corvettesa

Are you surprised that the Corvette is selling so well while the Viper struggles?

LIE2ME

You know, I really like the Viper. Almost bought a used one before I purchased my last C6. At the end of the day, the asking price for a new one is a bit more then most can afford. Add to that it STILL does not have the marketability of the 'Vette...

But I really don't want to see it go....Pretty awesome car given half a chance...

KenHorse

There's a fellow in Salem, OR who owns a high performance car shop and is really into Vipers.

A few years back, he asked if I wanted to race my '07 C6 against his Viper. I said "You bet but I get to pick the road".

He backed off

Mr Guns

I think the Viper is great. I've loved them since the gen ii gts came out, and will probably pick up a gen v pretty soon. When I bought the C7 a few months ago, it just fit the bill better than the Viper. My wife wanted to drive the car as well, and she wasn't a well seasoned manual driver, so I didn't feel comfortable with her driving the Viper. We still got a manual, but the C7 has those nanny you guys hate like hill assist, which she appreciates. The Vette would make a better daily driver if we ever wanted or needed to DD it. The Vette is a more practical car. Factor in the price, and it was a no-brainier.

Now that dealers are taking $30-40k off the sticker in the Viper, they're priced much more attractively, like they should've been from the start. SRT is also shooting themselves in the foot with their (so-far) untuneable PCM. Many Viper owners like to mod their cars, just like Corvette guys. It's a shame, since they built the motor with forged internals. Maybe they're planning on adding FI from the factory in the future, and maybe that's why sales last month were in the toilet. We know a refresh is coming for 2015, and they just released the stats on the hellcat making more power than the viper. Maybe buyers are holding off to see what's new for the '15 model.

Steve Garrett

I'm not surprised....I remember reading a story where the gentleman in charge of the Viper was dissing the C7.

Zymurgy

Not surprised C7 is outselling the Viper. What is surprising is just how poor Viper sales are:

~Stingray

They also seem to have less features than the corvette. So as a daily driver, its not that practical. Not saying the C7 is "practical" but it tends to be more comfortable, more featured, and a lot less expensive.

jcosta79

No. The Viper never sold in quantities anywhere near the Vette. And at their current price point, they will be lucky to sell any at all.

3 Z06ZR1

I think I know the place! Seems that was a while back.
I received a dyno there. He has a 4 wheel dyno jet!

There is a idiot Viper owner here too! My 2008 blown ls-3
dusted him off badly. So he stays on the gas to catch up after I had shut down. Then cut around me at triple digits almost wiping out both of us. I got back the gas trying to catch him to punch him!

mpuzach

In an absolute sense, there's a lot to like about the Viper. The problem IMO is that once you factor in price it becomes quite unattractive. I can't come up with a single reason to buy one vs. a Stingray at half the price.

jcosta79

It needs to be a $75K car.

MrGTC

Once the Z comes out and is priced competitively against the viper, there's no way SRT is going to stay quiet.

Snorman

SRT no longer exists.
S.

CORVETTEZL1001

I have owned 4 generations of vipers except the Gen V. The last being a 08 ACR. I looked at a Gen V for the first time last week and it still suffers from the same cramped cabin, hot door sills and needs more amenities like an auto trans and ventilated seats. The Viper has never been a daily driver. I think the Gen V is the best looking out of the Gens. Hopefully they can revise the car and fix some of its issues.

MrGTC

Come again?

http://www.drivesrt.com

Snorman

It was announced about a week ago. SRT will no longer be a sub brand (like Ram), but a sort of "in house tuner". It appears that Fiat is phasing out SRT.
Dodge and SRT will be consolidated.
S.

jr3

Nope,.. not surprised at all.

The Viper still looks like the same car they've made since the early 90's.

forensicsteve

I paid around $88k for my 2013 srt viper with track pack. It had a few hundred miles on it (warranty issue with rear glass). I traded my 06 coupe for it. The 06 stickered for $84k eight years ago. At around $88-90, the base srt is excellent value. No clue the price range for a C7, but you definitely pay a premium for a very very low production vehicle like the viper. I like the fact that sales are low (got me $20k off sticker) and would be quite happy if the viper production stopped. It went away in 07, 11, and 12, so it's nothing new for the car to have 0 production years.


Of course, since some years over 40,000 vettes were made and viper production has always been around 1500 or less. There will be more C7 stingrays soon than all the viper ever made since 1992 (~30,0000).

The viper was never meant to be a comfortable car. My 06 coupe and before that my 02 gts were like gokarts with a license plate. The Gen V is vastly superior as a driver and for a non-racer like me 640 naturally aspirated hp is overkill. I drive the srt almost daily (except for stormy weather), commute to work and it is more of a daily than any other 2 seater that I have owned.

Shame that the C7Z was not out when I bought the viper. Always good to have choices and what a choice that would have been!!!

Big Dan 427

Well said Steve! Until a person has owned as Viper they'll never know what it like to drive one, the car demands that you respect it and it makes the person a better driver.

No doubt they priced it too high, as you said they were never about selling volume even when it did sell very well. For you guys that have never driven one, try it if you ever get the chance but do it preferably on a track.

GOLD72

BINGO!