I've driven a 1998 Viper GTS before. Wasn't terribly impressive. Did it look good? Yep. Attract a lot of stares? Yep. Fast? Oh, you bet it was. But it's handling was twitchy, and it idled like my Maytag washing machine on it's spin-dry cycle.

Unrefined brute. Much like that of the old Shelby's. Hence I'd never buy one.