How many would rather see the Viper become extinct?

[Tom F&L GoR]

The Viper should have it's own engine. I don't care if it's souped up or not, at least now when I look over at the 4 door sedans with the Hemi badge on them, I know my car IS NOT like theirs!!!

Don't you Texans have the same V10 in a Ram truck? We have them in NY!

We're thinking like the owner of the car and not owner of the business. To keep costs manageable the new owner will have to steal as much as possible from the parts bin to have any chance to relate to the previous Viper. A separate engine that they have to maintain, develop, requalify, etc will be too expensive.

The HEMI used in the Viper could be the SRT supercharged version that doesn't come in the Challenger (or truck.) Good idea, the GT used a 5.0L, and it was supercharged. The newest Z06 (or whatever it's called) doesn't use a different engine, it's also supercharged current V8. It would be like the GLHS - another (good) throwback.

What would a supercharged HEMI be, around 525? We're in the same power-weight ratio then?

 

[dave6666]

Don't you Texans have the same V10 in a Ram truck? We have them in NY!

We're thinking like the owner of the car and not owner of the business.

Of course I'm aware of the SRT10 truck. But that's an apples-oranges thing. A 4 door sedan with the Viper platform engine is a apples-apples thing.

Also, I'm thinking like a car enthusiast as opposed to a business enthusiast because well, you guessed it, I'm a car enthusiast!

 

[Coloviper]

What if the Viper had a supercharged version of the 426 (stroked 6.1L) SRT Hemi motor like those prototypes that are currently running around out there right now? THAT would be pretty special at 625+ HP, only 426 cid out there and the only supercharged 625+hp SRT V8 motor made.

At least then it would sound powerful and not like a choked lawn mower coming down the street. Don't get me wrong, my Bellanger set-up really woke my car up from a sound point of view, but it still doesn't sound as good as my 6.1L SRT Jeep that I had at the time. Sorry but a V8 just sounds better.

I love my 06' SRT10 Coupe (more so that the GEN2 cars, though the GEN2 cars appeal to me equally too, just differently) , but what if they brought back the curvatious body panels like the cobra, and early GEN1s and GEN2s on the new car? Would that alone be enough to win over buyers of a new style Cobra enough to be viable?

What if they turned the car into more of a GT car with paddle shift trannys, electronic gizmos, sound deadening, etc? Would that win over buyers? For every old school Viper owner they lose, tbey could gain two new syle Viper owners and still sell cars. If it is about money and sales, is keeping old school and thumbing the noses at what the "majority" of the buying public wants these days a good thing or Custards last stand? The Viper is NOT just a V10. The Viper is a look and attitude. The parts underneath are immaterial. The V-10 is NOT why I bought my Viper. I bought it for the looks and style and limited production, so to speak. The Viper was made possible by the Cobra, and other cars before it. It was an evolution of those cars into a Viper.

If current Viper owners finally embraced the fact that the car has to "evolve" and understand that maybe we have to push a button everytime we get in the car to disengage the traction control to get what we want and let the brand live, or that we have to "suffer" with a 625HP supercharged V8, just so that car can live on without a V-10 and still pass emissions, then maybe we would not be in this situation.

My opinion is the style of car can live on and evlove as it has before the Viper, but kill the Viper name. The Viper name stood for something that can not happen anymore today due to economoy, government regulations and standards, politically correct or whatever. The same went for the Cobra in the 60s. Use what you can from the existing DNA created, call it a completely new name and brand like a Raptor or a Venom or a Boas or Python or Rattler, .......whatever.

I think if Dodge's only way out is kill it or sell it, they should sell the car, engineering, etc. but kill the name. Viper is what it stood for. It's just a name, but the name should not live on. The basic car has lived on as various other names prior. Anyone who doesn't think that those first 500 Vipers that were sold were not sold mainly on the fact that it was a modern day Cobra is delusional.

 

[trojewski]

What about an owner-lead buy-out? It has worked in the aircraft (GA) industry. Might work here.

 

[Mopar Boy]

Coloviper,

I agree with the name change but, from the buyers perspective (of the "brand", not the individual car), they are buying the name. They is basically buying a proven name in the performance car world. If they were to change the name, they may as well create their own brand from scratch and not buy the Viper in the first place. Now they are back to a nobody. So much eisier in the marketing eye to continue something that was previously started.

I agree with you though. If Cerberous sells out, the new people should change the name and let the Viper RIP as a Dodge name.

This subject makes me so sad....

Robert

 

[adamlotus]

i say stop production.they made alot of them,plenty of used vipers out there and will hopefully stabilize the prices,than owning one for 1 year loose 30k and maybe hold there values.

 

[Coloviper]

Robert;

I understand too. It is very sad. However I believe people are buying a Dodge Viper, not just a Viper. As you know there is a big difference when you are talking about a big three factory support company behind it and just a tuner or specialty car.

If everyone knows that the car and all engineering came from Dodge, then the Viper name doesn't matter and that was my point. There is still value there. If they sell it, I really hope the Viper name just stops here. I don't need some Viper Pinto coming out and downpaying the entire line.

 

[kennyhemi]

i know it would never happen, but since the original viper is really a new ford cobra, let ford buy it!!

I think you should be kicked off out of the VCA with that comment

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Someone should ask Carroll Shelby for comments.

 

[chimazo]

I think you should be kicked off out of the VCA with that comment

Really?
Bob Lutz himself acknowledges that his inspiration came from the original Cobra. He drove an Autokraft Cobra of his own while he was Chrysler Prez and to quote him, "What a shame, I thought, that Chrysler has nothing like this."

"Envisioned as a modern-day homage to the original Cobra 427 S/C, the Dodge Viper RT/10 couldn't be a more appropriate match for Carroll Shelby's rolling monument to excessive force and minimalist comfort." (M/T magazine)

 

[Tiago]

if any of the VIPER recipe changed, it would loose its attractivemess IMO.

if they need to change it, they should just pull the plug.

 

[RTTTTed]

Tiago I disagree. Nothing stays the same as everything changes. The only thing we can do is insist on GOOD changes. Changes that WE want. That's what makes the VCA so important to Chrysler. We're their feedback on the Viper and all of the good changes are because we asked for them.

All the other changes are bad and required by the government. Static/no change is death.

Ted

 

[Nine Ball]

I believe people are buying a Dodge Viper, not just a Viper.

I agree. I sure wouldn't buy a Ford Firebird, or a Toyota Corvette. Icon vehicles should go out as icons, period.

 

[Newport Viper]

Maybe these guys will buy it? Then I'm out............

GM has said it is looking at selling its Hummer brand, while Ford sold its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to Indian automaker Tata in June.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

How many would rather see the Viper become extinct?

Staying on topic here, I would hate for the Viper to become extinct. Since I have no desire to sell either of my Vipers I could not care less about investment potential. I drive both my Vipers and I will drive my ACR when I get it. And it will be pulled by a Dodge pickup.

If Dodge stops building Vipers I will have no reason to buy a Chrysler product.

 

[agentf1]

I hate to say it but the writing is on the wall. The Viper is dead. Nobody is going to buy it. Nice GTS's are already getting hard to find. I have been following the market for a while and it is rare that I see a nice GTS for sale anymore. Probably the only good thing that will come from it is prices and demand will go up for these cars with the GTS/RT10's going first and then the SRT coupe and SRT10's will start drying up as people wreck them. Eventually (probably not in my lifetime) they will become like the old Cobra's and it will be rare you see one unless somebody comes out with a Viper Kit car. Other than the increase in value the Viper hobby will eventually be hurt. Thank god I alrady have mine, just wish I could put another one in my garage for later. JMHO

 

[snakeplissken]

Looks like the Vipers days are numbered. I wonder if 09 will be the last year.

 

[RTTTTed]

Looks like the Vipers days are numbered. I wonder if 09 will be the last year.

Even after the Viper NEVER died as predicted for all those years. After it was produced in only 3 years even though that was supposedly impossible, after it has become the "World's fastest Road course car" ... you think it'll die???

Amazing. Did you read about the Ferrari rumor? The Viper has only gotten better since it's inception (except for losing the Gen 2 look). It's faster and could sell for double the price and still blow away Veyrons.

Can't believe you think it'll go down the tubes.

OI imagine the vette must be dead according to your thoughts since it's "just a model and not an actual CAR", it isn't very exclusive, it isn't very fast and their fastest version can't even keep up with a supercharger, the road is covered with vettes and they never seem to win anything?

Since the R8 and the GTR actually have people buying them and they're nothing special I'd say the Viper is the hottest ticket you can buy. Any stocks for sale???

Ted

Ted

 

[sween]

I say let it live!

 

[Camfab]

Do you guys realize how many times the Corvette was on the chopping block at GM? I remember the same articles and stories about GM axing the Vette, but somehow it survived. I predict the same for the Viper.

 

[GTSnake]

The only way the Viper would/should live on if the new owner buys it is if they keep the same original formula. The same formula as the AC Cobra and that is find a lightweight body and stuff in the biggest engine you can. With the Viper, Dodge improved on the formula by putting it in a very stylish package. The new owner needs to keep it the same or else why bother. If they want to build a mid engine, V8, Hemi, whatever they can do it but it wouldn't be a "VIPER".

 

[RTTTTed]

You're right. If someone wanted to build a rear/midships engine they would have been much smarter to buy the Ford GT and redesign the crash/impact garbage so it wouldn't make any sense to buy Viper and then try to make it into a GT. I don't see any company with that much money being stupid enough to try that.

IF someone buys the Viper (it ain't happening yet) then why would they try to improve on the World's Fastest Road Car? They probably have a few years before they will need to upgrade the car to defend the title as it seems no one cares to completely redesign their 'almost' car to beat the ACR.

If I owned the Viper, I'd do something stupid like supercharge the car and add about 300more hp to it. Great for me and a few others, but most Viper buyers would bail and refuse to purchase a car that fast ... I'm sure quite a few of the people that did buy a car like that would make the news because of their spectacular crashes - so you guys can be thankful that I don't have the money to purchase the Viper, LOL.

Haha, I'd build the car with "throwaway Catalytic Convertors" as well.

Ted

Ted