Recent Comments:
2008 Dodge Viper gets driven... hard {Autoblog}
Aug 25th 2007 1:05AM I think you missed the point Scott. Is a regular SRT 10 more streetable than a Z 06? Yes. Is an SRT 10 more streetable than an ACR version of the Viper? Yes again. Would a regular Vette be more streetable than a Z 06? Yes again.
GM has always been a bigger company with better advertising. Just because it sells more cars doesn't necessarily say it's better. GM outsold all the Hemis, does that make them better? Drag racing history would say otherwise. So just because I see more Z 06s than say 911 turbos or Ferraris does that make them better? No.
I built my own street rod when I was in highschool. The first thing I learned was there's the car you have fun with, then there's the car you can live with. There's a huge difference between the track and the street. If you actually lived with a car built for racing everyday on the street, you would know my comments are spot on.
2008 Dodge Viper gets driven... hard {Autoblog}
Aug 24th 2007 10:51AM Ok, sorry about the of the subject rant. I couldn't help myself. First of all, I'm over 40 so I remember my parents driving 60s model Imperials. Those were interiors so I find it amusing when someone today talks about sub-standard interiors like somehow Honda's (or whoever) plastic is superior to everyone else's.
This is a regular SRT 10 not an ACR or ACX (I forgot what they call it). Comparing it to a full blown race intended Z 06 is silly. People making a big deal about the "200 mph" mark is also amusing to me. The viper has always had the power to reach this mark but Chrysler engineers (to their credit) decided to live in the real world. Since going 200 mph in 99% of the world is insanely dangerous in public, the gearing of the car has been set for better acceleration with a top speed of 170 or so, which is still faster than the vast majority of owners will ever go. The Viper has never been accepted as a true supercar which is imbicile. Most of this thinking has come from those who have never driven nor will ever own one of these category of cars. The car is an amazing achievement of performance and price, as is the Vette.
Don't forget that the V 10 to it's credit is still in a very de-tuned state. There's a Dodge dealership in Nebraska (only in America) that sells modified 1,000 plus hp Vipers that claims the engines aren't strained at all. There's also a guy in Switzerland who has a 1,500 hp Viper he routinely takes to the autobahn.
These folks also make me think of all the talk about "Z 06" blah, blah, blah. Don't get me wrong, it's a great car but it's a race car. If you intend to race it, then a Z 06 or ACR or any other similar vehicle would be a good choice. If you intend to actually drive and enjoy the car more than a few times a year, this means driving on the street where most of the assests of a race prep car become annoyances. The Z 06 has thinned alot of stuff for weight loss like a much thinner windshield and much lighter rims. Great for the track but a very expensive drag when a rock busts the windshield or the unseen midnight pothole takes out a rim (much easier to do). The Porsche GT3 is very noisy due to lack of insulation for weight reduction.
And how much more expensive is the car than the normal model and how much of that extra performance will you actually notice? A seasoned race car driver on the track? Yes. The average driver cruisin the highway or hitting the track for that matter? Not so much.
These cars are also hardtops which are never as fun as the roadsters which are heavier, in my opinion anyway. If you're insanely wealthy and can own 5 of everything, then this discussion becomes moot. If this is going to be your lifetime dream purchase (most folks) then it all becomes very important, including practicality. PRACTICALITY?!?!? Yes, even that. A 2 seat sports car with a glove compartment sized trunk can be very limiting for 2 folks and luggage on a weekend excursion. Even impossible for some one like me who has to carry a guitar everywhere I go. This is one of the reasons why the Porsche 911 is so popular. I would opt for a mildly modified Mustang GT convertible (high dollar exhaust, cold air kit, perf. chip, suspension tweaks, etc.). Close enough in the performance dept., no insane insurace rates, sufficient cargo space and a heck of alot cheaper even with the mods.
2008 Dodge Viper gets driven... hard {Autoblog}
Aug 24th 2007 9:50AM You save $1700 in "gas guzzler" taxes because it gets 2 to 3 mpg better than the old car? Pathetic. Someday the congress will find a way to have an excessive methane tax if you take too big a crap in the morning. This has gone way too far and it's way past time for some citizen government in this country. You know, people who have a real job besides being a politicain all their lives? Term limits once and for all!
Edwards' Plan: 40 MPG Cafe, all cars flex fuel and more {Autoblog Green}
Aug 21st 2007 12:58AM "But my hair has natural bounce and body!" He's so stupid and pathetic that his wife is the man of the household. Trial lawyer beauty queen.
VIDEO: Chrysler might want to reconsider that Chery deal {Autoblog}
Aug 15th 2007 1:15PM China has taken crumple zones and CAFE standards to their ultimate conclusion. Make the cars as light as possible for the best possible fuel economy. Safety is clearly a secondary concern. Government has mandated the industry build vehicles not far from this point as it is.
I saw Laurie David praising the chinese cars for their fuel efficiency. She made quite the effort to claim american cars are not allowed in china for the lack thereof. She's probably lying or F.O.S., which is for her the norm anyway.
If Laurie and Al Gore have their way, CAFE standards will go up to 40 m.p.g.. Anyone wanting to sell a car in this country will have no choice but to build at least some cars very similar to these in structural integrity.
Report: Owners of American cars more likely to default on loans {Autoblog}
Aug 15th 2007 12:46PM Another fine example of the obsolute uselessness of the beancounting mentality. One must be competely devoid of logic to either do this so-called study or give it any credibility whatsoever. The title "professor" once again being shown to mean absolutely nothing in many fields of study.
Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage {Autoblog}
Aug 1st 2007 12:44PM Hoping for "natural selection" on your fellow man, nice.
Many folks choose to drive the econoboxes for the sake of gas prices (mandated by the gov. compliments of the environmental lobby) or the desire to wear the "look at me! I'm saving the environment!" halo. Either case they are the ones that are unfortunately in danger of "natural selection".
Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage {Autoblog}
Aug 1st 2007 11:41AM Also Greg, cars are being made as light as possible on account of CAFE standards that are mandated by the government. The auto industry has done its best to have safety tech offset this but it can't make up for a complete lack of mass.
Crumple zones save lives ... and hide damage {Autoblog}
Aug 1st 2007 12:17AM Yes, Volvo has made great strides in safety. Safety tech is fine, deciding it makes a 40mpg tin can safe is not. A Honda Civic or a 1973 Chrysler? I think I'll take the whiplash, which would require a pretty good sized vehicle to do so. At least I walk away.
Surprise, surprise: U.S. ranks 42nd out of 48 countries in deaths per capita {Autoblog}
Jul 31st 2007 4:29PM Canada has the largest amount of cars per capita.
There is slightly more canadians than the pop. of Cali.
The problem is congestion.
I think you just proved Compy 386's point and contradicted the heck out of yourself at the same time. We don't drive more than Canadians or Russians? Just because you're countries are bigger? You just gave another example of bogus statistics.
