And just to get a little back on track, I would say that (gasp!) Chuck has it more right than anybody here. When we listed what we wanted in the Gen III we generally got it. Mind you, the styling was not what we had in mind, but everything else was pretty much as we hoped for at the time. We were even solicited for our direct feedback on the Coupe at VOI 8 and Dodge made several changes based on that input. In case you didn't know it - Viper owners saw the Viper Coupe before
ANYBODY else, including the press. Complain about not being heard all you want - and then compare it to any other car in the world. The Vette guys would KILL to have the kind of relationship we have with Dodge.
I had an excellent couple of days in Detroit this past week. Spent four hours at CAAP and two hours at Roush (where they build the Comp Coupe). Didn't meet with anybody in marketing - I met with the guys (and gals) that actually build the Viper. Every single thing I saw and heard tells me that more is on the way. A lot more.
Mind you, they can't say anything and I suspect their penalty for doing so is a lot more life-impacting than we care to think about. But they didn't need to say anything to see signs all around. We pressed them a few times and got stonewalled. But car guys are sometimes a lot easier to read than somebody from marketing. And what I read doesn't have me worried about any Chevy - Blue Devil or not.
They also have another MAJOR reason why they won't announce something soon: Do you honestly think people will line up to buy the new Coupe if they confirm that there is a 675 HP car that will be out in a few years? It was pointed out in Detroit that the 2004 model year SRT convertible sales were not up to expectations and that a large part of that was due to DC unveiling the prototype Coupe over a year ago at VOI 8 in Dallas. There were a LOT of people that were going to buy an SRT convertible in late 2004 that decided to wait for the coupe instead, which had been projected for a January release (over 800 people tried to buy one of the 200 First Editions alone). With the Coupe just starting production it would be incredibly foolish to announce an all-new Viper - no matter when it could happen.
And one other thing: I watched as the new Coupe was built and with many more moving around the plant in every color. I was honestly shocked at how great it looks in person. The blue/white combo is stunning, but that car in black is just plain bad-ass. I didn't have much of an interest in the Coupe before last week, and now I am trying to figure out how to get one in my garage. This is one incredible car bone stock, and with a little help from Paxton will dominate in every single category. And who knows - this could be one pretty darn limited production vehicle when all is said and done...