Dealer Visit

[I Bin Therbefor]

Background: there are two SRT dealers within 60 miles of my home. Both have unsold Vipers coming in. Four for each. Both have Stryker Red cars coming. One has a LE on the showroom floor. Went for a visit to see the LE.

First Impressions: IMO The car takes on very different appearences from different points of view; if the observer is standing or at driver heigth and depending on the angle of view. Pleasing effect. The quality of the panels is very good. No wavey lines due to panel inconsistencies in forming. Light reflection is all clean lines. The paint finish is completely free of orange peal. Interior fit and finish is consistently good. I understand the front opening better now that I see the details. It looks like team Viper literally cut out the four grill panels that were inhibiting air flow and left the rest in place. I like that race team like solution. The hood vents don't look nearly as deep from a standing view point. I was expecting something more like the GTS-R vents. The dealer started the car, right in the showroom. I like the sound - I know that's a personal preference.

The seats could use a little more bottom padding for my somewhat boney backside. I wish when the chassis underwent upgrade, team Viper could have found bit of space to move the pedals to the rigth, just a inch or so. The only open issue for me is the interior harmonic booming that someone here on the forum has mentioned. I need a road test for that one.

I told the dealer that I was leaving my walet at home for this visit. However, the car did have a $25,000 market adjustment to the price. I told him if that was supply and demand, I had absolutely no demand for what he was supplying. I got the impression that if I appeared with my walet, the price was definately negotiable. I will not negotiate against a market "adjustment." We'll see how that plays out. I'm in no hurry.

The sales person had been to Detroit and was trying to remember all he had seen and heard. Got a few things mixed up. Maybe all trainees should have been given a copy of Liang's book to read as part of their training. And there should have been a test! The technician had also been trained BUT I have a concern that he not mix up things and question what experience he has had with previous Gen Vipers. I know Ralph expects the weaker dealers to shake out, but I'd rather not buy a car from a dealer whose competence of service will be less than desirable.

So, no problems with the car; only one car question (interior noise); and some concern about that dealership's service capability.

By the by, the wife was along. She liked it that the car looked "curvey." She is a master quilter and very sensitive to shape. Ralph, looks like mission accomplished for the organic shape.

For me, I've always liked the class of war ship called a battle cruiser. The Viper fits.

 

[ViperSmith]

Not one sold of four and asking for $25k over

Rofl. Dodge dealers still don't get it. Look forward to decent discounts everyone.

 

[Policy Limits]

OP- interested in the sound...loud? throtty? decent hum at idle? I've seen different youtube vids and some seem weak compared to LFA, lp700 etc. but recently heard Raplh's White GTS that he reved at a C&C with decent speakers and it sounded really really mean!

Also concerned about comfort/cockpit feel but that will sure differ based upon driver size, length, height, weight etc. I too got to see a LE & a red track pack one at my local dealer but no sit in or start up.

funny how everyone makes such a big deal over a 25k mark up. first, its nothing new. second, its relatively cheap; there's 100k juice on an aventador or 458 spider

 

[I Bin Therbefor]

OP- interested in the sound...loud? throtty? decent hum at idle? I've seen different youtube vids and some seem weak compared to LFA, lp700 etc. but recently heard Raplh's White GTS that he reved at a C&C with decent speakers and it sounded really really mean!

Also concerned about comfort/cockpit feel but that will sure differ based upon driver size, length, height, weight etc. I too got to see a LE & a red track pack one at my local dealer but no sit in or start up.

funny how everyone makes such a big deal over a 25k mark up. first, its nothing new. second, its relatively cheap; there's 100k juice on an aventador or 458 spider

Very difficult to describe sound other than by listening to it! Remember this was inside a dealer showroom.

Only to say, the sound evoked the desired emotional response in me.

 

[viperbilliam]

"For me, I've always liked the class of war ship called a battle cruiser. The Viper fits." ???? Isn't that the Corvette?

I don't understand for the minimal cost of an additional half inch of padding why SRT would do this. At this price, we shouldn't have to visit our local upholstery shop to correct this.

 

[Newport Viper]

Remember this was inside a dealer showroom

Was the showroom upgraded at all? Displays ect for SRT or was it the same old Dodge experience?


DETROIT -- The redesigned 2013 SRT Viper will be sold at about one in five Chrysler Group dealerships, says Ralph Gilles, head of the high-performance SRT brand.
To qualify for the sports car, dealerships will have to train staff, buy special tools and improve their facilities.
"We're going to open it up to any dealer who can put the money forward and the training, but it's going to be pretty difficult to hit all of those things," Gilles said during a broadcast interview with journalists in Detroit this month. "You've got to have the training, the facilities, and some history of selling Vipers and SRTs in general."
Gilles said the additional requirements that Chrysler will impose "will boil it down to where 15 or 20 percent of our dealers will carry the car."
The redesigned Viper was revealed in April at the New York auto show with a 640-hp, 8.4-liter V-10 that generates 600 pounds-feet of torque.
The revised engine has 40 more hp than the one in the previous Viper, which was branded as a Dodge and discontinued in 2010.
Pricing for the 2013 Viper hasn't been announced. The previous hardtop was priced just under $100,000. It is expected to go on sale this fall.
"We can't legally stop someone who's sold a Viper in the past from selling it, but we can make it a little difficult because we know that there's going to be a new breed of customer coming," Gilles said. "So we want to make sure they have a great experience."
David Kelleher, chairman of the Chrysler National Dealer Council and a dealer in suburban Philadelphia, said the car's limited production run would not allow for each of the automaker's 2,400 dealerships to have one.
Chrysler has not said how many Vipers it intends to build each year. The Viper's best year was 2003, when Dodge sold 2,103 Vipers in the United States.
Kelleher added: "For the dealers that it makes sense with," Chrysler is "going to be very transparent and lay out how much it's going to cost for the whole program and what their allocation is going to be."

 

[Policy Limits]

Very difficult to describe sound other than by listening to it! Remember this was inside a dealer showroom.

Only to say, the sound evoked the desired emotional response in me.

True. Guess ill just hafta wait til it's in my driveway next month and fire her up myself

 

[I Bin Therbefor]

Was the showroom upgraded at all? Displays ect for SRT or was it the same old Dodge experience?


DETROIT -- The redesigned 2013 SRT Viper will be sold at about one in five Chrysler Group dealerships, says Ralph Gilles, head of the high-performance SRT brand.
To qualify for the sports car, dealerships will have to train staff, buy special tools and improve their facilities.
"We're going to open it up to any dealer who can put the money forward and the training, but it's going to be pretty difficult to hit all of those things," Gilles said during a broadcast interview with journalists in Detroit this month. "You've got to have the training, the facilities, and some history of selling Vipers and SRTs in general."
Gilles said the additional requirements that Chrysler will impose "will boil it down to where 15 or 20 percent of our dealers will carry the car."
The redesigned Viper was revealed in April at the New York auto show with a 640-hp, 8.4-liter V-10 that generates 600 pounds-feet of torque.
The revised engine has 40 more hp than the one in the previous Viper, which was branded as a Dodge and discontinued in 2010.
Pricing for the 2013 Viper hasn't been announced. The previous hardtop was priced just under $100,000. It is expected to go on sale this fall.
"We can't legally stop someone who's sold a Viper in the past from selling it, but we can make it a little difficult because we know that there's going to be a new breed of customer coming," Gilles said. "So we want to make sure they have a great experience."
David Kelleher, chairman of the Chrysler National Dealer Council and a dealer in suburban Philadelphia, said the car's limited production run would not allow for each of the automaker's 2,400 dealerships to have one.
Chrysler has not said how many Vipers it intends to build each year. The Viper's best year was 2003, when Dodge sold 2,103 Vipers in the United States.
Kelleher added: "For the dealers that it makes sense with," Chrysler is "going to be very transparent and lay out how much it's going to cost for the whole program and what their allocation is going to be."

Pretty much the same. The car was on a SRT rubber pad, slightly larger than the car with SRT displayed on the front of the pad. The saleman had been to school and really tried hard to hold a decent conversation and share his experiences. I'd classify him as naive but trying to represent SRT. IMO, he had no Viper background therefore could not understand and organize all his exposure at school into meaningful experiences. Much of it a blur to him? I wasn't kidding about suggesting the Liang book as required reading for sales people. The show room was small and cramped with lots of Dodge/Jeep products on display. The Viper was tucked over in a corner. The Viper did not have a place of prominence nor was it drawing traffic. Pretty much ignored by all others in the show room, customers and sales people alike. IMO, one and all did not understand the Viper, nor were they interested in it. From his actions and words, the sales manager was completely clueless about the Viper except about expecting the extra $25k as his due. Not what I would call a class experience. This dealer may well be succesful selling Dodges/Jeeps and maybe even other SRT products. The Viper appeared to be an after thought, certainly not a halo product.

 

[I Bin Therbefor]

"For me, I've always liked the class of war ship called a battle cruiser. The Viper fits." ???? Isn't that the Corvette?

Absolutely NOT.

"The first reference to a corvette was with the French Navy in the 1670s, which may be where the term originated. The Royal Navy did not use the term until after the Napoleonic Wars to describe a small unrated vessel somewhat larger than a sloop."

"A battlecruiser, or battle cruiser, was a large capital ship built in the first half of the 20th century. They were similar in size and cost to a battleship, and typically carried the same kind of heavy guns as a battleship, but battlecruisers generally carried less armour, were lighter, and were faster."

See USS ALASKA

 

[commandomatt]

Pretty much the same. The car was on a SRT rubber pad, slightly larger than the car with SRT displayed on the front of the pad. The saleman had been to school and really tried hard to hold a decent conversation and share his experiences. I'd classify him as naive but trying to represent SRT. IMO, he had no Viper background therefore could not understand and organize all his exposure at school into meaningful experiences. Much of it a blur to him? I wasn't kidding about suggesting the Liang book as required reading for sales people. The show room was small and cramped with lots of Dodge/Jeep products on display. The Viper was tucked over in a corner. The Viper did not have a place of prominence nor was it drawing traffic. Pretty much ignored by all others in the show room, customers and sales people alike. IMO, one and all did not understand the Viper, nor were they interested in it. From his actions and words, the sales manager was completely clueless about the Viper except about expecting the extra $25k as his due. Not what I would call a class experience. This dealer may well be succesful selling Dodges/Jeeps and maybe even other SRT products. The Viper appeared to be an after thought, certainly not a halo product.

In regards to the 'old school' Chrysler dealerships........You can not polish a **** !!

Matt

 

[ViperSmith]

Pretty much the same. The car was on a SRT rubber pad, slightly larger than the car with SRT displayed on the front of the pad. The saleman had been to school and really tried hard to hold a decent conversation and share his experiences. I'd classify him as naive but trying to represent SRT. IMO, he had no Viper background therefore could not understand and organize all his exposure at school into meaningful experiences. Much of it a blur to him? I wasn't kidding about suggesting the Liang book as required reading for sales people. The show room was small and cramped with lots of Dodge/Jeep products on display. The Viper was tucked over in a corner. The Viper did not have a place of prominence nor was it drawing traffic. Pretty much ignored by all others in the show room, customers and sales people alike. IMO, one and all did not understand the Viper, nor were they interested in it. From his actions and words, the sales manager was completely clueless about the Viper except about expecting the extra $25k as his due. Not what I would call a class experience. This dealer may well be succesful selling Dodges/Jeeps and maybe even other SRT products. The Viper appeared to be an after thought, certainly not a halo product.

These dealers see this as a transaction and not a relationship. That is what SRT is up against. They want to get their hands on as much money as possible. Without realizing, that person buying the Viper maybe looking for a Grand Cherokee for his wife or a 3500 RAM to haul the Viper in.

So short sighted they can't see past their nose.

 

[67PLY]

Absolutely NOT.

"The first reference to a corvette was with the French Navy in the 1670s, which may be where the term originated. The Royal Navy did not use the term until after the Napoleonic Wars to describe a small unrated vessel somewhat larger than a sloop."

"A battlecruiser, or battle cruiser, was a large capital ship built in the first half of the 20th century. They were similar in size and cost to a battleship, and typically carried the same kind of heavy guns as a battleship, but battlecruisers generally carried less armour, were lighter, and were faster."

See USS ALASKA

Hey my dad was on the USS Alaska!

 

[I Bin Therbefor]

Hey my dad was on the USS Alaska!

My absolutely very favorite WWII warship.

 

[BigDawg]

In regards to the 'old school' Chrysler dealerships........You can not polish a **** !!

Matt

True, but you can apply lacquer to it!

 

[SADVIPER]

Too many dealers added mark up and too many dealers are well-below "promised standards"
Not that it's not expected but Ralph's expectations were a notch very high.