Ha! Ha! That is funny. Well aside from my hatred of dealers who screw you and mark things up and provide unprofessional service after paying full MRSP or more for a showcase manufacturer vehicle, the fact of history remains. How many 1992 RT/10 owners that spent $25k, $50K, $75k, $100k, $125k+ above sticker are reaping the benefits of that early purchase? None! Now granted many bought like that because they were really not sure if Dodge would produce more that a single year run so it was truly get it while you can as there were no used ones and only a handful of new. Doesn't justify but makes sense in a weird way.
Fast forward to 2013, we already know there will be a 2014+ and there is a fairly decent supply of used GENs, so there is zero rationale to justify a stepped up purchase like this. If these people like this have the money to blow like this, then get ready for severe devaluation of the GEN V in a year or so because it is these same idiots who will jump on the next new "got to have it" vehicle like an NSX or whatever. They care little as money means nothing to their silver spooned behinds.
So while others think that it is okay to just jump up the price and allow dealerships to charge whatever they want because it is a free market, sorry you need to wake up. It affects everything and everyone. Every owner of a new GEN V is affected in a negative way, history will unfortunately repeat itself.
Then again I guess I should not complain because I can't afford a new one right now at these prices either, but in the scenerio above, it will happen a lot sooner that I had planned. Then again I am banking the little I have left after our future (16 days and counting) son's college, etc. savings funds, for a 25th Anniversary Viper as that should be a very special one. King of the Special Editions Viper! Can't see Dodge/SRT missing out on that one.
Enough of my soap box, as I am really enjoying this bare bones 96' RT/10 I traded straight across for my 69' Mach 1. As much as I wanted to have a better interior, better stereo, better ride, less NVH, this and that, there is something so simple and innocent about a car like this with no door handles, no windows, no fixed roof, no sound deadner, no cruise control, no fancy gauges, no air bags, no ABS, no TC, no ESC, no this and no that. Weird as I am actually enjoying it more than my 06' SRT-10 Coupe I had. I can't explain the role reversal and change on stance I have. Neither can I make that understanding of my wife, who absolutely loves the 96' RT/10 and now tells me she really didn't like the 06' SRT-10 Coupe but suffered through it because she knew I liked it.
As much as the new Viper is a fine piece of machinery and fixed ALL the areas I complained about and tried to mod to fix on my 06' Coupe, the fact remains that the new car at these prices is over $100k+ more than this 96' RT/10 we just picked up. If I care for it and truly drive it to where it was designed, is a new GEN V truly $100k+ more fun?
Okay now really taking the second foot off the soap box. Seriously, just glad to be back after last year's health events and hope to share some picture of our new "Old" Viper and new son in a few weeks.
Thanks
Rick