You've listed a lot of points and opinions, here are some that I've found from personal experience and facts.
I'm not sure where people get the rough ride aspect of a Gen 4, but when my Gen 4 had the stock suspension, I and my wife found the ride to be very comfortable. Maybe my car rode smooth because I understood what pressures to keep the tires for comfort and performance (most are over inflated, 3 or 4 psi on our low profile tires makes a huge difference in ride quality), maybe my suspension moved more freely due to correct torque, alignment, etc.
You list the magnetic shocks as something the Viper needs.....really? Why would I want a system that makes my car slower on a road course? Name the Ring record holder, Laguna Seca record holder, etc? I know the 458 uses them (again, what was the F-cars Ring time?) but IMO you can only change a shock setting so much without changing the spring rates. Is the magnetic shock nice for cruising, yes they work ok....but for the ultimate in performance, do you really think those magnetic shocks have the valving to cope with one spring rate that is suppose to handle everything from cruising the mall to setting road course records?....no, and the track time records prove my point. The future is hydraulic suspension, just like the McLaren uses. If designed correctly you can even program the suspension per track for each corner because of the cars on board GPS. Wanna go drag racing and have tons of weight transfer to the rear?...easily done with this system. Nothing will ride smoother and be more comfortable for the street while being a terror on the track. This is old technology that will just get more and more affordable, Citroen has had a version in production for over 40 years. The hydraulic suspension also allows you to raise the car for steep driveways and speed bump clearance. Since SRT likes to sub out technology from the UK and have worked with McLaren in the past, I do think this is a marriage that should happen. And while we are at it, time to move up to an electronic rear diff, especially since it is a RWD car. Again, a much more broader range of adjustment than a traditional posi type diff, easy to tie into the suspension program and even custom programming for the track.
An auto is a necessity, not for any other reason other than it will make the car faster on the road course, drag strip and on the street. The real question is whether a DCT is the best choice. Since the Viper is not a rev happy monster like the Italian and German supercars, maybe a traditional auto with a torque converter is a better set up. With 7 or 8 gears, super fast shifting (not milliseconds but quicker than you could ever shift by hand) and a torque converter to absorb some of the instant torque shock that our V10's produce down low, this may be the best setup and be lighter than a DCT box that can handle 600 plus pounds of torque.
Cheers,
George