

Viper would be on my short list but it would have to be 2008 or newer.(600hp and less heat in the cabin) Even with that said it would be a tough choice. One thing to mention about the Viper that's definitely a drawback is the exhaust note, "stock exhaust sounds like ****"

Bottom line, I think heads up I would choose refinement/raw over strictly raw...Z06 for me.

Of course both cars are awesome so ultimately its your choice.

Bill Dearborn

Not sure when the Viper body style changed but I found I did not like driving one. The biggest issue was as I sat in the car holding the steering wheel my feet were displaced to the left several inches to use the three pedals. I have driven lots of different make cars over the last 55 years and that is the only one that had that peculiar driving position. Yeah, I could probably get used to it but why should I?

Bill

BSheppard

Go drive them. I have both and my wife likes the Z better and I like the Viper better. Different strokes for different folks!

Mr. Gizmo

I was on the fence last year (august 2009) with this exact decision. Looking at a brand new left over 2008 600 hp viper coupe for 72k, 2009 zr1(which dealers were not so generous with discounts at that time) or a 2009 z06(which i bought for 20k off sticker brand new).

Drove the Viper and it was very cool but felt a little kit-carish to me and the side pipe exhaust note was terrible. I also thought the c6 Z's were a little more modern looking. I decided on the z06 over the zr1, as i thought it was a little cleaner looking without the 2 tone carbon fiber and plastic see through hood, and the deal on the z06 was sweet.

I think the vipers will probably hold their value a little better. less made.

AbsolutHank

I started looking at the Viper since the Z didn't have any open-air options, and ultimately got the Viper. I know everyone compares the two, but they are truly night and day. The Viper has alot of little issues to deal with, but if you understand the Viper, they won't matter.

I've always felt that if you have to ask which is for you, you'll ultimately prefer the Z06 better.

I love the Viper, at this point in my life. I can certainly see myself in the future happily getting back into a Vette, but for me, right now, the Viper and its unique ownership experience is just right

Mine is for sale btw...upgrading to a newer model

GMuffley

molon labe

i've owned a couple of each. the Vipers and SRT-10 truck were a blast to drive and own, but so are the vettes. i currently own an 09 Z06 and love it. in fact, i traded in an SRT-10 to get it. the deciding factor for me on this last purchase and trade-in was the horrible customer service from Dodge. my front shocks and steering half-shaft needed to be replaced at about 10k miles (and still on the original 3/36 warranty!). all of the parts were on national back order. dealer told me they didn't know when or if they would ever be able to get the parts. so i called Dodge, and they completely blew me off and told me there was nothing they could do for me. when i mentioned that it was still on the original 3/36 warranty, Dodge told me that it didn't matter and sent me back to the dealer. the dealer told me to come get my broken SRT and have it towed back home. to make a long story short, i eventually got it fixed and traded it in ASAP.

Z06-1

i drove my friends 03 viper , it was nice ,fast as ***** but it feels like yr driving a hot rod , too much heat in the cabin,felt clostofobic in there,the interior was lame , no traction control i had the car going sideways in third gear ,imo its not as refined as a z06 plus im not a fan of tacking an 8.0 TRUCK MOTOR AND DROPPING IT IN THE VIPER. DODGE SHOULD OF BUILT THAT MOTOR STRICTLY FOR THAT CAR ,LIKE THE Z06 AND HAND MADE.BUT I DO LOVE THE RAW POWER OF THAT CAR ......IF YOU DO GET THE VIPER GOOD LUCK WITH ITS A SEXY LOOKING CAR .

molon labe

a few other things to consider ....

* the Gen IV is the only one i'd get, due to the updates, refinements, increased power.

* Dodge ceased production of the Viper for good on July 2010. that means parts are going to be harder and harder to come by because Dodge is going to stop making and sourcing them, and so will their suppliers. it's such a low production vehicle too that parts will likely become VERY hard to find in the future.

* the Gen I and II, in my opinion, were the most distinctive, head-turning generations of vipers. the gen III and IV are a bit more generic looking and are not distinctive.

* you could get a late model low miles Z06 for $20k cheaper than a good used viper.

* lots more aftermarket parts and tuners for the corvettes / Z06, and the vette tax isn't quite as bad as the viper tax.

* the Z06 surprisingly turns alot of heads and gets alot of compliments. my Gen I and Gen II vipers also got tons of compliments. the SRT-10 Ram hardly ever got any notice. my Z06 though, for some crazy reason, gets compliments EVERY time i leave the house, and i usually catch at least one person daily taking pictures of it.

* and finally, the Z06 is much better for sex. a girl can comfortably lean over and give you "oral pleasure". also, the hood of the vette can definitely hold 250 lbs of repeated thrusting for at least 30 minutes. i doubt you'd want to risk damaging a $15,000 viper hood.

blaine123

Haven't heard too many good stories with GM service either.....

I went through the same decision process when I sold my GT500....

VIPER or C6 Z06? I did research on the two for over a month.

Both are awesome cars. I'd own both if I could. Z06 would be the car to choose if your gonna daily driver it. If you want a Viper I'd go for the Coupe if you want to take more than a small purse with you anywhere you go.

Do a bunch of research on the two. Read up on the Viper Forums.
There is a lot of good information there.

The unpredictable nature of the VIPER is what kept me away...

"Its not IF you'll wreck your viper... Its just a matter of when."

blackvetterzo6

Great post, but the 15K hood was on the Gen 1 and 2 cars. But i like the thrust comparison LOL.

spidartanks

That's it...the sex analogy on the hood of the car SOLD me! i'll take the vette! haha

for serious though, good information! i never knew the viper was done production 2010 for good!

perhaps that would make it a car to hold its value more too!? i know for right now im looking at mid 40's for a used 03-05 Viper (canadian $$) and i'll be around the same for a used Vette. and for some reason it is a lot HARDER to find a used vette than a Viper!

i was under the influence there was only 3 gens for the viper too, not 4! getting alittle off topic here, it seems that the viper is respected amongst even vette enthusiasts so that's a good thing to note. lol

i LOVE the look of the viper, if i get one, it WILL be black Convertible, and if i get the z06 it WILL be black also!

DaOtherOne

It's not the thrust that's the issue it's the torque that will damage the hood