My Vmax 700 has over 6000 miles on it and runs awesome. Good friend of mine has an 03 Viper and he can't get away from me. Have raced him from a roll-on numerous times and it's close, but I usually pull him by a little bit. As far as the redheads being a pooch and making no power, well, if a guy does the free, cheap mods (bore silencer, peel a layer or two on headgasket, reed spacers, and clutch it well) the redheads will run with a lot of higher HP sleds. They seem to be sleepers in that way, people don't expect it. Stock Vipers make 123-125HP stock, redheads make 112-115HP stock, doing the free/cheap mods on a redhead gains around 4-6HP and that puts them in the 120HP vicinity. It could be anyones race at that point, especially if the redhead is clutched right.
But as far as reliability is concerned, redhead hands down, not even a contest...