Originally Posted by tberg

RW99,
I agree with your assessment of the Viper, with a slight exception, the Viper will run hot laps all day long on a track provided it's a dry one. All that torque and power on the rear wheels spell disaster on a moist track. I attend Audifest every year up at Infineon Track in Sonoma, CA. Each year I see a late model Viper prepared for the track who will not go out in the rain. I took my '72 Pantera and spun out twice on one wet lap and that was enough for me. Yet R-8's, S-5's, S-4's. etc. are out there at full speed because they're all 4 wheel drive. As we hear that some future F-type is going to have a 700 hp engine, if it doesn't have all wheels driven, it will not be able to harness that power even on a dry track. I think that both the Corvette and the Viper will eventually offer 4 wheel versions.

Originally Posted by Rw99

I'm a newbie of the first order here, so my first posts should probably strive to contribute a little content... before I launch a couple of my own threads full of questions.

So: to the OP, yes, the Gen V Viper should appeal to SOME performance-oriented Jaguar owners. I've been in a few and the interior has been significantly upgraded. I own a 2009 ACR, and the trappings in the cabin can be optimistically characterized as "utilitarian". But that's not why we buy them ;-)

Just as I'm looking for a GT car that's a bit "softer" than a Viper, I would think that there are some XKR/XKR-S owners that are interested in taking a step further toward raw performance. The new Viper is clearly still a handful, Randy Pobst's comments in the various Motor Trend features define the Gen V as (still) difficult to drive at the limit. Which is one of the car's attributes that many of us value, oddly. Sort of the antithesis of the GT-R, to over-simplify.

Viper's simplicity has translated into rock-solid dependability; it's built to run hot laps all day long. Will a window motor crap out after a while? Maybe. But just feed the snake fuel, tires, and pads... and it's a fantastic driving experience. At the track, a constant grin... even if it does scare you from time to time.

The optional Stryker Red is glorious in person... not sure I'd pony up the $14500 it costs, but it's a no-brainer if you have the $$$$.

Rich

Originally Posted by GMad

I've always liked the American ethic of performance = throwing the biggest engine you can find in it..
Or in other words, I like it.

Originally Posted by Bruce H.

Rich,

Great first post...and welcome to the forum! Great looking ACR...always enjoyed being on track with them in my modded Supra TT the odd time.

While I've followed the Gen V pre and post launch very carefully, I don't think Ralph is expecting many Jaguar cross shoppers A track friend has been asking him and Randy questions for me when he sees them when racing. Ralph asked him last week if I had bought one yet, which I haven't. I'm enjoying tracking the XKR while waiting to see how things shake out after a bit of a rough start, and if they make a couple of tweaks I'd be looking for (OEM or aftermarket). I think they'll button down handling at the limit in the short-term if they can, then add DCT/paddles later if feasible, particularly to attract cross shoppers of the brands they're after.

Bruce

Originally Posted by GhostriderXKR08

So the new SRT Vipers are finally trickling to dealers here in Chicago. I've got to say they look great (much better than the C7 although I haven't seen one in person). This blue doesn't look that great on the Viper as I prefer White or Black. I know some of the Viper guys are upset at 640HP and wanted at least 700HP but I have to say its pulls hard! Some are guessing the low HP is because SRT is waiting to see what the C7 Z06/ZR1 will be before bumping up their HP.




Video(click on pic below to play):

Originally Posted by Bruce H.

I can't buy a US car because the warranty would be void in Canada, unfortunately.