Is this true or not about the new viper?

[Paul Hawker]

Believe it is still just too early for dealers to benefit from giving test drives to people that just walk into their dealerships cold. The forums are filled with Vipers being damaged from employee drives in customer cars.

If they were giving out free test drives to everybody with a Motor Trend subscription the line would be out the door, and down the block.

Try calling their bluff, and offering to buy the car subject to a ride. Put down some refundable cash, and sign the contract. Bet they offer you a ride.

In several months, the dealerships will loosen up their requirements, but right not expecting a little joy ride is perhaps asking too much.

Maybe if you go to your local club meeting, someone will offer you a ride in their personal car.

For existing Viper owners SRT has been pretty good about offering drives to members.

 

[Mamba52]

Well you would think a guy driving in with a Viper that he bought at the same dealer cash would be able to test drive the red(test drive GTS) with a shi&@ paint job but nope. SRT fix this before you have 1,000 Vipers sitting on there on the lots collecting dust!!!!!! I'm still looking for a new car 108k to 120k.

 

[PeerBlock]

Well you would think a guy driving in with a Viper that he bought at the same dealer cash would be able to test drive the red(test drive GTS) with a shi&@ paint job but nope. SRT fix this before you have 1,000 Vipers sitting on there on the lots collecting dust!!!!!! I'm still looking for a new car 108k to 120k.

Try to think of this from a dealer's perspective. You have a $100K+ car that is going to attract a whole lot of "browsers" and wannabes. Each one wants to "test" it but has probably never driven anything close to it. Not only is it risking the car itself, but the the browsers who have no intention of buying it could very well damage or crash the car. Even if you already bought and own a viper, there is no assurance that you will buy a new one and the risk to the dealer by letting you drive one remains the same.

Dealers don't need to move volume on a car like the Viper...in fact having it sit on their lots can be an asset since you can say 'come and see it' in your ads to get people in the door then sell them on something else. What SRT should do (and I think they already do this) is have a program where people can sign up, pay a reasonable fee and drive all SRT vehicles including the viper in a controlled environment.

 

[SRTviper]

Try to think of this from a dealer's perspective. You have a $100K+ car that is going to attract a whole lot of "browsers" and wannabes. Each one wants to "test" it but has probably never driven anything close to it. Not only is it risking the car itself, but the the browsers who have no intention of buying it could very well damage or crash the car. Even if you already bought and own a viper, there is no assurance that you will buy a new one and the risk to the dealer by letting you drive one remains the same.

Dealers don't need to move volume on a car like the Viper...in fact having it sit on their lots can be an asset since you can say 'come and see it' in your ads to get people in the door then sell them on something else. What SRT should do (and I think they already do this) is have a program where people can sign up, pay a reasonable fee and drive all SRT vehicles including the viper in a controlled environment.

Ok where does SRT do this? Point it out please and I will pay the fee

 

[swexlin]

SRT Experience at tracks around the country. Included on the sticker when you purchase any new SRT vehicle, or, you can pay a $500 fee to attend. At least, that's what it was back in 07 when I bought my Charger SRT8. At that time, we only drove the Vipers (they were 06 Coupes) on the infield course at Pocono, but it was still fun. Then, SRT discontinued allowing people to drive the Vipers the last couple years, but you got ride alongs with the instructors.

Not sure now if they will start allowing particpants to drive the Vipers again now that the Gen V is out.

 

[ViperSmith]

Sorry, but a $100k car isn't much special. There are plenty of cars that cost the same and more. The price range is simply nothing exclusive which dealers seem to think it is

Walk into any Porsche dealership and they will let you drive anything that costs more than the most expensive GTS.

It is a simple fact: they are still dodge dealerships.

Same with the GT-R. They are kids trying to play in the big leagues and are outgunned on experience.

There is nothing of values that these dealers provide that warrant the price above invoice, let alone their stupid ADM. No wonder the cars aren't moving - SRT has a (largely) terrible dealer network. Unless something happens, I see the viper had a short lived experiment. The dealers simply are going to ruin it, because they simply don't care.

 

[swexlin]

ViperSmith speaks the truth, and I have to agree with him.

 

[ViperSmith]

Then again, to be fair, not all brands are better.

Family friend stopped at Lexus who had an LFA on the floor. He wanted to buy it - but they told him it wasn't for sale... That the dealership owned it... What kind of profit generating enterprise won't sell a product?

So, he bought the McLaren instead.

So, again, even higher end brands don't get it either.

SRT is in a weird spot since most Dodges cost no where near to what their cars cost. So, really - what draw can the Viper have? Most coming to buy the Viper probably won't be considering anything else on the floor.

Then again, if Ralph wants to attract that "different kind of buyer" then he won't with these dealers. When Porsche et al throw keys at you and Dodge fences off the cars that cost less - you aren't going to get many with cash to burn behind the wheels.

Not everyone is going to be like me, who has never even sat in a Viper ordering a Gen V.

Uphill is an understatement. This even discounts fulfillment issues.

 

[PeerBlock]

Ok where does SRT do this? Point it out please and I will pay the fee

http://www.drivesrt.com/srt-track-experience/

Sorry, but a $100k car isn't much special. There are plenty of cars that cost the same and more. The price range is simply nothing exclusive which dealers seem to think it is

Walk into any Porsche dealership and they will let you drive anything that costs more than the most expensive GTS.

It is a simple fact: they are still dodge dealerships.

Same with the GT-R. They are kids trying to play in the big leagues and are outgunned on experience.

There is nothing of values that these dealers provide that warrant the price above invoice, let alone their stupid ADM. No wonder the cars aren't moving - SRT has a (largely) terrible dealer network. Unless something happens, I see the viper had a short lived experiment. The dealers simply are going to ruin it, because they simply don't care.

That's all a matter of perspective. You have a lot more exclusivity in a $120k Viper than you will in a $120K ZR1 or a $160K Porshe 911, especially in Stryker Red since it's not available after 2013 from what I've heard.

I do agree that SRT needs some better brand differentiation to match their higher vehicle prices, but I hope they never become as pretentious and ******* as a porshe dealership. Can't see too many viper enthusiasts complaining about the lack of mochalattefaggiotos and crumpets at the Dodge dealer.

 

[ViperSmith]

http://www.drivesrt.com/srt-track-experience/



That's all a matter of perspective. You have a lot more exclusivity in a $120k Viper than you will in a $120K ZR1 or a $160K Porshe 911, especially in Stryker Red since it's not available after 2013 from what I've heard.

I do agree that SRT needs some better brand differentiation to match their higher vehicle prices, but I hope they never become as pretentious and ******* as a porshe dealership. Can't see too many viper enthusiasts complaining about the lack of mochalattefaggiotos and crumpets at the Dodge dealer.

All of which doesn't really matter when dealers can't move cars. The smart dealers are the ones getting them in, discounting them, and getting them off their lots. The ones that are trying to be greedy are the ones who will have 2013 models on their floors when 2014 rolls around.

This would be a different story if it were like the 458 Spider, where there is a 3 year wait list. Or the 991TT/S where they are all allocated already.

The Viper is a niche car, it isn't a car everyone wants. Dealers still haven't figured this out.

I'd rather have "pretentious and *******" like Porsche that actually wants to sell me a car than what I've gotten from local Dodge dealers - which is a faux pretentious attitude. Guess what, their next sale will be a Dart, congrats.

I know I am coming off snobby, but whatever. It is reality. SRT wants to play in the big leagues with people who buy expensive toys, the majority of their dealers simply can't sell to this market.

 

[DMan]

Well it's always been like this. Years and years ago, we went to Porshe, I had a 930 and wanted to see thelatest & greatest, they just tossed me the keys and we went out. But I was looking for something different. Went from there to a Dodge dealer and wented to drive a Stealth TT and the were "no". I asked for the mgr, I even said you can run my credit but I'd really like to try the car as I was a cash buyer, etc. They snickered at me. My wife just about lost it, I found it funny ( alittle annoying too). The owner came out and asked what was up and he gave me the keys to the one he was driving. But what a big deal just to do a test drive on the cheapest car I was considering. It may be our area in MD/DC or something but Dodge dealers seem snarky and used-car stereotypical for some reason. It wouldn't keep from buying a Viper (or three, lol), but it can be a pain on warranty work & when you're just trying to shop for their product. I feel sorry for SRT that they have to rely on dealers like those, but SRT is at the mercy of a few masters, it's just amazing we have a '13 Viper.

 

[v10enomous]

People are screened automatically at a Porsche dealer by the entry level price of their cars. The dodge dealer has to **** out the guys that can't pass the credit check for a Dart.

 

[chorps]

People are screened automatically at a Porsche dealer by the entry level price of their cars. The dodge dealer has to **** out the guys that can't pass the credit check for a Dart.

Yeah the dealership experience is a dog's breakfast, but it's not all on the dealership's end, Chrysler/Dodge/SRT shoulders some of that blame.

95% of the people walking into a Porsche dealership will be financially qualified to buy a $50k SUV or toy as a minimum.
95% of the people walking into a Dodge dealership will be unable to qualify for buying a $50K car/truck/SUV.

So what do you think the sales people/manager/dealer principal is going to expect from their average walk-in at each type of dealership? Bringing in a car that costs multiples of your average product is always a tough sell (see ViperSmith's LF-A anecdote), and filtering out who is a genuine buyer can be out of the expectation/training of the staff.

As tough as it was bringing back the Viper to production status, it could be the marketing and sales that is even tougher for Ralph and crew to manage.