Viper in danger...

[Wifey's Viper]

Was going to write the same thing, built does not equal sold.

Also to the poster above, why would you think that the Z06 is not selling well. 5 months after they started arriving they are still commanding 5-10k over MSRP and are moving every unit they can produce. Unlike the Gen III coupe.

 

[Warfang]

Was going to write the same thing, built does not equal sold.

Also to the poster above, why would you think that the Z06 is not selling well. 5 months after they started arriving they are still commanding 5-10k over MSRP and are moving every unit they can produce. Unlike the Gen III coupe.

They're selling "well", but not hitting their own marks, especially with the C6. Furthermore, the z06 is not the tentpole product they were hoping it to be... meaning it's NOT helping sell other cars. It's a small part of the many reasons why GM is in the tank right now.

 

[PDCjonny]

Damn Jon B that was a great read.
Thank you.

 

[Wifey's Viper]

The big part of why GM is in the tank is the unions bleeding them dry. Has nothing to do with how the C6 is selling. GM is a HMO that happens to build cars.

 

[Schulmann]

Wifey's your are right!
Many GM models are made in Canada where the union is too powerfull.
Union is like the Mafia, taking everything from employers and employees.
The manifacturing costs jumped while quality deeply felt on all models except ... the Corvette.

 

[DSR207]

GM troubles

 

[Wifey's Viper]

Exactly. Has nothing to do with "tentpoles".

 

[chorps]

...it’s clear you have an agenda we should probably embrace, but I’m still not certain how you expect us to promote your cause?

My only agenda is to see that Firepower doesn't get lost in the Challenger hype...how to do that, well, I guess you guys (viperclub) have a lot of pull from a customer perspective.

...now you ask us to take our pompoms to the auto shows to give support for a concept car that few here care about? Well, I don’t like it, but I'm headed out to LA on Sunday and I’ll do my best.

I suppose this is why I started my original post. I think that most Viper owners aren't that aware how much budgetting the Firepower shares with the (next) Viper. I'm not asking you to buy a Firepower, but I do know that many Viper owners get asked a lot of questions regarding supercars, and a little shine in the Firepower's direction wouldn't hurt. Half-hearted pompoms are better than none at all.

P.S. If you are a shill, you still give a good impersonation.

Um, thanks?

 

[Warfang]

The big part of why GM is in the tank is the unions bleeding them dry. Has nothing to do with how the C6 is selling. GM is a HMO that happens to build cars.

like I said... a SMALL part

The unions can go to hell... at least we can all agree on that.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

The big part of why GM is in the tank is the unions bleeding them dry. Has nothing to do with how the C6 is selling. GM is a HMO that happens to build cars.

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GM would never admit that the real reason that they are having trouble is poor management decisions on products. Blaming the Union is true BS on their part. The purchase of Saab and the demise of the Camaro combined started the problem. The entry of more foreign trucks in the market hurt GM truck sales and then the gas prices hurt as well at a time when GM was vulnerable after losing the entire ponycar market to Mustang.

Unions are the only organizations in America fighting for the American middle class. Without them, everybody whose job wasn't exported would be working for a temp agency with low pay and no benefits.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Thanks Jon.

 

[RavenFan_94]

What a load of crap
and who cares anyway - they stopped building Vipers with the final production run in 2002 - they called them the "Final Edition" and DC meant it.

Here we go again... The world is flat.

 

[RavenFan_94]

Unions are the only organizations in America fighting for the American middle class. Without them, everybody whose job wasn't exported would be working for a temp agency with low pay and no benefits.

Your last sentence being completely subjective. Much like the great hype of the tech jobs being 'exported' to India. Of which, only 5% of the American tech workers were displaced and tech unemployment down below 4% as of Q4 05. Where there is revenue and growth in a segment costs take care of themselves.

GM's problems stem from a combination of poor decisions but most importantly poor sales practices. The majority of their lineup is sold at distressed pricing. A gain in market share of the smallest proportions would long offset the losses incurred through legacy costs. When the top line is broken, it is too easy to blame costs which have zero affect on revenue. Camaro, Saab, Fiat all mistakes. Demonstrative of what is wrong with GM.

 

[SRTdownunder]

"All those unsold/unwanted/unsellable '02 RT/10s? THEY WENT ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN! [No early SRT10s for export, remember? More history!] EVEN THE LAST-EVER RT/10 built was not bought (or noticed?) in time before being converted to Asia/Pacific. It slipped thru our collective, collector fingers to be converted to Right Hand Drive. DAMN! VCA Shoulda-Coulda-Wouldnta snagged and raffled that car... I tried to get them to do it. It was still stateside. The last GTS brought $138k (?) at a charity auction. The last RT/10 was dissed away and lost due to VGX-GEN3-WAITnSEE mania. A Shame." Jon B

Jon - Thanks for that little piece of history, as I just drove that last built RT10 the other day. It now means much more knowing that it has that kind of history behind it. The car is owned by Ray Cobb of Tauranga, New Zealand and it could not be in any better hands than this fellow. This was the car his late son Lawerence (20 years old only) had dreamed about as a kid and one that he and his father were going to buy together. However, things did not work out that way as one night a drunk driver took his son's life. Ray is a total Viper nut and loves everything about the car and as I see it this car is special, being the last built, right hand drive RT10 that was bought by a man in remembrance of his son who loved Vipers so much. Even as an American myself I can't think of a better place for that Viper to be than right here in Ray Cobbs garage. Jon in light of DCX oversight of the last RT10 built it has landed in a perfect spot it's not "A shame".

Your Mate on the other side of the pond,
Ken VanWingerden

For those of you who want to see that last Viper RT10 and the story that goes with it look at this thread. Towards the end of the thread you will see the pictures of the car and family.

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=348366&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&vc=1

 

[SylvanSRT]

maybe someday it will make its way back to the U.S. like the one dodge daytona charger(wing car) that went down under and was also converted to rt hand drive, which is now back in the us and living not too far from me.

 

[JonB]

..........I can't think of a better place for that Viper to be than right here in Ray Cobbs garage. Jon in light of DCX oversight of the last RT10 built it has landed in a perfect spot it's not "A shame".

Your Mate on the other side of the pond,
Ken VanWingerden

HI AGAIN KEN!

I could not agree more, and I am glad to hear the car was recognized for it's uniqueness, and not just disappeared somewhere into oblivion. I followed it thru it's conversion to RHD, and alerted the dealer in OZ to the fact that he held the last unit. It obviously went from OZ to NZ, and a great home. From CAAP to NZ...... actually a FITTING journey for the last RT !!! Thanks for sharing...