Keep waiting to hear the big news re SRT surprises at NY Auto Show...

[Edward 96GTS]

but nothing so far has been posted. I thought that the Viper/DC guys were "suggesting" something exciting was in the planning. I remember hearing about winks and nods and giggles about the big news. What's going on?
Ed

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Maybe it was the wheels. Or the SRT-8 Charger. Or the SRT-8 Jeep.

Sigh...

 

[Edward 96GTS]

They were discussing performance enhancements for the VIPER and we get wheels??????
Sigh....

 

[Nsane1]

I'm pretty dissapointed... I've been waiting til this weekend for "the big news" that I heard from a very reliable source (you know who you are!). No, methinks this is related to the color (my source has a pretty wild red car). There is no way DC would roll out the car and not announce, day 1, performance improvements, so, it's gonna be an SRT with a roof glued on, no drive changes.

In other words, its not worth an additional $90k over my 03, and looks the same as my 97 (with admittedly better performance), so time to go cancel the order, since I was waiting on this "great news".

Dissapointed in DC, they make 650 HP benzes, but leave the viper as second/third/fourth best.

 

[Vic]

I got excited once, when we were asked for suggestions for an ultimate Final Edition Gen2. We got red/white paint, and some red stitching on the steering wheel.

I was underwhelmed.

 

[Warfang]

Dissapointed in DC, they make 650 HP benzes, but leave the viper as second/third/fourth best.

Don't get me started. Too many German defenders here. Lesseee now... big article in automobile mag about the new benz SL65 AMG... as a drag racer! Huh? It has 604HP? But I thought certification was soooo expensive. They seem to be able to certify benz's mighty fast. And let's be honest here... car mag writers work closely with manufacturers on what stories to write. Why would there be a huge writeup on a luxo-car as a drag racer when DC just announced their srt-coupe? Here'e a quote: "I find I've turned an 11.8-sec quarter mile at 118mph - with the AC ON and the seat gently massaging my back." Puh-Lease!

I bet it just irked DC that the fastest car in their fleet was an american, so they sought to rectify that. But that can't be right. DC would never short-change their american lines just to make the german lines look better, right? It would make no sense economically, right?

Wrong. They know that there will always be apologists that will buy vipers no matter how little attention dc pays them, and how far behind they get performance/style-wise. Please let me eat some crow for a change and DC pulls a rabbit out of it's hat in NY like they winked and nodded about to appease the apologists. I would love to be proven wrong, but Sunday is coming to a close. Please.... let the children run away in fear!

 

[MAVERICK]

If they were going to make any announcement they wouldn't have hidden the Viper in the back of the room, not even roping it off.

 

[AG98RT10]

All the more reason to keep our Gen 2's and mod them.

Twin turbos from Heffner at 30K is looking better all the time...

 

[STUGOTS]

well MAYBE their trick is theres nothing to reveal????????

Just hear me out on this one.

D.C. says the new coupe is rated at 500hp they never said 500Bhp maybe its at the wheels???

 

[Viper X]

Dreamer!

 

[MAVERICK]

you're really reaching!

 

[Vic]

Maybe the big "SRT surprise" was the Charger, and had nothing to do with the Viper! Or maybe the new fender subleties on the Coupe was the surprise.

 

[vipersrt10]

i hope the wheels are the ones that were on the red coupe and not the blue one.

 

[Warfang]

Monday is here. So will any of the club honchos that rubbed elbows with the DC nodders-n-winkers call them on it? I'm sure biz cards were exchanged, or were they smart enough to remain anonymous?

 

[Toby]

Maybe the big surprise is the whole Viper line is canceled at the end of 2006.

I think the public is speaking already...prices for 96-99 gen 2 GTS's are on the rise and there are very few good ones for sale.

 

[Frank 03SRT]

Yeh, I was waiting too. All the "in the knowers" had me really going in Jan. Thought, "2 months to March isn't long to wait to hear the good news."

I guess rumors are hardly ever right. Those that said they were "in the know" didn't really know, you know? Just say "no" to those that know. (I guess that's enough of that.)

Well, the wait until 2007 will coincide well with the next VOI. That will crank it up a notch.

 

[GTS Dean]

Oh, but we've gotten lots and lots of "wink, wink, smile."

That's all I need. (NOT!)

 

[ledfoot]

(IF) Dodge was going to boost HP in 06,They could'nt announce it or they'd kill the second half of the 05 sales year.....my 2 cents

 

[Warfang]

(IF) Dodge was going to boost HP in 06,They could'nt announce it or they'd kill the second half of the 05 sales year.....my 2 cents

If you can't do something right, you might as well hold off until you can. Who are you going to make happy by having a hp boost in the next year or two? The suckers that spring for the slower model? If you were afraid that ford and gm were going to take too much of the spotlight.... guess what? They STILL did considering the srt-coupe was just left to rot out there without much of a peep from DC. And club honchos with eggs on their faces have just lost their creditbility. I believe the term "stooge" was implied some time ago.

...or is there another auto show we're supposed to wait for? nudge nudge

 

[STUGOTS]

(IF) Dodge was going to boost HP in 06,They could'nt announce it or they'd kill the second half of the 05 sales year.....my 2 cents

THAT may be the way they are thinking.

 

[Rocket65C]

So, speaking of the SL 65 AMG, what is the profit margin on a $180,000 car? When some of the SRT-10's were being sold "below invoice", they had them marked down from $87k to $80k, so I guess there is roughly a 10% mark up on the SRT-10? Does anyone think MB is making $18k on each SL 65 AMG? I sure bet if DC had a choice, they'd rather sell a SL 65 AMG than a SRT-10.

 

[Snakester]

2005 SRT-10 Viper National Base Price (excludes destination charge) MSRP-$81,495 Invioce-$74,236


2005 Mercedes SL65 National Base Price (excludes destination charge) MSRP-$182,100 Invoice-$169,353

 

[vipah]

Anyone know how many SL-65's were sold in 2004?

 

[AG98RT10]

Maybe the big surprise is the whole Viper line is canceled at the end of 2006.

I think the public is speaking already...prices for 96-99 gen 2 GTS's are on the rise and there are very few good ones for sale.

I checked autotrader yesterday and was shocked at asking prices for the few Gen 2's on there...

I think this new coupe coming in at the old HP level is a big lose-lose for Viper lovers. If they raise it next year 50-100 hp, the first group of buyers will be rightly pizzed. (See GM and the first year Z06 for data points) And this year's coupes will be slower than the SRT-10's sitting unsold on dealer lots now (they're heavier so they have to be slower, right?). How does any of this make any sense? Maybe DC is trying to kill of this car...

 

[SteveT]

Not sure how many 2005 SL65 (first year for the 65) have been sold,
have heard 250 to 400 was the number to be brought to the US.

I do know that it is one hell of a ride, the wife has let me drive it a
couple of times, under close supervision.


05 Yellow SRT10
03 Red SRT (gone)
02 Graphite GTS (gone)
97 Red GTS (gone)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our other cars: 2005 SL65 Pewter / 2005 G55 Graphite / 2005 SSR Silver / 2004 Gallardo Yellow / 2004 NSX Black / 2006 M45s Graphite / 2004 H2 White / 2002 Candy Red Prowler + 2001 Orange Prowler + 2001 Silver Prowler / 2002 35th Anniversary Camaro SS Convertible / 1970 Black Chevy SWB Pick up / 1969 Garnet Red Camaro SS 350 / 1969 Chevelle SS 396 / 1969 Impala SS 427 / 1968 Chevy Step Side Truck L98/700r4 / 1967 Hugger Orange Camaro 400 / 1966 GTO / 1955 Yellow Chevrolet Truck / 1934 Ford Sedan / 1930 Ford Hiboy Coupe 302 5spd

 

[Warfang]

So, speaking of the SL 65 AMG, what is the profit margin on a $180,000 car? When some of the SRT-10's were being sold "below invoice", they had them marked down from $87k to $80k, so I guess there is roughly a 10% mark up on the SRT-10? Does anyone think MB is making $18k on each SL 65 AMG? I sure bet if DC had a choice, they'd rather sell a SL 65 AMG than a SRT-10.

You got it backwards. You make the Viper badd@$$ enough, and people will pay more for it. The fact that SRT's are selling below invoice is the EFFECT of a lame design/marketing, not the CAUSE. The original Viper sold for ABOVE invoice. Oddly enough... so is the current Ford GT.

The SL65 AMG is a great car, but it's an old man's car and will never ignite the kind of passion that the gen 1-2 vipers have. I bet that just bugs the heck outta the DC folks.

 

[Brian E]

[quote
You got it backwards. You make the Viper badd@$$ enough, and people will pay more for it. The fact that SRT's are selling below invoice is the EFFECT of a lame design/marketing, not the CAUSE. The original Viper sold for ABOVE invoice. Oddly enough... so is the current Ford GT.
The SL65 AMG is a great car, but it's an old man's car and will never ignite the kind of passion that the gen 1-2 vipers have. I bet that just bugs the heck outta the DC folks.

[/QUOTE]

Warfang, you nailed it!
Give us the car we want and we WILL buy it, plain and simple. Hell, some of us might even buy two.
DC obviously wasnt listening to the Viper community when they committed to the business plan for the SRT-10 Coupe.
DC should stop trying to shove crap down our throats that we dont want!

 

[BACKNBLACK]

They will kill off this car.It's just about done.These guys at DC don't give a crap about the Viper anymore as you cna see at the NY Show. It was really bad taste the way they presented the car.

 

[SnakeBitten]

You guys missed the special announcement...A Dodge trained photographer was there to take free pics of you next to the car...It was sooo sad. She wasnt even cute. I asked around and no one knew anything about possible power increase etc...Needless to say it was a big letdown...

They will kill off this car.It's just about done.These guys at DC don't give a crap about the Viper anymore as you cna see at the NY Show. It was really bad taste the way they presented the car.

Agreed..I was there Sunday...They just plopped the car down on the ground between all the other Dodge cars...The car was soooo low down I missed it on the first walkthrough because of all the people there....If DC really cared about this car like the GTS/GTSR concept they would have had it on a rotating pedestal like Chevy did with the Z06/C6-R...Hell even Honda had the NSX raised up above ground and we all know that car doesnt hold a candle to the Viper...Sadly though the coupe didnt excite me...It is better looking in person than in pics but its missing some Viper chromosomes...

Another thing became painfully clear....No way in hell I can fit in one...

You must be registered for see images

I liked this one. I had to get real low to get it..

You must be registered for see images

 

[STUGOTS]

You guys missed the special announcement...A Dodge trained photographer was there to take free pics of you next to the car...It was sooo sad. She wasnt even cute. I asked around and no one knew anything about possible power increase etc...Needless to say it was a big letdown...

They will kill off this car.It's just about done.These guys at DC don't give a crap about the Viper anymore as you cna see at the NY Show. It was really bad taste the way they presented the car.

Agreed..I was there Sunday...They just plopped the car down on the ground between all the other Dodge cars...The car was soooo low down I missed it on the first walkthrough because of all the people there....If DC really cared about this car like the GTS/GTSR concept they would have had it on a rotating pedestal like Chevy did with the Z06/C6-R...Hell even Honda had the NSX raised up above ground and we all know that car doesnt hold a candle to the Viper...Sadly though the coupe didnt excite me...It is better looking in person than in pics but its missing some Viper chromosomes...

Another thing became painfully clear....No way in hell I can fit in one...

You must be registered for see images

I liked this one. I had to get real low to get it..

You must be registered for see images

is that you in the first or second pic?