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Posted: 4/14/2022 4:14:06 PM EDT
[#1]
Most people I know of view it as an exotic. It’s an oddball for sure. Power. Hand assembled. Limited release. There are more vettes made in one year than all vipers of all years combined. It was a relatively affordable at one point but the prices are climbing fast.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:01:23 PM EDT
[#2]
Vtec strikes again.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:08:40 PM EDT
[#3]
These things are the ultimate "fuck your nanny state" machines. They sent the safety man out to lunch with the insurance people and built an insanity machine while they were gone. These things have ABS and that's about it. None of that horsepower robbing stability control bullshit!
 Not who I expected to climb out of that car at the end. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:12:47 PM EDT
[#4]
Damn. He lived
Darwin misses another |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:13:49 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: IIRC the main goal was zero to 100 and back to zero in the shortest time possible. If they could have eliminated the brakes to save weight they would have. That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:28:31 PM EDT
[#6]
Thank God he spared the Caravan
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:30:05 PM EDT
[#7]
I had a friend back in the day who owned two. One was a convertible. His wife divorced him because she said he'd never amount to anything, then his little business hit it big and he fucking rubbed it in her face.
I rode with him once. If you're familiar with Dallas, we were at a bar on Skilman and we pulled out of the parking lot and he just gave it a little throttle. He broke the rear end broke loose on purpose and we're spinning around, drifting in the middle of Skilman. Then we get on Central and head north. Some kid in a pos fox body mustang with a supercharger wants to race us on Central. My friend doesn't even downshift and we blow the mustang away like it was standing still. We were at 155 before he decided to slow it down. It was fucking crazy on Central with all the traffic. I didn't take anymore rides with him. Just so much power to the wheels, it's easy to see how the guy in the video lost it. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:30:05 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Most people I know of view it as an exotic. It’s an oddball for sure. Power. Hand assembled. Limited release. There are more vettes made in one year than all vipers of all years combined. It was a relatively affordable at one point but the prices are climbing fast. .... And there is one less now. Yep, you gotta tame the back end on these, lots of torque and it WILL get away from you if you aren't controlling it. A guy used to autox one of these, described it like driving with an egg under the pedal that keeps changing sizes. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:37:15 PM EDT
[#9]
Years ago I was driving along a rural UK road when I came across a Viper parked up on a grass verge. Not something you see every day so I went back to check it out and found a woman sat in it. As we talked I realised there was another Viper there, only this one was upside down in a field about 30yds away. Turns out the lady and her partner had been delivering the pair when he managed to do something stupid, left the road, cleared a low stone wall and ended up in the field. I was impressed..
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:43:02 PM EDT
[#10]
The front fell off.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 5:44:43 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: .... And there is one less now. Yep, you gotta tame the back end on these, lots of torque and it WILL get away from you if you aren't controlling it. A guy used to autox one of these, described it like driving with an egg under the pedal that keeps changing sizes. I’m very aware. I’ve had a few close calls. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:00:13 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This has been a hot topic since the beginning. In a lot of ways, the Viper “seems” exotic. The performance (contemporary to any models year) was certainly there. The looks are there. The price, not so much. The exclusivity….that’s a tough one because the answer is “sort of?” If we look at it in terms of “it was an alternative to the corvette they never really succeeded at that”. It isn’t very exotic. Corvettes are awesome, but they are anything but exotic or exclusive. (And in many peoples minds, that is what people see the Viper as…the “other” American sports car) If we look at it in terms of it being designed to be an value alternative to some of the best performance exotics in the world, it could go either way. Is it the budget exotic or is it the non exotic car that slays exotics? From a technological standpoint, it doesn’t bring much to the table. It is the old schools formula of cramming the biggest engine around into a small, simple car. Exotics tend to be technological marvels. There is also the reality of the dealer experience. Exotic cars tend to have pretty 1st class dealer experiences. (Even if the dealer is really small). The Viper is a Dodge. There is nothing interesting about a Dodge dealership. At the end of the day, some folks think they are exotic. They certainly get grouped together with exotics at events. While vettes are usually grouped in with pony cars and the like. ((Broad statement, far from absolute, but anyone who does enough car stuff in multiple places knows this is true). I have had several. I never really saw them as exotic. Quote HistoryQuoted: This has been a hot topic since the beginning. In a lot of ways, the Viper “seems” exotic. The performance (contemporary to any models year) was certainly there. The looks are there. The price, not so much. The exclusivity….that’s a tough one because the answer is “sort of?” If we look at it in terms of “it was an alternative to the corvette they never really succeeded at that”. It isn’t very exotic. Corvettes are awesome, but they are anything but exotic or exclusive. (And in many peoples minds, that is what people see the Viper as…the “other” American sports car) If we look at it in terms of it being designed to be an value alternative to some of the best performance exotics in the world, it could go either way. Is it the budget exotic or is it the non exotic car that slays exotics? From a technological standpoint, it doesn’t bring much to the table. It is the old schools formula of cramming the biggest engine around into a small, simple car. Exotics tend to be technological marvels. There is also the reality of the dealer experience. Exotic cars tend to have pretty 1st class dealer experiences. (Even if the dealer is really small). The Viper is a Dodge. There is nothing interesting about a Dodge dealership. At the end of the day, some folks think they are exotic. They certainly get grouped together with exotics at events. While vettes are usually grouped in with pony cars and the like. ((Broad statement, far from absolute, but anyone who does enough car stuff in multiple places knows this is true). I have had several. I never really saw them as exotic. thanks for replying.. it was your post I was addressing, but this is an interesting question I've thought about before. you make alotta good points... I for sure think the biggest ding against is it's a fuggin' Dodge and that's where you're doing business, within the warrantied life anyway... not exactly an inspiring or ego stroking atmosphere.. I do get the price argument, but personally feel like end product kinda carries more weight here and the Viper is definitely relatively exclusive in fact if not in price... IMO the very thing that makes the Corvette not exotic is there's one at every intersection, that and the styling while handsome isn't anything special... the Viper is uniquely beautiful and sexy and really holds it's own there... also feel like having a unique engine rather than dropping in something already in production helps the argument... from what I understand Lamborghini(owned by Chrysler at the time) helped develop that engine... I'm guessing largely because Lamborghini has lots of experience with large aluminum castings, but nonetheless a nice entry for the footnotes... as is Shelby's involvement and a solid racing pedigree. I'm just sharing some thoughts here, I'm no expert but it's a fun exercise... neat that you've owned them  Quoted: Most people I know of view it as an exotic. It’s an oddball for sure. Power. Hand assembled. Limited release. There are more vettes made in one year than all vipers of all years combined. It was a relatively affordable at one point but the prices are climbing fast. yeah, I agree |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:01:06 PM EDT
[#13]
I think I've maybe seen 2-3 Vipers in my entire life in the wild
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:06:09 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think I've maybe seen 2-3 Vipers in my entire life in the wild Really? How we do traffic in Houston:  Attached File |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:29:26 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Really? How we do traffic in Houston: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/96732/465DC133-E7F5-4A40-9990-72738B566B24_jpe-2349084.JPG Nice |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:33:12 PM EDT
[#16]
Mines relatively well known in town. It gets driven.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:35:01 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Sadly it’s a huge problem with viper owners. Tires get old and hard. Some cars literally only go out for a few hundred miles a year. Then they have 15 year old tires on them. Pretty sure my tires are getting aged about at only 5 years. PZeros tend to get hard fast. I do have a spare set to put on soon that are newer and 0 miles. Here’s a write up from someone in the viper community that knows what’s what. Sorry for the wall of text. But worth reading for any sports car owner. I had an old coworker wreck both a 70s Camaro and a 80s Fiero in the same month because both were running OEM tires. Both times he flew off an interstate on ramp. "I dunno what happened the tread looked fine!" |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:40:40 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: IIRC the main goal was zero to 100 and back to zero in the shortest time possible. If they could have eliminated the brakes to save weight they would have. That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... "What'chu talkin 'bout Willis?". This old guy had no problem getting back to zero without brakes.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:48:00 PM EDT
[#19]
Drunk drivers and street racers are fucking cocksuckers.
I hope the prick learned his lesson. Too bad we don't see the fucker getting arrested. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:48:53 PM EDT
[#20]
Knew a guy who died in his Viper. Was crossing a highway and got Tboned in the passenger side by an SUV. DRT.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:50:22 PM EDT
[#21]
Ram Tough
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Posted: 4/14/2022 6:54:07 PM EDT
[#22]
Well what do you expect when you design a car to look like a clown shoe
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:09:19 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: "What'chu talkin 'bout Willis?". This old guy had no problem getting back to zero without brakes. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: IIRC the main goal was zero to 100 and back to zero in the shortest time possible. If they could have eliminated the brakes to save weight they would have. That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... "What'chu talkin 'bout Willis?". This old guy had no problem getting back to zero without brakes. 
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:16:12 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well what do you expect when you design a car to look like a clown shoe Clown shoe you say… 
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:20:06 PM EDT
[#25]
 |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:40:04 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not when engaging in an illegal speed contest. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: And guess what. Insurance won’t pay for it…. Wrong, that's what comprehensive is for.  Not when engaging in an illegal speed contest. My sister in law ignored road closed signs, drove around the offset barricades and through freshly poured road concrete. 100 percent at fault, the only excuse is illiteracy or not being able to read the language posted. It was posted in English and she reads quite well. Not only did insurance pay out for that, they went after the COUNTY for not having the road completely blocked instead of just marked. Insurance covers a lot of stupidity. They'll most likely drop the guy after, but they'll probably cover the car. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:41:37 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: IIRC the main goal was zero to 100 and back to zero in the shortest time possible. If they could have eliminated the brakes to save weight they would have. That would have made back to zero a bit more difficult... Yes it would, and it's part of why they couldn't(obvious safety reasons aside). 
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:46:08 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Leno had a garage show on his a couplea years ago... one a those clamshell hoods is like 25k https://i0.wp.com/hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Viper.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 the hood cost was my first thought. I think they have the distinction as having the most expensive hood of any production vehicle. Not only that, but they are a nightmare to get lined up correctly when a new one is installed from what I've heard. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:47:15 PM EDT
[#29]
Cold tires.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:48:38 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Drunk drivers and street racers are fucking cocksuckers. I hope the prick learned his lesson. Too bad we don't see the fucker getting arrested. The ricer was probably smoking weed!! |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 7:52:08 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I did that with 800hp on cold tires a little more than a month ago. But I kinda know how to drive. Put a little English into the wheel and kept her straight. 4 out of 5 'sYou know that guy never learned to "Pedal" a high-powered car. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:04:18 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Looks expensive My question is: if you have a Viper, why lower yourself to racing some clapped out piece of ricer shit? I'LL BET IT WASN'T CHEAP!! |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:04:26 PM EDT
[#33]
Imagine totaling your Viper while flexing on an Integra.
 What an idiot. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:14:00 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: How about BMW then? The standard 4cyl M3 was making almost 100hp/l in 1991. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Meanwhile in 1992 Porsche was putting pretty much the same power to the ground with a 3.6L 6cyl. I like the sketchy early cars, I find the lack of refinement endearing. Derp comment is derp. Only with the help of a turbo... Nothing from a factory in the 90s was doing 450+hp naturally aspirated unless you had the displacement. Coevette ZR1s barely made 400+ from 5.7liters with a DOHC. Compared to 500+ all day every day from lower displacement engines of today. How about BMW then? The standard 4cyl M3 was making almost 100hp/l in 1991. My 98 M E36 with some tuning was cranking out 330HP and would/could get away fast, but the Viper was another beast. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:16:28 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Imagine losing a race to a piece of shit four cylinder with no hood, and wrecking your Viper too. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:20:07 PM EDT
[#36]
I've seen more wrecked Vipers than any in one piece.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 8:52:52 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Car in the op has less horse power than a C5 Corvette with a cam swap or a C5 Z06 , but a C5 is a much more forgiving car . The point I made isn't refuted by any of the foregoing.  Jean shorts, white sneakers, Corvette T-shirt, white goatee, sunglasses. 
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:07:14 PM EDT
[#38]
Cool crash. Unimpressed by the Viper. less impressed with skills of driver, or lack of skills.
Sold my 911 turbo because I couldn't keep my foot out of the floor. WAY too many nights doing 200+mph on an empty highway. Eventually your luck will run out. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:12:19 PM EDT
[#39]
 2000 Viper GTS BIG CAM!! |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:22:48 PM EDT
[#40]
lol...
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:25:12 PM EDT
[#41]
I will never forgive dodge for not making the viper a v-12. Stupid v10 sounds like a ups truck.
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:33:16 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I think I've maybe seen 2-3 Vipers in my entire life in the wild There's two in Juneau Alaska if I remember right. One bright yellow one and one blue with white stripes. I knew the owner of the yellow one and he kept joking about racing me on my bike if he saw me out and about. We finally ended up at a light together and he scared his coworker that was riding shotgun that had no idea we had made a pact I'll never forget looking in my rearview and seeing that Viper totally sideways followed by it screaming past me shortly thereafter. When I talked to him later he said my bike was so loud he couldn't hear his car and it messed him up a bit |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:43:17 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I will never forgive dodge for not making the viper a v-12. Stupid v10 sounds like a ups truck. So right.  03 21 21 catching up |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 9:56:07 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: These things are the ultimate "fuck your nanny state" machines. They sent the safety man out to lunch with the insurance people and built an insanity machine while they were gone. These things have ABS and that's about it. None of that horsepower robbing stability control bullshit! Not who I expected to climb out of that car at the end. @kells81 May I use this as sigline material? 
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Posted: 4/14/2022 10:29:19 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: My sister in law ignored road closed signs, drove around the offset barricades and through freshly poured road concrete. 100 percent at fault, the only excuse is illiteracy or not being able to read the language posted. It was posted in English and she reads quite well. Not only did insurance pay out for that, they went after the COUNTY for not having the road completely blocked instead of just marked. Insurance covers a lot of stupidity. They'll most likely drop the guy after, but they'll probably cover the car. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: And guess what. Insurance won’t pay for it…. Wrong, that's what comprehensive is for. Not when engaging in an illegal speed contest. My sister in law ignored road closed signs, drove around the offset barricades and through freshly poured road concrete. 100 percent at fault, the only excuse is illiteracy or not being able to read the language posted. It was posted in English and she reads quite well. Not only did insurance pay out for that, they went after the COUNTY for not having the road completely blocked instead of just marked. Insurance covers a lot of stupidity. They'll most likely drop the guy after, but they'll probably cover the car. Nope, illegal acts are excluded in GA policies….likely all policies. If he lies its fraud…a crime |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 10:37:45 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I will never forgive dodge for not making the viper a v-12. Stupid v10 sounds like a ups truck. V10s inherently sound badass. The only issue one could have with a viper V10 sound wise is they just don't rev enough to really give you that V10 awesomeness. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 10:53:32 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’ll take “Things that Never Happened” for $200 Alex Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Looks expensive My question is: if you have a Viper, why lower yourself to racing some clapped out piece of ricer shit? Ditto. Also, this generation of Vipers were known to be lethal. I'm not sure if it was this exact one, but many of the early ones were bought back by Dodge because they were not up to safety standards and people were dieing. They were made for the track, not cruising the roads. I’ll take “Things that Never Happened” for $200 Alex I have accidentally broken the rear wheels loose on a '97 Viper GTS (at least, I think it was one of the Plus models over the base Viper). Chrysler was junketing that model year to a bunch of journalists, and the whole event was based at our hotel. The journalists were supposed to bring the Vipers back to the Dodge kiosk in our parking lot when they were done for the night, not the valet station at the front of the hotel. Where I was. It happened a few times. The time the tires broke loose, the aggregate front driveway had gotten wet, and wet aggregate is not the stickiest of substances. Gently blipped the throttle in first gear, the tires spun, the car twitched and yawed, and I caught it. Mainly because I was only doing 5 MPH or so. No torque steer involved. As it turned out that model could go a lot faster in our parking lot... Stops about as well as it got up and went, too. Amazing car. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 11:04:19 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I butchered it a bit, its been a long time since I read about it. https://www.motortrend.com/news/chrysler-ordering-pre-production-1992-dodge-vipers-be-destroyed/ There is a lot of stuff online saying over 50% of the early models were totaled out. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I’ll take “Things that Never Happened” for $200 Alex I butchered it a bit, its been a long time since I read about it. https://www.motortrend.com/news/chrysler-ordering-pre-production-1992-dodge-vipers-be-destroyed/ There is a lot of stuff online saying over 50% of the early models were totaled out. That’s an article saying cars that were loaned to tech schools have to be destroyed |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 11:09:13 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted: V10s inherently sound badass. The only issue one could have with a viper V10 sound wise is they just don't rev enough to really give you that V10 awesomeness. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I will never forgive dodge for not making the viper a v-12. Stupid v10 sounds like a ups truck. V10s inherently sound badass. The only issue one could have with a viper V10 sound wise is they just don't rev enough to really give you that V10 awesomeness. I don't care for the sound of most V10s, but I love the Viper sound. |
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Posted: 4/14/2022 11:17:54 PM EDT
[#50]
My realtor made crazy bank and had his 2010 Viper twin turboed. Wrecked it leaving the turbo place.
Sold it and bought a Murcilago. |
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