Coupe, Convertible, and Roadster

[Mopar Steve]

I am shopping for another Viper and I find it frustrating when owners and dealers don't know the difference between Convert, Coupe, and
roadster.

The Gen 1 car is a roadster. Open roof and no top. There is a foldaway top stored in the trunk but it is not a folding convertible top. Roadsters are primarily an open top car.

GTS is a coupe. This is a fixed roof car. Unlike a sedan there is no frame around the windows on the doors. And PLEASE never refer to any Viper as a sedan.

Convertible, the Viper convertibles are the SRT's with a folding top.

These are very general definitions, and I know there is more to it, but I had to vent.

I will step down from my soap box now.

 

[shine]

My 2010 Woodhouse Edition "convertible" ACR is listed as a "Roadster" on the window sticker.

Seems like the problem is exacerbated by Dodge themselves.

 

[jwolf]

Technically speaking a Roadster has no windows (Gen one) so a gen two is technically a Targa since it has windows and a fixes rear section .

 

[MikeG]

I can recall when growing up, the early 60s era Jaguar XKE convertible always was referred to as a "Roadster". Don't know why - just was.

But I agree with the originator of this thread:
When it comes to Vipers, Roadsters are the Gen 1 & 2 RT/10s;
Coupes are the Gen 2 GTSs & Gen 4 SRTs; and
Convertibles are fold down top Gen 3/4s.

 

[mike & juli]

Yeah, I found that in the Viper Magazine a few years ago, the Vipers were listed by either Coupes or Roadsters. (LOL on the 'sedan' comment...no-no-NOOOOO!!!)
~juli

 

[georgethedog]

If I installed a rumble seat in the trunk of my SRT-10, what would it be classified as???

 

[mike & juli]

If I installed a rumble seat in the trunk of my SRT-10, what would it be classified as???

A '69 Chevy wagon!!! (With the back-back seat lol...that I've heard of anyway....)
~juli

 

[STUGOTS]

my 04 is called "roadster" as well, but I was always under the impression no windows made it a roadster

 

[georgethedog]

That's like the difference between a couple and hardtop on the old muscle cars. I had a 1970 Super Bee that I traded in at Roanoke for my first Viper. If the car had a frame around the window it was a coupe and if the windows did not have a frame it was called a hardtop. Funny thing is you could not hardly tell the difference. Mine was a hardtop. The coupes were more rare.

 

[Mopar Steve]

That's like the difference between a couple and hardtop on the old muscle cars. I had a 1970 Super Bee that I traded in at Roanoke for my first Viper. If the car had a frame around the window it was a coupe and if the windows did not have a frame it was called a hardtop. Funny thing is you could not hardly tell the difference. Mine was a hardtop. The coupes were more rare.

Not exactly correct. Frame around the window makes it a sedan. There are two door sedans and four door sedans.

 

[345s-bspinnin]

Heck call me crazy, I still don't even know why our Vipers are called coupes and not hatchbacks since the back window goes up

 

[Cobraken]

In the old days roadsters were vehicles with either no top or a removable top (or folddown) with no windows (curtains). Speedsters had no top, windows or back seats. Convertibles had roll up windows. Now the designation is just what the manufacturer wants to call the car. Gen 1 cars were true roadsters. All other non hardtop Vipers are convertibles because they have roll up windows. Dodge calls them what they want.

 

[georgethedog]

Why do we even care... This is getting kind of funny. I think we all need a hobby other than cars.

 

[Mopar Steve]

Why do we even care... .

Because all of this reinforces the hobby. Without the nomenclature being correct what do you have? How 'bout if we call it a truck?

 

[FrgMstr]

World English Dictionary
roadster
— n
1. an open car, esp one seating only two

So it is a convertible with the top up and a roadster with the top down.

And the rest of you drive hatchbacks.

 

[viper spray]

A vert and a roadster are the same these days.....

 

[georgethedog]

Because all of this reinforces the hobby. Without the nomenclature being correct what do you have? How 'bout if we call it a truck?

Steve, you're funny! But we can't call it a truck because Dodge already has a Viper truck... But is it a Viper Truck or a Truck with a Viper engine???

 

[redrichard]

the earliest reference for Roadster I seen was a single horse drawn buggy with no top and seats for 2 .

 

[SkyBob]

Dodge already has a Viper truck... But is it a Viper Truck or a Truck with a Viper engine???

And the Viper has a truck engine. I think I read that in Motor Trend.

 

[kennyhemi]

Does it Matter that they know? "You" Know! If I'm looking for a car that I know pretty much everything about. I can tell in .0001 sec. in the AD! pre 2003 are "roadsters/targas" post 2002 are conv. everthing else are coupes, all you need to know is the year and you have identified the GEN! Plus most of the time the less they know the more you can knock off the price!!!

 

[STUGOTS]

mine is a sedan

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Heck call me crazy, I still don't even know why our Vipers are called coupes and not hatchbacks since the back window goes up

Because noone would ever voluntarily buy a "hatchback" There's a Frasier episode where Niles is in a rental hatchback and when Frasier tells him what its called, Niles says "oh thats great, name a car after its worst feature"

Why do we even care... This is getting kind of funny. I think we all need a hobby other than cars.

When I read the 1st post, my 1st thought was "only a Viper guy would start this thread" But, for the record, I agree with what Steve said. There is a difference b/t the 3 classifications. I laugh when I hear people call the SRT-C cars a "GTS". My car has been called a SRT-10 a good bit of times. People see a Viper and assume they are all "SRT's"

Steve, you're funny! But we can't call it a truck because Dodge already has a Viper truck... But is it a Viper Truck or a Truck with a Viper engine???

Are the extended cab trucks classified as a truck or 4 door sedan?

 

[FrgMstr]

Let me put an end to this confusion.

A roadster can be a convertible, and a convertible can be roadster, but a convertible is not always a roadster, and a roadster is not always a convertible.

Convertible

You must be registered for see images attach

Roadster that is a convertible

You must be registered for see images

Roadster that is NOT a convertible

You must be registered for see images

Hatchback

You must be registered for see images

JK!

 

[kennyhemi]

Let me put an end to this confusion.

A roadster can be a convertible, and a convertible can be roadster, but a convertible is not always a roadster, and a roadster is not always a convertible.

Convertible

You must be registered for see images attach

Roadster that is a convertible

You must be registered for see images

Roadster that is NOT a convertible

You must be registered for see images

Hatchback

You must be registered for see images

JK!

I"m Soooo confused!!

 

[STUGOTS]

my viper enjoys being called an SUV

 

[AFL in NJ]

Why don't we agree to a definition and post it on Wikipedia, so we can just point the offending summarizer to the location to educate or re-educate themselves?

Regards,
Aaron

 

[FrgMstr]

Why don't we agree to a definition and post it on Wikipedia, so we can just point the offending summarizer to the location to educate or re-educate themselves?

Regards,
Aaron

Some ******* would just change it.

 

[STUGOTS]

still might be worth a shot