He’s one of ours.

 

👋. Just trying to get some exposure for our great car that's very misunderstood.

 

The 4C is a difficult car to beat in the "fun" category.

I don't know if misunderstood is the right way to describe it though. Unappreciated might describe it better.

It's extremely polarizing because it's kind of a love it or hate it car. I don't see a lot of people describing it as just an OK car. If you can appreciate its drive qualities and overlook the shortcomings it's (IMO) one of the all-time greatest cars. If you can't, well....then it's one of the worst cars ever made. I don't see anyone on the fence; you pick one side or the other.

 

To me, the 4C looks so much better than the Viper, just that alone would be decisive...

 

I'm actually surprised at how dated the Viper looks. When the Viper first hit the scene it was the most amazing car ever...like the modern version of an AC Cobra. I still like the appearance of the early Vipers, but the later ones haven't aged that well in my opinion. A 2015 C7 Corvette in white w/ black wheels looks more cutting edge than the '15 Viper. I'm not ripping on the Viper...I think it's still a good looking car, and the performance is there, but I'd rather see the 4C in my driveway as it's a much more attractive car (and the top is removable).

From an appearance perspective the 4C seems timeless. It doesn't look dated or old until you get inside ;-)

 

Thanks, @Daddyskillzs! I was hoping you were here on the forum somewhere!

I am glad you own both cars. Both special in their own way. I had no idea Viper replacement parts were really hard to get.

 

The 4C does look better than the Viper. It also pictures better. When you are on the road around it, the Viper takes over. The presence the Viper has rolling down the road is nothing any car I’ve laid eyes on can duplicate. The massive stance. The flowing lines. The massive tires in the rear. All you can do is just stop what you are doing and stare at it. The 4C is just too small to duplicate in that regard. But, again, the 4C is sexier, in most regards.

 

So you're saying size matters?

Just asking for a friend.

 

It is kind of a silly comparison but entertaining video...

 

I didn't actually "compare" it. All I asked was, what's more FUN to drive on the road?

To me I laugh at comparison videos. I mention this in the video, how can people compare the 4C to a lotus or Miata, its absurd. Most sporty cars are very unique. I feel like, it's more, what's more fun to DRIVE!?

PS- I have a slew of what's more fun to drive videos coming out in the future. A lot will have the 4C as the competition since its so unique. We will see how well it does in the fun department. I'm banking on it doing very well.

 

Gen V Viper I owned was great, 4C does remind me of that car in a less brutal way If I ever win the lottery (prices are UP), I would own another and send it to Calvo to go through the motor, in the interim the 4C does everything I wanted it to.

 

The E-type is actually the same length as a Viper. Pretty much the same height and wheelbase too. The Viper is about 10" wider though.

 

That is a huge difference in overall dimensions. In addition, the E-Type has a much more steamlined body making it look much more diminutive than a Viper when seen on the road.

 

I don't know why anyone would compare an E-Type to a Viper, aside from the long hoods. The point of the Viper was to be a modern day Cobra which I think it pulls off well. Nothing else like it on the road either which is cool.

 

I was not comparing the E-Type to a Viper. The E-Type came up within the context of the statement by Daddyskills to the effect that the 4C was too small to have the visual impact as a Viper. I simply made the point that I do not believe that simply because the 4C is smaller than the Viper, that it has less visual impact than a Viper and gave the E-Type as an example of a smaller car that has in my opinion more impact than the larger Viper. No comparison between the Viper and E-Type was made.

 

Good to see you understand that you compared the beauty of the two cars and therefore made my point for me.

 

Nope, the reference to beauty was incidental to the general larger concept of size with respect to beauty. What was substantively used for comparison purposes was the size of the vehicles, not beauty. The choice of the E-Type was random, out of a much larger group of cars and I could just as easily have picked a different out of dozens of others. The point being made was that the size of the car is immaterial to an assessment of beauty. In addition, no one is in a better position to determine the intent of a statement than the person making the statement, which in this case is me, not you. As a result, you continue to misconstrue the assertion based on a faulty analysis.

 

It was one of those non-comparison comparisons, got it

 

It was conceptually a size comparison. Hence why the sentence "I also don't think the size of the vehicle matters that much in terms of how good it looks" precedes the "for example" when I first referred to the E-Type and 246. That mean't those cars were simply part of a larger group of smaller cars that I believe have as much or greater visual impact than a Viper. Comprende? Or do you need for me to draw you a little crayon diagram? You know, like those circular logic diagrams you see in a course in Logic.

 

Fortunately I'm not a "must have the last word" type so carry on without me.

Will agree that the Viper is crude and unpolished as that was the design brief of the car ffs.

 

Seems to me, like your last post is precisely a transparent and disguised attempt to get the last word. LOL

 

 

That's the Vipers inspiration.
I owned a Gen 2, two Gen 3s, and a Gen 4. Driven a Gen 5. Gen 5 most refined of all, too much for me but still loved the car.
Im not gonna get into pissing wars, this is a 4C forum. Everyone here likes diminutive cars with 4 bangers. The Viper is not.
The comparisons come by way that they are both purpose built cars.

My favorite one for the street to drive was the Gen 2 because its power is low in the rev range. The newer ones make more power but they have to move the power higher and higher in the rev range.

 

That's the Vipers inspiration.

Everything I've read suggests the Shelby Daytona coupe was the inspiration for the 2nd gen coupe while the Shelby Cobra was the inspiration for the first gen roadster. This stands to reason given how much the 2nd gen coupe resembles the Daytona coupe.

"The Dodge Viper first came about as an idea of Chrysler's then-president Bob Lutz, who wanted the brand to build its own sports car in the vein of the Shelby Cobra. Shortly after, Chrysler designer Tom Gale had produced a clay model of what would become the Viper..."

"The big news was the Viper GTS coupe, which came at the end of 1996. Just as the roadster had taken styling cues from the drop-top Shelby Cobra, the coupe borrowed from the Shelby Daytona Coupe."

Dodge Viper Wiki: History, Generations, Models, 0-60 MPH, and More

A brief history of the Dodge Viper, along with some fun facts, buying tips, recent auctions, and tons of stories about the legendary American sports car.

www.motortrend.com

 

Wow. Well, in that case I guess by your definition with width being the most important dimension, the 4C is really a large car since it's only an inch or two narrower than the Viper. It's only the girth that counts...not length, height, (or since I guess we're taking about cars here) wheelbase. Now that's funny.

 

Complete mischaracterization of what I said. Maybe you need glasses or assistance reading. I said that "width matters at least as much, if not more than length". That means as much as and perhaps more. Nowhere did I say width was "the most important " factor or that "only girth counts" in an absolute sense. Those are your words, not mine. And yes, the 4C is a really wide car. Your inaccurate attempt at paraphrasing what I said (if you don't know what that means, look it up) is laughable.

 

Ok cool, so returning to the point of the video...
Beautiful. I loved the video, couldn't have said it better. As a previous 4C owner who has come to the realization that selling it (because it didn't carry the 'clout' of my previous car) was a mistake. Now I want one back in my garage. The fact that there is no possibility of a manual trans is the one thing that will always bother me. BUT, as perfectly described...... that might not be as fun as we think considering everything else needed to handle this car with TWO hands on the steering wheel.
I could understand why it would not be the choice for someone who has space for only one sports car. It doesn't check enough boxes to be the only one, but it does check the Fun ones REALLY well. I totally get the intimidating factor of a car like the Viper. I have an Italian version in my garage and it's a Point A back to Point A car. Don't dare leave it anywhere and don't drive it on a day you're not feeling very social....haha.
The 4C is a no-worries blast any day of the week !!

 

The video point that resonated most with me is usable power. I've always favored small lightweight cars that you can wring out and not do felonious speeds. I've had several ~300hp, ~2,500lb cars and think that's perfect power to weight ratio for street driven fun.

Gearing matters too, I have no interest in a Porsche Boxster that does 88mph at redline in second gear, my 4C is doing about 115 at redline in 4th.

 

.Gearing matters too, I have no interest in a Porsche Boxster that does 88mph at redline in second gear, my 4C is doing about 115 at redline in 4th.

YES!
After 10 years that may be the very reason I walked away from the Porsche brand (for the time being at least). Sort of got bored. Not many roads for it around where I live, so if the car is not dramatic enough at sub-80 mph speeds it loses that fun factor.