Mopar / SRT - Pay Attention.

[Endeka]

This is Marketing 090. I'll spell it out, since apparently SRT's department didn't take this class:

1. You build a kick-ass car (done).

2. You give reviewers access to your car, generating views and interest (done ****tily).

3. You give the aftermarket the ability to manipulate the car's systems.

4. The aftermarket fills Youtube et. al. with videos of their modded cars to market them, creating more videos and more interest.

5. Youtube channels like //Drive's Tuned test the modded car, are predictably blown away by a 1000HP TT Viper, and post videos of the car vaporizing tires and running 9's. Video gets 300,000 views easily.

6. You get ideas to improve your car for free based on the engineering R+D that tuners do, and make an even better car next time.

This is particularly important with this car because it costs $100,000+. Here's the thing: People who buy $55,000 cars probably have time to screw around making Youtube videos of their cars all day. They might even do it for a job (a la Matt Ferrah). Someone who buys a $100,000, or $140,000 weekend car doesn't need the $10,000/yr he could get from ad lead generation on a 100,000 view video. He's not filming his car, he's out enjoying it himself (or she herself). There are tons of Corvettes (got mine), and they're cheap, so many videos of them will be made, and many people who own them will be interested in pimping them out for some views. There are few SRT Vipers, and the people who own them are all rich, they will not do this nearly as frequently. This makes tuner's essential. Get to it.

On second thought, just fire your marketing department and hire me for the restructure. Probably couldn't afford me with your sales numbers though.

 

[Alabaster Mamba]

I agree 100% with you Tony. The aftermarket and in the case of the Viper, lack of, is what holds some people back. AS you mentioned, the C7 already has tons of mods and it is just being released. Shoot, TSP has the C7 at close if not over 600hp without FI. GM and FORD have embraced the aftermarket and as a result, they have a huge following. The guys with Chargers/Challengers have been playing catchup due to the lack of tuning (just recently made available), withthe Mustang and Camaro guys.

Alot of people want to have the ability to keep their car competitive and that means being able to keep up with newer models and if that means keeping up with the use of mods, then so be it. But the sad thing is that Gen 4-5 guys don't have that luxury. They are stuck with what the factory deals them.

And as for the price dictating the mods, that is totally wrong. ZR1's have been able to be modded from just about day 1. Lambos are modded and they easily exceed $100K. Chrysler needs to become more customer oriented and realize that if they don't offer it, someone will. And that someone is GM and Ford. Right now, Chrysler should be thankful that FORD hasn't released a new replacement for the Ford GT.

 

[moparnav]

Tony, I couldn't agree more. The ability to modify the Gen3 was one of the main deciding factors when I was shopping for a Viper. We really wanted a Gen4 ACR but Rebecca knew as well as I did that if I couldn't mod it, the experience would not be what I truly wanted.

Rewind years ago; we had a SRT4, went through the Mopar Stage1 and 3 upgrades which we outgrew when we started tracking it. This was fine because of the immense aftermarket support which supported us as we built a very competitive 800hp setup. Granted since then Chrysler is in financial purgatory but Mopar being a separate entity, they ame to the table right around platform launch and had support for the platform. As far as the LC and LX platform, after 2 challengers and a charger, I was frustrated and moved on. Though thanks to shops like Southern Hot Rod and Arrington there is proven support for them. Mass produced vs. exclusive hand built Viper, sure, but that's not the real argument.

I have yet to own/mod a Chevy, but hell, with the aftermarket the way it is it is encouraging even with my weekend mechanic skills. And at the end of day, THAT is what sells performance cars. but that's my point of view.

Z/28 > Hellcat .. only time will tell

 

[NO HEMI]

I am with nine ball and mopar nav too, i've had a lot
Of different cars from different brands and all of them have been modified one way or the other, that's also a reason i bought a 2006 viper, i was looking at 2008 that were a bit higher on the price range but affordable to me but the locked computer geared me towards the 2006, if fiat/Chrysler wants to be a contender in the Hp wars they need to unlock the computers and make it available to to the " masses".

 

[SRTviper]

While I agree that I would of hoped the aftermarket would be all over the Viper you also have to understand their standpoint. They can spend precious R&D money and sell to a few hundred Gen V owners or spend the same amount of R&D money and collaborate with others even to sell to 10s of thousands of C7 owners.
Best bet is for OEM suppliers to come out with a high performance part as the R&D was paid for the OEM part. Companies like Borla, Corsa, etc from past SRT vehicles. My SRT truck has all MOPAR exhaust from long tubes to cat delete to cat back and it is all stamped Borla in hidden areas.

For all the people who say the price is too high, yes I would have liked to see it down around $75k starting but that is unrealistic with the low production and manufacturing tech used. Take a 1996 Viper GTS it was base sticker price at $66700. In today's dollars just with inflation what cost $66700 in 1996 would cost $96367.08 in 2012. Now add in the Touch screen NAV, traction control, an interior that is 100times better with leather, not vinyl and plastic and you have a $100k+ car.
Oh and you have an extra 190hp too by the way...
In 1996 for people to have 640hp Vipers they were paying over $100k too. Prices have not changed as much as everyone makes them seem.

If you want to compare from 1996 inflation matter that is fine. But from 2008-present the whole inflation argument is BS. You can only use that argument when the countries income and salaries have risen with inflation. But they haven't they are stagnant. So being that way it doesn't matter if 100k buys you less today than it did in 2008 because salary growth has barely moved. So to the consumer 100k is still too expensive for what this is. Same with the GTS. All good options 140k is too expensive. It is an american car and we need american prices. Not european or japanese ones.

 

[Jack B]

No dis, however, you and several others are missing what the core of this post is about:

1. All companies lock the ECU, that is not unique to CC, please stop repeating half truths.

2. It was 12 years before SCT brought out the G2/G3 tuner. The Vec2 came out 6 years after the G2 introduction.

3. The only problem is SRT's inability to offer any type of aftermarket upgrades. By no means is that a minor problem and it has to be addressed.



Again no dis, misinformation helps no one.

I am with nine ball and mopar nav too, i've had a lot
Of different cars from different brands and all of them have been modified one way or the other, that's also a reason i bought a 2006 viper, i was looking at 2008 that were a bit higher on the price range but affordable to me but the locked computer geared me towards the 2006, if fiat/Chrysler wants to be a contender in the Hp wars they need to unlock the computers and make it available to to the " masses".