Gen 5 viper value retention after 2017 brand discontinuing

[lotus425]

Currently in the market for a $100,000 fun sports car. My plan is to buy used and swap car every 3 years with minimal loss on depreciation to keep the car hobby fun and financially sensible. The Gen 5 viper has been my top choice followed by Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 997 GT3, Audi R8, corvette Z06, Lotus Evora and Nissan GTR. Among the list of choices, seems like the 997GT3 and Nissan GTR retains value the best in the used car market.
Viper's value, performance and exclusivity is hard to beat. However the news about the Dodge brand discontinuing the Viper model after 2017 over an air bag design issue concerns me regarding the used car value of Gen 5 viper after 3 years of ownership.
Will the Gen 5 viper become an ultimate collector item due to its rarity, racetrack performance record, and retain its value after 2017? Will the used viper market plummet after 2017 like the Hummer brand of H2, H3 SUV due to lack of parts availability and factory support of discontinued models.
What's your thoughts and opinion about long term ownership of Gen5 Viper after its extinction after 2017? The current car is much more complicated than Gen 1/2/3/4 viper with computer and complicated electric systems. Parts availability, lack of service facility and competent independent mechanics concerns me.

 

[MerlinsGarage]

Buy it to drive. Not to make or retain investment.

 

[99sh]

Look at the previous gen viper when it went extinct. Did it become a collector?

Buy it to drive it. There will more than likely be a next gen viper and history will repeat itself.

 

[Flylow]

Sounds like you should get the Nissan - and not drive it.

 

[denniskgb]

You should invest in real estate not a car, my friend if you happen to have that kind of mind set. safe to assume you drive a lotus right now?

 

[lotus425]

denniskgb: Good guess. Current owner of Lotus Exige, Acura NSX, and Porsche 997. Want to keep the current cars and add a more raw and exotic car to the line up. Actually tried the Nissan GTR for a few months and quickly got rid of it due to a transmission problem. I put so little miles on my cars over the years. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and sell every sports car and buy the Gen 5 viper or C7 Zo6 Corvetter as my only weekend car. These outstanding American cars are the best performance bargains of recent years with track record and proper racing pedigree. Totally understand the car hobby is not an investment. Got a healthy real estate and stock portfolio over the years. Just don't want my cars to become a blood bath when it comes time to part with them. The responsible side of me still vouch for a good value when I make purchasing decisions.

 

[steve e]

Cars,Boats,Woman=Blood bath, no way around it.

 

[GRANGER73]

Investment? FordGT Hhands down!

 

[Zee]

denniskgb: Good guess. Current owner of Lotus Exige, Acura NSX, and Porsche 997. Want to keep the current cars and add a more raw and exotic car to the line up. Actually tried the Nissan GTR for a few months and quickly got rid of it due to a transmission problem. I put so little miles on my cars over the years. Perhaps I should just bite the bullet and sell every sports car and buy the Gen 5 viper or C7 Zo6 Corvetter as my only weekend car. These outstanding American cars are the best performance bargains of recent years with track record and proper racing pedigree. Totally understand the car hobby is not an investment. Got a healthy real estate and stock portfolio over the years. Just don't want my cars to become a blood bath when it comes time to part with them. The responsible side of me still vouch for a good value when I make purchasing decisions.

I also have a 2000 NSX. It's awesome if you buy a car at the right time for the right price, that you won't lose a cent...in fact, you can make money (NSX values are creeping up a lot lately). I had a Gen II viper for a few years that I also did not lose a dime on. I am in the market for a used Gen V - be patient, there are deals out there.

 

[lotus425]

Friend of mine scored an early Gen 5 viper for $80,000. What a deal. Gen 5 viper offers a lot of car for the money. It looks so mean on the street there's nothing quite like it. Don't feel safe parking a Ferrari and Lamborghini at the mall, shopping centre parking lot. Much like my Lotus, Viper can be great weekend fun car that can multi task as track car, dinner car, and short commute. Being an American car, the viper shouldn't have to worry about vandalism and negative connotation from haters who single out exotic Italian car ownership.

 

[pitdad]

It's anyones guess what will happen to the cars value and probably not a great investment for the sake of investment (not many new cars are for that matter).
It's not unusual for prices to drop after a brand or model is dropped, but Viper is a special vehicle and I'm not sure anyone knows what to expect.

I've always wanted a Viper and unless something unexpected happens, I will keep mine because it's an awesome vehicle and fun to D-R-I-V-E.

I'm not really concerned about service or parts support because of the warranty and extended warranty through Dodge.

Consider the following:

The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1975 and is the federal statute that governs warranties on consumer products.

It provides:
- Vehicle manufacturers must be able to provide parts during the term of a warranty made at the time of sale.
- Vehicle makers could choose not to do so, but then they would be required to provide a replacement vehicle or a full refund of the vehicle cost (not likely).

The standard warranty on a Viper is 3 yr/36,000 mi basic, 5 yr/60,000 mi on the powertrain. I planned to keep the vehicle and purchased the extended warranty 5 years 100K.

If the Viper is manufactured through the end of 2017, then we should easily have support through the end of 2020 before having to seek third party support.

Hopefully Dodge will be smart enough not to alienate their fan base.

While typing this, it made me wonder how they supported earlier models when they suspended manufacturing last time. Anyone have experience with that?

I say buy it and drive it. It'll make you smile.

In response to your last post....I don't leave my Viper sitting in parking lots anywhere. I don't have experience with Euro exotics, but I can tell you the Viper is a one car parade that gets attention.

 

[Snakize]

Currently in the market for a $100,000 fun sports car. My plan is to buy used and swap car every 3 years with minimal loss on depreciation to keep the car hobby fun and financially sensible. The Gen 5 viper has been my top choice followed by Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 997 GT3, Audi R8, corvette Z06, Lotus Evora and Nissan GTR. Among the list of choices, seems like the 997GT3 and Nissan GTR retains value the best in the used car market.

Ask yourself what you'd be willing to pay more for in a used car. Would a well-kept Gen V be worth a perceived "premium" over the values claimed by places like KBB or NADA, or not? Personally, I think any $100K+ sports car is going to be fun. In the six-figure price range people usually consider brand and style just as much as they do the underlying car...so if you like the Gen V then go with it.

Resale value depends on a lot of things, not the least of which what someone is willing to pay for it. If you were just going to do dealer trade-ins then you're going to lose out on each transaction. If you are willing to sell the car and find a good buyer you'll probably be able to break even or at least keep losses in check.

Viper's value, performance and exclusivity is hard to beat. However the news about the Dodge brand discontinuing the Viper model after 2017 over an air bag design issue concerns me regarding the used car value of Gen 5 viper after 3 years of ownership.
Will the Gen 5 viper become an ultimate collector item due to its rarity, racetrack performance record, and retain its value after 2017? Will the used viper market plummet after 2017 like the Hummer brand of H2, H3 SUV due to lack of parts availability and factory support of discontinued models.

Nobody can answer this question without access to a functional time machine. Perhaps visiting the DeLorean forums will give you better insights.

What's your thoughts and opinion about long term ownership of Gen5 Viper after its extinction after 2017? The current car is much more complicated than Gen 1/2/3/4 viper with computer and complicated electric systems. Parts availability, lack of service facility and competent independent mechanics concerns me.

As a current owner who is regrettably putting his Gen 5 on the market, I can say that in my 2+ years of owning the car it has been great with zero complaints. Service quality depends on the dealers in your area. Where I live, the dealership has a dedicated "viper guy" who seems to be well informed. Reliability as an "everyday driver" is something the Viper has that its competitors don't. How many other cars putting out NA 640 HP can be driven daily without requiring frequent tune-ups. Can't do that with the italian brands. Did you see the youtube video where a late-model lambo bursts into flames after sitting in traffic for a bit? Doesn't happen with vipers.

 

[MerlinsGarage]

Investment? FordGT Hhands down!

Have to agree with this.

 

[FrankBarba]

The only US built car that has kept it's value....FordGT. If you looking at one of these as an investment and drive sparingly give me a shout. 2005 FGT 2K miles..White / Blue under 300K.

 

[MerlinsGarage]

That price will look like a bargain in a couple of years. There is not a car collector on planet earth that doesn't want one of these in the corral. And there is an exponential number of collectors than cars.

Sorry..............back to the thread subject.

The great thing about the Gen 5, or any Viper for that matter is exclusivity. You only see in a great while and never the same color, Gen etc.

And if you own one, you will never pass yourself on the road.

 

[MerlinsGarage]

Cars,Boats,Woman=Blood bath, no way around it.

...................flies floats or F#@% s.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

With the number of pure Collectors who have been in contact with us , believe there will be major demand in years to come. Kind of funny concerning your comment on American Cars, Frank, when you have another that still is the Holy Grail to many --- 98 GTSR, and they have held there own over the years , quite well.

 

[doctorbob]

Not to be off topic....Bill are these "collectors" all after ACR-Es ?

 

[FrankBarba]

Hey Bill....I have under 1K miles on my 1998 GTS R. All paperwork, pictures, documents and full folder.
With all the collectors calling in you should have no problem selling my car.
If you would like to Cosign i'm all for it. It you would like to purchase for resale that would be fine also. Please let me
know via email [email protected]. We will take this off line....Thank you for your input.

 

[Policy Limits]

The last car made with a naturally aspirated V10 and manual transmission. .......I'll just leave this here.

 

[georgiadawgs]

I have a 2013 Lotus Evora and I'm seriously thinking replacing it with a 2016 Viper SRT. I love my Evora and it is my second Lotus, I had a Lotus 2011 Elise R that after 3 yrs I was able to sell it for a 5K profit. Well, this only happened because 2011 was the last year of the Elise in the US and there is no replacement for it. However, today the few remaining 2011 Elise R are selling high but not for profit.

There are only 1,216 Lotus Evora in the US (2010-2014) the Evora lacks power (NA 280hp, S 345hp) for a weight of 3,179 lbs, in the other hand the Viper is 3,300 lbs with 645hp! its also very unique and so far I've never seen the last generation anywhere on the road. My Lotus Evora looks very exotic and very refined but the Viper looks BAD ASS!

 

[ROCKGT]

Super nice angle, Evora looks very exotic.
Will they really kill the Viper name ? I don't think so... besides, they have many cars competing worldwide.

 

[Free2go]

That Lotus seems like it would be a nice little take the wife on a date car.

 

[georgiadawgs]

Here is another angle of my Evora...I still really want a Viper though!

 

[georgiadawgs]

I think a 2016 Viper is also a nice take the wife to a date car and it looks bad ass

 

[Bonkers]

If youre looking to buy a Viper in the hopes of making money
(or possibly breaking even) then youre buying it for the
wrong reasons. Owning a Viper is like taking a drinking trip
to Tijuana - when its said and done you'll have lost the shirt
off your back, but hot damn - what a story youll have to tell
the grandkids (when mommys not around of course .)

 

[seangts]

Of the cars you listed, a 3 pedal Gallardo will be your safest bet for value retention but a GenV Viper will be the best driver of the lot

 

[SRT10]

All the 2017 final editions sold out in days. The Viper 1.28 edition sold out in 40 min! Collectable? You decide!

 

[SRT10]

The only US built car that has kept it's value....FordGT..

I love the new 2017 Ford GT. Gave the Corvettes a spanking at LeMans. But there are many classic American built cars that have far surpassed their value.
Here's a nice video on my favorite, the Hemi Cuda

https://youtu.be/W5tQm8HBB2Y[h=1][/h]

 

[ViperJeff]

I think you just answered your own question, in decad s, we will know that answer