Shark

I'm rapidly reaching a decision point on selecting my next car, and after looking at everything that had a good level of performance and style under $100k, the two cars that best meet my requirements are a '01-'02 TT or '03 Viper.

The thing that makes me wary about the Viper are what the owners themselves say. Here are a few quotes from a single thread posted today with advice for a C5 Corvette owner (my situation too) crossing over to the dark side (what the Viper owners call themselves):

“I went from a C5, modified pretty well, to my snake and almost killed myself the first couple of months. What I didn't expect was the sudden rear end rotation around the car's friggin axis when red-line shifting into third at around 75 mph one cool night. I recovered, but barely”

“Listen, lots of macho people will bluff and say the Viper's not that bad; just do a little search on all the newbies who've wrapped their snakes, sometimes getting themselves or others killed”

“The Biggest transition for me was how the car tracked on rough roads. The second was the shifter. It can get you in trouble by actually downshifting instead of upshifting”

“Do NOT push the go pedal all the way.... unless you're pointed straight!”

“I think I saw or heard a statistic once, that most Vipers are wrecked shortly after they were taken ownership.”

I am concerned about the practical drivability of this car, and would like your comments about the 996 TT. Is it also THIS hard to drive?

Thanks!

Telk

First let me say that I have a Viper STR 10, 996 TT, and a C6 Vette.
So I hope I can help.

The 996 is very easy to drive. The Viper is more of a race car feel then the C6 and 996 TT. The Viper will track/pull on roads. That is because of the big tires. But my wife drives the Viper also. You just have to be more on gaurd with the Viper. Its not that big of a deal as you read. You should test drive the Viper first though. Its not for everyone. More of a race car feel then the others.

Now if I had to pick a favorite out of the three for a daily driver. It would be the C6 or 996 TT. But probably the C6. It's such a smart car.
The C6 Vette has come a long way.
Yes, you see a lot more of them then the Viper, and 996 TT's.
But the C6 is just a great car.
But so is the 996 and Viper. I don't know. They all are great. lol
Just test drive them all first.

Denstoyz

I have heard a lot of the same about the Viper too but I do still like them. If I were in your shoes I'd stongly consider a used 996TT or a new 06 Z06 - I'm strongly considering adding the new Z06 to my stable! From everything I have read that car is gonna be a monster!

JPschnitzer

996TT is very easy to drive, particularly when the PSM is left on. All wheel drive keeps the car very planted even when driving the car over the limit. I have heard that the Vipers can get very hot in the driver compartment, don't know if they have fixed that yet, but it could be a concern.....

KJM3SMG

the latest generation Vipers (2003+) have fixed that driver heat problem. Awesome car but just too impractical for me.

996TT was much easier to drive than I thought even at high speeds.. AWD and PSM yey!

C6 Vette is nice too but there will be far too many of them.. and even now u can see them used at $39k.. lol.

wormdoggy

Comparing the two cars is like comparing apples to oranges. I have owned both and equally like both vehicles. Both are excellent cars and both have weaknesses and strengths.

You need to learn to drive both cars before you take them to the next level. Both will hurt you or make it enjoyeable once you learn to drive them. Porsche is new technology and assisted driving. Viper is old school raw power. 525ft.lbs or torque and 500HP under the hood and that's it................nothing else other then monster 345's in the back. I will guarantee when you sit in both cars you will choose a Porsche immediately. But give the Viper a chance and learn to drive it and it puts a huge smile on your face.

I wish I could afford both in my garage!

Good luck with your choice.
Patrick

Shark

I have sat in both (the chances being nearly 0% that I could get a test drive in either) and the lower build construction quality doesn't bother me (too bad). The '03 Viper does have the following advantages over a '01 TT:

Price: $60k vs $70k

Mileage: Can easily get Vipers with <10k miles, an '01 TT would have about 25k

Warranty: The Viper will still have some, and extended warrantees are $800/yr

Exclusivity: Actually give Vipers the edge, since from the front and side Boxsters and regular 911s (all generations) share the family resemblance

Ease of finding a car: ALL Vipers are MT (thank god ), have literally no options, and only 2-3 colors. Looking for a specific TT will be a nightmare (want a Basalt Black one with black interior)

Maintainance: A Viper is still a Dodge repair wise (of course Dodge dealers will be a PITA)

Viper is also a convertable (albeit it only a two-seater.....I really need a 4 seat ride (kids))

More like a green apple - red apple comparison

I really need to get back to drinking

Denstoyz

I still say consider the 06 Z06 for the $$$!

RWO

I have owned both and agree with most of the comments. IMO the Viper was more fun to drive, however, I like cars that don't have driver aids. I drove the Viper at the track a lot and it's a ton of fun... The reason I sold my Viper was that the local dealer wrecked it. The service and parts availability was the worst I have experianced other than my Lambo. The dealer NEVER had parts and it took several attempts to get service work done correctly. Since the dealer's have the same "test drive" controls in place that work for Neons, the techs test drive your Viper. The dealer I delt with, one of the largest in Atlanta, wrecked several customers cars including totaling two cars. I'd have a hard time buying another Viper because they just don't understand how to service an expensive car. In Atlanta the Porsche dealers are much better...

Roy

Shark

Nah, no Z06 for me. Don't like the C6 exterior, don't think the Z06 is different enough appearance wise, Corvettes are way too common, and buying a two seat coupe just won't do. Plus, get ready for a year or more of price gouging.

RWO, sorry to hear about your Viper......I have to say though if dealers can't drive 'em I think they are probably not for me. I mean my wife would have to drive it once a week and I'm not confident in her ability to handle the car.

After all, she has trouble handling MY stick

Denstoyz

I don't think we'll see a ton of Z06's aound considering the $70-75 approx price tag they are estimating. Just saw the official numbers.... 505hp/470tq - awesome bang for the buck!

As far as styling I had the C4 & C5 and I actually think the C5 looked better than the C6 but from what I heard the Z06 in person is STOUT and looks pretty bad ***! But to each his own - if you don't care for the look then you're right not to consider one of these babies but watch out for them on the road - they may be more contest for you then you may have imagined.

BuddyG

Both the Viper and tt are great cars, but if you are looking for something
to drive daily or put alot of miles on I would pick the tt. Viper's are raw,
wander with every road imperfection and have a low buck interior. They
do draw attention, look cool and are fast.

Really depends on what you want. Personally I chose the 2002 996 tt and
I love it!

Shark

Yeah, Vipers look cool but I'm coming to the conclusion that the rest of the car (suspension, chassis, etc) isn't up to the test provided by over 500 hp and torque. So I'm looking in other directions (Maserati, Ferrari F355) as well.

No doubt the TT is up to the task and remains strong.

Big Carrot

I actually have a supercharged SRT-10 right now, and I'm looking to buy a 996tt in the next few days. I've owned several Vipers, and I'll tell you that the SRT is a MUCH better car than the Gen1 or Gen2 cars. The brakes are phenomenal, the power is insane, and they handle very well. I can believe the "hard to drive " comments if you're talking about a previous gen car, but the SRT is much easier to keep under control. Coming from an 850rwhp car is gonna make the 996 feel like a complete slug, but I think I'm ready for a higher level of refinement. We'll see!

Denstoyz

I just saw a black 04 Viper TT for sale - dyno at over 1000rwhp - thought about it hard but I am curious about the handling of that car! I heard that the Viper experiences a lot of heavy drift above 100mph - is that true? How does your car do at higher speeds since you got 850rwhp?