black mamba1
Enthusiast
Several reasons activity and participation has fallen off. To sum it up....nobody in the hard-core Viper world listens.
1. Underwhelming power and stats for the Gen V. 1/4 mile times are the standard bearer for the definition of a Super Car. Its funny how die hard Viper guys say that stat is not important for a track car...yet many of those same die hard Viper guys have their best 1/4 mile times posted in their signature...I won't name any na--"cough cough -panoff"-es....but just saying. 99% of the sports car world use 1/4 times to judge a sports cars "badass" rating. But for some strange reason...Viper guys do not...including the Viper engineers. Well go ahead and ignore the public and thats how you end up reducing production of the Gen V and then having to come back and reduce the price to sell cars. Viper needs to get their head out of the f*cking ass and start listening to people. The current Gen V runs the 1/4 mile slower than most C6 Zr1's. The Challenger Hellcat has brought more respect to the Dodge brand than the Gen 5 Viper.....that should tell you something. But for die hard Viper guys...that stat is meaningless in the sports car world.
Dumb. Just dumb.
2. Underwhelming Retro-design: Its really difficult to tell a Gen V from a Gen 2 from a distance...and those two models are only about a decade removed. No designer in their right f*cking mind goes back to a design that's only 10 years removed from the new design. That sends several wrong messages...that says to a newcomer to the Viper world...."Geez...they want me to pay $140,000 for a car that looks almost just like a car from 2002 that is selling for $40,000? I aint doing that." It also says the Gen 3 and Gen 4 designs were really a mistake and a deviation of what a Viper should really look like. So...you've alienated many of your Gen 3 and Gen 4 owners and given your new Gen 5 potential buyers the problem of paying 6 figures for a car that looks 20 years old when it passes you by on the road.
Dumb...just dumb.
3. Not enough diversity in the group. I love a nice debate just as much as the next guy, be it politics, cars, women, or sports. But this group is very heavily tilted to the right wing politically and I've read posts about our current President bordering on hatred or possibly even racism, and there are few countervailing views to address or challenge all the animus. I know for a fact that has turned many folks away from the group....they have reached out to me and told me so.
4. The problem of fewer Viper owners is now feeding on itself. Since you have more GTR, Porsche, even Lamborghini owners...and practically a Corvette nation....people are having more fun with larger groups and networking with, partying with, racing with, and simply having a better overall experience in other car clubs. There is more diversity and just more people in general and more stuff to do and you don't have to drive a gazillion miles to do it...and many of these people are former Viper Club of America guys.
And unless and until Viper engineers/designers do something as insane and profound with a Gen 6 or ACR-x Viper as Dodge did with the Challenger and Charger Hellcat....this trend of fewer folks involved, fewer owners you can relate to, and less Viper stuff to do....will continue.
But guess what I have been saying this FOR YEARS. And guess what? No one listens....and thats just
Dumb. Just dumb.
1. Underwhelming power and stats for the Gen V. 1/4 mile times are the standard bearer for the definition of a Super Car. Its funny how die hard Viper guys say that stat is not important for a track car...yet many of those same die hard Viper guys have their best 1/4 mile times posted in their signature...I won't name any na--"cough cough -panoff"-es....but just saying. 99% of the sports car world use 1/4 times to judge a sports cars "badass" rating. But for some strange reason...Viper guys do not...including the Viper engineers. Well go ahead and ignore the public and thats how you end up reducing production of the Gen V and then having to come back and reduce the price to sell cars. Viper needs to get their head out of the f*cking ass and start listening to people. The current Gen V runs the 1/4 mile slower than most C6 Zr1's. The Challenger Hellcat has brought more respect to the Dodge brand than the Gen 5 Viper.....that should tell you something. But for die hard Viper guys...that stat is meaningless in the sports car world.
Dumb. Just dumb.
2. Underwhelming Retro-design: Its really difficult to tell a Gen V from a Gen 2 from a distance...and those two models are only about a decade removed. No designer in their right f*cking mind goes back to a design that's only 10 years removed from the new design. That sends several wrong messages...that says to a newcomer to the Viper world...."Geez...they want me to pay $140,000 for a car that looks almost just like a car from 2002 that is selling for $40,000? I aint doing that." It also says the Gen 3 and Gen 4 designs were really a mistake and a deviation of what a Viper should really look like. So...you've alienated many of your Gen 3 and Gen 4 owners and given your new Gen 5 potential buyers the problem of paying 6 figures for a car that looks 20 years old when it passes you by on the road.
Dumb...just dumb.
3. Not enough diversity in the group. I love a nice debate just as much as the next guy, be it politics, cars, women, or sports. But this group is very heavily tilted to the right wing politically and I've read posts about our current President bordering on hatred or possibly even racism, and there are few countervailing views to address or challenge all the animus. I know for a fact that has turned many folks away from the group....they have reached out to me and told me so.
4. The problem of fewer Viper owners is now feeding on itself. Since you have more GTR, Porsche, even Lamborghini owners...and practically a Corvette nation....people are having more fun with larger groups and networking with, partying with, racing with, and simply having a better overall experience in other car clubs. There is more diversity and just more people in general and more stuff to do and you don't have to drive a gazillion miles to do it...and many of these people are former Viper Club of America guys.
And unless and until Viper engineers/designers do something as insane and profound with a Gen 6 or ACR-x Viper as Dodge did with the Challenger and Charger Hellcat....this trend of fewer folks involved, fewer owners you can relate to, and less Viper stuff to do....will continue.
But guess what I have been saying this FOR YEARS. And guess what? No one listens....and thats just
Dumb. Just dumb.