Finishing the Year With a Bang - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term Road Test

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Finishing the Year With a Bang - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term Road Test

I spent the holidays in our long-term 2015 Dodge Viper GT and it to be loud, hot, stiff, and almost impossible to see out of. Then I remembered that I didn't get into this business just to drive crossovers.

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subatomic

Excellent post. I really enjoyed reading it. The Viper has its flaws and critics, but I still think it was a fun and outrageous addition to the long-term fleet. It's been said time and again that the Viper sounds like a UPS truck. I can only speak for myself. I think the sound of a UPS truck is ominous and powerful. It won't be mistaken for a typical car.

daryleason

This was a nice post. It wasn't about a specific aspect of the vehicle...no long diatribe comparing the console latch with another car's latch, etc. It was a simple, "this is what I experienced in a holistic way" post that did well conveying how you feel about a car. It's honestly refreshing. Sometimes, the numbers (whether performance, cost, dimensions, whatever) don't matter near as much as how the vehicle suits you.
I have a few different vehicles. In my immediate family, we have a 2013 Ford F-150 SuperCrew XLT (the "Family Car"), 2005 Chevy Impala LS Police Interceptor (I bought it for my Mother-In-Law...she needed something that could handle her abuse), 1991 F-150 4x4 (the Wife's Departed Father's truck), and my 1989 Chevy Suburban 4x4. Of all those vehicles, my favorite is the Suburban. I know that the F-150 SuperCrew will out-perform the Suburban in every substantial way. Value, Fuel Economy, towing capacity, features, etc. The Suburban is probably the least practical vehicle I own. But I love it. To be honest, with the exception of my wife's F-150's sentimental value due to her dad, the Suburban would be the last vehicle I'd sell or trade.

No matter what the numbers say, the Suburban fits me best, at least personality wise.

By the way, congratulations on finding a career that let's you play with cars and then write about them. You're off to a great start. However, don't pass on the Yugo next time, its quickly becoming my favorite.

defyant15

Loved the post as well. I could almost feel the sense of speed you described so well, and the heft of the controls. Not a car for me, but glad it exists. A true beast. One of a kind and a giant middle finger to playstation cars like the GTR.

cobryson

Finally, someone who gets that your job is probably a dream to most of us readers. Well written, and a great post Reese!

f15driver

I have had my 94 rt10 since 2001, and will NEVER sell it. Yes, it has it's faults, but 15 years later, it still excites me every time I drive it. Watching the emissions employees fight over who gets to drive it for the static test or seeing little kids put down their car windows to wave is unforgettable. But as fun as the attention is, the real joy is the driving experience. One good drive away from the traffic and you will be forever thankful to be so lucky. When you park the car in the garage waiting for the police to show up, or smelling the burnt gunpowder odor of the car after a good workout, you can't wait for another drive. Yes, it's not perfect, but that's half the fun.
I used to fly F-15s, and this is about as close you can come to flying a fighter while on the ground.
This is what the Viper is all about. If you want the perfect car it's the wrong choice, but if you enjoy driving a powerful car that actually lets you be in control and excites you for more than a couple of months you will not be disappointed. Get one before they become unattainable.

kirkhilles1

I think the Viper is a true American car. Pure Power and Style baby. Not especially sophisticated or technologically advanced, just pure, freaking power.

steffanlv

Nice review. Ive had my 2014 SRT Viper nearly two years and love it much much more than the C7 Corvette I had before it. It does take effort to drive but I disagree that it takes a lot of effort. It doesn't. Parking, turning, braking, accelerating...all these things become second nature once you put a few thousand miles on the odometer. I can effortlessly outmaneuver every other car on the road, regardless of brand. 0-60 is a thrill and once you get the revs right (there's a sweetspot somewhere between 2800 to 3200rpm) you can launch faster than even your average GTR on normal roads.

Sure the cabin is cramped and you wouldn't want to take the Viper on any lengthy road trips but that's what the family SUV is for. The Viper is for those who have an undying, unyielding love of driving. It's every bit the pinnacle of technology the automotive forefathers envisioned. And with the ACR the Viper represents the absolute best in the world.

PF_Flyer

Hard to imagine anything even remotely like this being posted about a self-driving car

If the Viper needs to be tested on the roads of the mid-Atlantic region... I'm probably not first in line for that!

Good stuff Reese