Does anybody have a viper and a z06? what is a better car to have? alot of people told me to get the new viper. but once i got the z06 I got where i dont really like the vipers. i like the looks but the new z06 will walk all over it. Im sure viper fans would say the vipers are better so i want to know has anybody compared the two?

 

I sometimes use my Z as a daily driver, I'm in sales so I can easily put 200-300 miles in a day. For me I can't imagine driving the Viper for this purpose. I've never driven one but I've heard the sidepipes get really hot, plus the Z06 is probably getting twice the gas mileage making the Z (for me anyway) a better choice. I still like the Viper, but my vote is for the Z06.

 

my buddy has a viper z06 and supercharged c5. He doesnt really ever drive the viper the z06 sometimes and his c5 out of them the most, I asked him this question the other day about the viper vs z06, he told me the viper is nice. He added that the viper is a very unforgiving car and not practicle.

 

to me the viper looked better than the vette until the new Z arrived

 

The viper has the looks period. Im tired of my Z06 and looking for a Viper now since I care about looks and not much else.

 

i love vettes but given the option i would take the viper over a c5z... idk always want to see for myself if the grass is greener. the new srt10 coupe sure is attractive but its way out of my price range and same for the c6z06 but i can always mod mine to be faster and more to my liking

 

If we are talking about looks only, the Viper wins hands down. Especially the old GTS coupe.

 

I'd take a Viper GTS over a C5 Z06.

 

I like the clown shoe but its made for dwarfs, are you taller than 1,85m you will have problems driving the car ...... so when chryslers technicans can build a car that can be driven by a fullgrown man i will buy one, until then, Vette all the way ;-).

 

This should be the mantra for all Viper owners.

Don't the bowtie door hit you in the *** on the way out.

 

We have both @ ICS, my C5Z and a 98 V.GTS, our tuner bought Tire Racks Viper a few weeks ago. Long drives in the summer, forget it, aint no Elite Engineering bone to keep you cool. Dont get me wrong, its a cool car, but I wouldn't buy it. The only reason we got it was because we are straping on 2 GT35R Turbos

It rattles and only has 13k on it.

Brian

 

The Viper is nice...but it is still a Dodge. After seeing the turmoil a few proud Dodge owner's I know go through..I am all set with putting a Dodge in my driveway. I know someone with a Viper. he tells me that a Viper is a very fast car, but the Z06 is a better over all car. He tells me it gets very hot in his car during the summer and his AC does nothing but blow out warm air.

 

I have a Dodge in my driveway, its just as good as a Chevy.

 

My buddy sells exotic and sports cars (highline Imports). I bought my z06 from him. On May 8th we took my Z06 and a viper that he bought up to Watkins Glen. The viper was not the newest style. We took the cars up on a three car trailer which is open in the middle, so you could see the entire underside of the cars on the trailer. The sofistication of the vette compared to the viper was amazing. The viper is made with a welded box tube frame (like a kit car). At the track the viper definetly had the raw power but the Z06 controled the power much better. My buddy has driven just about every exotic car you can think of and he has always said that the Z06 is his favorite for the track and best overall for the money. He just got another Z06 in and he's hoping that it doesn't sell before we go to Pocono in july. I think that Dodge has realy gotten it's act together, I have a magnum RT also. But the viper is just too raw for my taste. PS if you go to my photos you will see the cars and the trailer.

 

about 2 years ago my buddy was pushing me to buy his viper. i drove it and was impressed with the brute power. it lights up the huge tires with ease. BUT, i just could not get past the sound. it does not sound anything like a potent v8. another friend let me drive his 03 z06. one run thru 1st & 2nd convinced me to buy a z06. the sound convinced me. it lights up the tires too.

 

Okay, I recently traded my 2004 TR Z06 to a 2006 Viper Convertible. Here's my take at it:

To me, driving the Z06 was like driving any other luxury car. The Z06 is simply too well behaved and too refined. While I owned the Z06, I found myself preferring my old Mustang GT convertible as my every day driver. The Z06 remained a garage queen.

Now that I have the Viper, I drive it every day, and love it. The Viper has the temperament that the Z06 lacks. (Now, whether you want that in a car or not is of course a personal choice).

Z06:
*Fully equipped with all electronic gadgets you can imagine.
*Maintenance is inexpensive. Finding a good place that services Corvettes is not difficult. Oil changes once a year (or sooner if the OIL indicator says so)
*Easy to drive (too easy IMHO). No "temperament".

Viper:
*Available as convertible or coupe
*Only the most necessary features are present. There is no cruise control, no active handling, and no traction control. The seats are manually adjusted. Of course all this has an advantage too: Less things that can break!
*Maintenance is more expensive. Finding a place for service may be difficult in some areas. Oil needs to be changed every 3 months (or 3000 miles, whichever comes first).
*Requires more of the driver than the Z06. Don't talk on the cell phone or fumble with the radio while driving your Viper!
*Spedometer is "difficult" to read compared to the obvious Z06 HUD. It's hard to tell whether you're doing 47 or 53. However, it is clear enough to tell you that you're doing "around 50"
*Some people say that getting in and out of the Viper is not comfortable. To me, it's no problem (I'm 5'10) but if you're taller, it might be less comfortable.
*Engine heat may be an issue if using the car as a daily driver.
*Some people say that the Viper suspension is really stiff and that you feel every bump in the road. I say, compared to what? My gut react is that my 2004 Z06 suspension was even stiffer than the Viper. I think it would fair to compare the Viper suspension to a 2003 Z06 or maybe something in between. Anyway, my point is that a Z06 owner will enjoy the Viper suspension because it is very similar.
*INSURANCE: Premium is higher than the Z06. Not all insurance companies will insure the Viper (Nationwide and State Farm are known to do. With Nationwide my premium went up by 26.5% when trading the Z06 to the Viper).

Finally, I think I can answer your question: The Z06 is a better car to have. The Viper is the fun/insane choice that some of us prefer
See this article The Viper SRT-10: Obnoxious and irresistible. Driving the hellacious V-10 coupe is like falling in love with someone you know is crazy


Peter

 

It's tough to compare 2nd and 3rd gen Vipers. They are so much different.

I'm not a big fan of the new one at all. Looks are subjective, but I find it boring. A lot of things were fixed and refined over the previous model though.

I think the Viper GTS (original) has the looks and the exotic factor over the Z06. It also has the raw torque.

But I think the Z06 is a better balanced car overall.

 

You know, "clown shoe" was also what I used to think about all the old style Vipers I saw.

Have you seen a Gen III Viper in real life (2003+)? I spotted one for the first time about a month ago. I fell in love with the looks and now, a month later I'm driving one myself

Peter

 

Caveat emptor!

Peter

 

I've owned them both. Had an '04 Z06. Still have the Viper GTS.
The Z06 is the better car, has all the gadgets and is a way better daily driver. The Viper is too hot, too loud and too rude. It is also ten times more fun to drive, attracts a crowd like no other and has pin your ears back torque. So it depends on your needs. Mine is a weekend toy, so it's Viper all the way. And I kinda like attention...