bad viper
Enthusiast
Or any new coupe? Fitzgeralds' told me they are NOT takiing deposits as this is a concept.
is this new coupe going into production?
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VIPER52USA
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Obviously, that was a poor rumor. Anyway, hopefully the comp coupe will be going into production instead.
Not sure where the information is coming from as Fitzgerald's sold out and Dan is now running a performance dealership for used Vipers , etc. I know Dan still has the pulse of what is going on at Dodge, but I guess I am more curious about your statement if this came from an employee at his shop. Dan has a good rep and obviously sold alot of Vipers over the years, but Dodge will be building a Coupe - Viper owners demanded it, and DC is not going to showcase a car at VOI that they just want to parade in front of us. I am assuming this did not come from Dan, as he was one of the founding leaders in the Viper community to get these beasts in folks hands.
Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
Many dealerships are taking deposits. Some have also taken deposits on the ME Four-Twelve, just as an FYI. Is the coupe a reality? ABSOLUTELY. Is it going to the be the coupe that was shown in Dallas? My very humble opinion is no. While it will certainly be similar, don't be surprised to see more Comp Coupe styling cues rather than the abrupt Corvette-style rear end and glass found on the concept. What many people forget is that this car has ALWAYS been referred to with the word "Concept" in the title. Not once has anyone - even the critics - referred to it as the "production" coupe.
This was a prototype mockup done for purposes of review. There is no way on this planet that it is a production car in its current form. Hell, look where the roof attached to the windshield - its an SRT-10 with a hardtop kit!
Think about it: The majority of Viper buyers are previous Viper owners. The SRT-10 (bless it's heart), was never previewed to the Viper community and the results were that the final design was not a home run. A great design to be certain, but the existing Viper owners did not swoon over it as they did with the GTS/R which debuted at Pebble Beach. Result? Coupled with a new (and poor) distribution process (any SRT dealer can get one without having sold it in advance), the sales have been less than spectacular. Rather than make that same mistake again, the CONCEPT coupe made it's debut with it's core audience: Existing Viper owners. Result? Excitement that the coupe is a reality, disappointment that the design wasn't as perfect as one would hope.
The bottom line is that Dodge got EXACTLY what they wanted out of this:
1. Excitement about a coupe from their target market (current Viper owners).
2. HUGE bonus points for showing the Viper owners first before even the car magazines (does anybody else realize how incredibly significant this is?).
3. Instant reviews and feedback on the concept design, both positive and negative. In the world of business this is called a Focus Group - feedback from your actual customer base or target market.
If you remember many of the initial SRT-10 magazine reviews (including an on-line version which got trashed), several actually referenced the feelings of current Viper owners. The result was that ALL reviews gave the car a "10" on performance, but often only a 7 or 8 on looks based on current Viper owners reactions. In other words, the then-current Viper owners had a very real hand in the overall perception of the car. That perception still exists to some degree today, despite the fact that the SRT-10 truly is a kick-ass car.
Get approval from that same group of Viper owners before the coupe design is finalized, and Dodge will have a hit on their hands. And they know it.
This was a prototype mockup done for purposes of review. There is no way on this planet that it is a production car in its current form. Hell, look where the roof attached to the windshield - its an SRT-10 with a hardtop kit!
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Think about it: The majority of Viper buyers are previous Viper owners. The SRT-10 (bless it's heart), was never previewed to the Viper community and the results were that the final design was not a home run. A great design to be certain, but the existing Viper owners did not swoon over it as they did with the GTS/R which debuted at Pebble Beach. Result? Coupled with a new (and poor) distribution process (any SRT dealer can get one without having sold it in advance), the sales have been less than spectacular. Rather than make that same mistake again, the CONCEPT coupe made it's debut with it's core audience: Existing Viper owners. Result? Excitement that the coupe is a reality, disappointment that the design wasn't as perfect as one would hope.
The bottom line is that Dodge got EXACTLY what they wanted out of this:
1. Excitement about a coupe from their target market (current Viper owners).
2. HUGE bonus points for showing the Viper owners first before even the car magazines (does anybody else realize how incredibly significant this is?).
3. Instant reviews and feedback on the concept design, both positive and negative. In the world of business this is called a Focus Group - feedback from your actual customer base or target market.
If you remember many of the initial SRT-10 magazine reviews (including an on-line version which got trashed), several actually referenced the feelings of current Viper owners. The result was that ALL reviews gave the car a "10" on performance, but often only a 7 or 8 on looks based on current Viper owners reactions. In other words, the then-current Viper owners had a very real hand in the overall perception of the car. That perception still exists to some degree today, despite the fact that the SRT-10 truly is a kick-ass car.
Get approval from that same group of Viper owners before the coupe design is finalized, and Dodge will have a hit on their hands. And they know it.
Y2K5SRT,
Well put and assuming that DC's marketing strategy is close to what you predict, then why don't some of the VCA presidents and/or members get together and put together and official communication stating what we want in the new coupe and send it to the "right" person at DC. Granted you will not be able to please everyone'e opinion in a single communication, but at least we let the powers at be know what the generel consensus is in what we want in the new coupe.
If DC respects the Viper owners and the fact that we might be a not so bad representing sample of the Viper customer population, they might just listent to what we have to say. Now there will be economics(cost v. benefit) and demographics variables that DC will need to conisder that we don't currently see, but what better would a company want than its customers to communicate to them that this is what we want in the product and we will buy it. Less of a need for market studies and consultants to guage what the customer wants when your customers are telling you what they want to buy from you right in your face. Agree?
What do you think of this idea?
By the way, they really don't need approval from us because if they seeked that they would have involved customer focus groups in the design of the Coupe from day one. Are you aware if they did this? Herein lies your answer if you know this. Yet I do agree with you that it is a significant step to show Viper owners first, but after what??
My .02!
Well put and assuming that DC's marketing strategy is close to what you predict, then why don't some of the VCA presidents and/or members get together and put together and official communication stating what we want in the new coupe and send it to the "right" person at DC. Granted you will not be able to please everyone'e opinion in a single communication, but at least we let the powers at be know what the generel consensus is in what we want in the new coupe.
If DC respects the Viper owners and the fact that we might be a not so bad representing sample of the Viper customer population, they might just listent to what we have to say. Now there will be economics(cost v. benefit) and demographics variables that DC will need to conisder that we don't currently see, but what better would a company want than its customers to communicate to them that this is what we want in the product and we will buy it. Less of a need for market studies and consultants to guage what the customer wants when your customers are telling you what they want to buy from you right in your face. Agree?
What do you think of this idea?
By the way, they really don't need approval from us because if they seeked that they would have involved customer focus groups in the design of the Coupe from day one. Are you aware if they did this? Herein lies your answer if you know this. Yet I do agree with you that it is a significant step to show Viper owners first, but after what??
My .02!
nohsreg2000
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If their are many changes to come and DC wanted to generate buzz and feedback, I think thats wonderful.
here is my 2 cents.
The front is great, but please oh please give it more of a CC rear. And please offer it in a bunch of colors.(hint i'll buy a black one if it comes though this process looking a lot more like the CC than it does.
here is my 2 cents.
The front is great, but please oh please give it more of a CC rear. And please offer it in a bunch of colors.(hint i'll buy a black one if it comes though this process looking a lot more like the CC than it does.
Well put Chris , and when one looks at DC today,we view a group of extreme risk takers. The entire line is blowing people away with radical designs and almost all are hits.Amazingly DC discussed to some degree with Dealers about the transformation to a rear drive platform and the elimination of front wheel drive vehicles in their upper line automobiles. Gee, I think the 300C and Magnum are unqualified successes and Dealers thought they were nuts. That DC thinks so much of Viper owners they bring a car out to us first to get our impressions, is unheard of even for them, and we should be flattered beyond measure. When folks ask if Dodge is listening, we must wonder if their eyes were open,as they proved their trust in us by presenting the gift to us first. As Chris has stated, the concept car is just that, and though many of the items will carry to production, it was never said to be complete. We have fine tuned things for DC by our constructive comments, but now we must believe and let them forge ahead with our blessings, as a Coupe WILL be produced - hurrah!
SylvanSRT
Enthusiast
Well said Chris I hope you are correct(and I think that DC was test the water). I wonder what they are think now from the live(VOI) and the online revues? And what is the next move or version(personally i hope it more sleek like the CC/GTSR or that red coupe version i saw on some thread(dont know it its photshoped or real). I am one of the people who did not see it in person just to let you know.
MoparMan
Enthusiast
Alot of great points in your post, but I have one question: wasn't the GTS-R a strong preview of the SRT-10? It seems to me that the SRT-10 and the GTS-R share many body lines and styling cues (save for the fact that one is a coupe). The resemblance is particularly strong through the front end of the car and the doors. So why are people so in love with the GTS-R (and Comp Coupe) but not the SRT-10?
Personally, I'd rather see the curves of the Gen I/Gen II come back, but there is obviously no hope of a complete redesign this early into the production cycle of the Gen III.
bad viper
Enthusiast
No it did NOT come from Dan. An Employee there during VI08.
SoFlaSRT
Viper Owner
According to Auto Week,"The car should be in production late next year as an ’06 model."
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100822
http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=100822
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