Why doesn't Dodge more actively promote the ACR Viper?

[Snakester]

Everywhere that you look there are articles about the Nissan GT-R and Chevy ZR1 Corvette, and every magazine is comparing the top cars (except the Viper) against the GT-R.
Ferrari has a lighter, more powerful F430 Scuderia, Lamborghini has a refreshed Gallardo LP560-4, and Porsche has their new GT2.

But except for the Detroit auto show intro, there has been almost NO press reviews, or comparative tests of the ACR Viper. The GT-R is not yet in production, and the ZR-1 is still months away as well, but I see tests and comparisons left and right.

With the Viper conspicuous in it's absensce.

Dodge should also encourage the auto magazines to run the new Viper convertible against the fastest production convertibles built today, like the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 roadster, and the new McLaren Roadster, as well as convertibles in it's price range like the Porsche 911 Cabrio.

And Dodge should be pushing various track and road comparisons between the ACR Viper and all competitors, regardless of price.

No doubt the auto press (so used to testing SUVs, luxury and economy cars) will still prefer many European cars to the Viper for their fit/finish/amenities/comfort and importantly status. Conveniently ignoring the huge price advantage that the Viper enjoys.
But people should at least understand what the Viper does BEST, which is offer great balanced performance.

But as it is now, the Viper just sits silently with all of it's great capabilities largely unnoticed by everyone but us.

It's overdue to lite the fuse on the ACR rocket openly testing it on a racetrack against any and all production cars that want to face it!
And make sure call a news conference!

 

[j-rho]

Road & Track already did a comparison test of the ACR. It was paired with a base '08 SRT-10, along with 911 vs. GT3, and Gallardo vs. Superleggera.

R&T actually had to use the pre-production test mule, since the regular car wasn't out yet. Now that production ACRs are hitting the streets (and tracks!), I bet we'll see more reviews from most of the major car mags.

 

[K-80-123]

They don't need too only 175 were built in 08

 

[Snakester]

Yeah, the R&T article was good, especially showing the regular Viper coupe as being faster around their test track than the track-oriented Porsche GT3 RS, and Gallardo Superlegerra, and the ACR being in another league.

Sure the ACR Viper's production has always been low, even compared with the low volume regular Viper production, but it is similar to the numbers of other track focused cars like the GT3 RS, Gallardo SL, F430S, and GT2, so is deserves similar attention and comparison, being the top performer of the Viper models.

 

[Viper X]

I think I'd rather they stay quiet about the ACR until I've bought mine..... Naaaah, go ahead and promote it!

 

[xlr8ion]

They don't need too only 175 were built in 08

Not sure what your talking about only about 2-3 have been built so far.And they have not gone to real customers.

 

[voi9]

I agree that there should be more articles about Vipers in the car mags.

 

[wallbanger]

Car is probably to difficult to drive for some of the mag guys... it does take a few runs to get used to the pedals and find ones comfort zone but once u do it all clicks

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

If they did regular folks could never buy them.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Doesn't bother me a bit. Walk softly and carry a big stick. Let the others hype, the need it. The Viper doesn't.

 

[FrankBarba]

Why beat the drum....All ACR's have been sold before production...No Need to Brag....All any one has to do is ask us & we will tell everyone how great the ACR is...

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Doesn't bother me a bit. Walk softly and carry a big stick. Let the others hype, the need it. The Viper doesn't.

Very well said.

 

[Snakester]

Ah, but it does need the positive attention, because there is a chicken and egg thing going on.
With serious rumors that Cerebus will axe the Viper in a couple years.

It's fun having a secret supercar to ourselves, but the Viper can't succeed as a valuable halo car for Dodge if the general public is not aware of how amazing the car is, and how well it compares to other (far more expensive) high performance cars.

Nissan and Chevy are squeezing out all of the free publicity that they can from the ZR-1 and GT-R, and there is ZERO chance of those car companies stopping the production of cars that bring about such a good and well known reputation of balanced high performance.

We all know what a terrible idea and a total waste it would be to stop production of the Viper, but does the rest of the world?

The Viper needs to be front and center (compared to the best of the world's high performance cars now more than ever before) or it will be just another cool car that used to be an impressive halo car, before it was cut to free up some extra money at Dodge for the 2011 Avenger to have a nicer interior.

 

[Red Coachwhip]

Maybe someone could voice that suggestion in the VOI.10.

 

[bluestreak]

The ACR is very Niche, people that want it or are looking for something like it will find it, and there arent many of them. Finally I imagine there isnt a huge budget for advertising the car considering the state of the Viper program in general.

 

[wallbanger]

Shame they didn't thow it in with this mix....Again the journalists just drool over the gtr claiming it is best on the track

ROADandTRACK.com -- Comparison Tests - Comparison Test: Nissan GT-R vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo (5/2008)

the last line of the article states the gtr is the most exotic car on the planet... where do they get this stuff from

 

[Coloviper]

Just watched a few programs on National Geographic on Ultimate Factories; Corvette and Ferrari (there might be others. Seems like this is great publicity.

Why not invite the people from Nat-Geo to Conner Ave and let them do a piece. Pay for their food and expenses and let them put together a piece. Maybe even rent a bit of track time, etc. That is not major dollars at all.

Seems to make sense and of course it has to be filmed in HD. The Z06 build was rather interesting and revealing. I do have to say that it does a great job for marketing. It made me want one. I immediately went for a ride in my 06' Coupe with the new full Bellanger system installed and the itch went away.

 

[bluestreak]

Shame they didn't thow it in with this mix....Again the journalists just drool over the gtr claiming it is best on the track

ROADandTRACK.com -- Comparison Tests - Comparison Test: Nissan GT-R vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 vs. Porsche 911 Turbo (5/2008)

the last line of the article states the gtr is the most exotic car on the planet... where do they get this stuff from

Nissan's test driver drove those cars, they have graphs posted of time vs distance and you can easily see the guy lifting in places that dont need to be in the Z06 and TT.

Name is Steve Millen and he's driven the Viper vs Z06 and complained about the scariness of RWD and he wasnt very fast in either. The Viper may have went faster than the other two, but no way Nissan's PR guy would have let it beat the GT-R.

He also owns a Nissan tuning shop, to which Nissan graciously sent him a GT-R for promoting his shop a couple of weeks after that article released.

Just FYI, you would not have wanted it in that comparo. Wait for some real neutral stuff.

 

[elanderholm]

Why not take the ACR to the 'Ring? Wouldn't cost that much $20k? $30k? It would be awesome to see what it could do. I still want the car in the worst way even if they don't go, but it would be interesting.

 

[bluestreak]

It's easier for dodge not to enter the ring war. You cant just send a car and any guy over there for a day and set a time, it takes a couple weeks of setting the car up, giving a driver that's familiar with the ring the time to get used to the car since they dont already have one (unless they can find one of the european viper racers) and getting engineers over there to get the suspension set up for the run.

Bottom line is money, and though the Viper has the best opportunity to do something sick (I'm talking in the 7:TEENS) with it's adjustable DF, super brakes and suspension. Dodge isnt making so many of these that they need a ring time to sell it. It's still niche market and not something people are buying for a daily driver.

Track fiends and collectors only, crusiers need not apply.

On the other hand, they could send winkler, let him set it up, then get a driver to do it. But 30k is a major underestimation of the costs associated, at least if they want to truly show what the car can do.

 

[cheryl mccally]

That's why I want my ACR ready for Memorial Day Weekend with the PCA at Eagles Canyon in Texas. That track is made for a Viper and those Porsche guys love to talk. I almost toasted a GT3 RS last Nov in my 04 convertible. I'm definitely going to do my part to promote the ACR! Let the games begin!

 

[Roadrunner]

It's like 60k just to overnight air ship a whole car.... ONE WAY. The boat takes weeks.

 

[InjectTheVenom]

Ok STOP IT, STOP IT! You're giving me headaches because the daydream you describe feels so good if it would come true I would PAY them instead of the other way around if they would only let me loose with it and slowly learn it's capability and that of the Ring...

It's easier for dodge not to enter the ring war. You cant just send a car and any guy over there for a day and set a time, it takes a couple weeks of setting the car up, giving a driver that's familiar with the ring the time to get used to the car since they dont already have one (unless they can find one of the european viper racers) and getting engineers over there to get the suspension set up for the run.

Bottom line is money, and though the Viper has the best opportunity to do something sick (I'm talking in the 7:TEENS) with it's adjustable DF, super brakes and suspension. Dodge isnt making so many of these that they need a ring time to sell it. It's still niche market and not something people are buying for a daily driver.

Track fiends and collectors only, crusiers need not apply.

On the other hand, they could send winkler, let him set it up, then get a driver to do it. But 30k is a major underestimation of the costs associated, at least if they want to truly show what the car can do.

 

[Schulmann]

Let me tell you how it works in Canada ..

A well know journalist in Canada called Dodge for a test car. He wanted a 2008 Dodge Viper. Dodge told him that they will put him on their list and when one gets available they will contact him. Guess what ? He was never contacted but some lucky guys were invited to Detroit to test the car on the Chrysler compound. The unlucky journalist called me and we managed to setup a test in one of our 2008 Viper within a week on a nearby airport field. It is nothing to do with "journalist" willing to test. Just Dodge doesn't have the marketing resources available to push a car.

Just have a look on the most recent commercials on TV. The one with Dodge Journey makes laugh people. That was a budget commercial on a mass production intended car.

We are in a transision period where the main target is the save Chrysler from bankruptcy. Many dealers battle to sell Chrysler cars. They lost 20% of sales because of poor marketing ! We will see many assembly line close in the coming months ... until the financial outlook becomes positive we will not see many positive review in the automobile magazines since Chrysler will cut marketing expenditure to the minimum too.


Sometimes I have the impression that Motortrend belongs to GM or Ford because there are so many good review ...

 

[AviP]

Marketing is to improve sales. For a limited production car like the Viper, a huge sales pitch might not be necessary unless there are no takers. And keep in mind that the more marketing, the greater will be the marketing component of the cost.

But I agree that the Viper has lost it's halo car image among the Ferraris, Lambos and Porsches. Arguably it's lost it's visibility due to its less than stellar looks (Gen 3) and a lack of factory sponsored international racing effort.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

But I agree that the Viper has lost it's halo car image among the Ferraris, Lambos and Porsches. Arguably it's lost it's visibility due to its less than stellar looks (Gen 3) and a lack of factory sponsored international racing effort.

I don't see how you can say it has lost the halo image. Every track rat and genuine sports car enthusiast knows about the ACR and how dominating it will be.

And there really is no other car to compare a Viper to. Ferraris and Porsche go at it, Corvette is trying to be a poor man's Ferrari and Lambo doesn't race at all. And all along the Comp Coupe is still available and the ACR was purposely designed to legally drive to the track, annihilate all and then drive home. There hasn't been a car built with that attitude in 40 years, if ever.

The Viper is alive and well and better than ever.

 

[Bobpantax]

Why should Dodge do anything more than it is doing? in addition to what Chuck said above, at least twice a week, sometimes more, I hear the following words or similar words: " What's that daddy? It's really cool!" And Daddy says with a smile and a yearning look in his eyes while usually giving a thumbs up to me, "that's a viper and it is very cool."

The Corvette, Ferrari, Porsche and the new GTR are cars. The Viper is a legend. Almost everytime I stop at a red light, I get a thumbs up, a smile or the hand signal to "hit it". The Viper is marketed with mystery. I say let the mystery continue. The Viper is like a wild beast running across the plains. Beautiful, strong and fast. It knows no limits other than that of its driver. It's not for everybody. It's for the select few who are ready for its challenge. The brave and the proud. The VCA.

 

[Zan186]

Well that movie with Angolina Jolie (Wanted? I believe) features a SRT Viper which will give more publicity to the Viper than just about anything else.

My biggest problem with Chrysler/Dodge is their lack of promotion. You go to a toy store and you will see tons of Corvette's, Porshe's, Lambo's and Ferrari's. Even the Ford GT and Mustangs are a plenty.
Look for a Viper and you might come across a tiny matchbox or hot wheels version. Viper is very poorly promoted where it counts the most (KIDS). You get the Kids to go crazy about the Viper and it trickle's up! Those kids are the future and they are the one's who are going to want to buy your car. It all starts with the impression they get while they are young.

Biggest mistake the US Automakers ever did was allow the Rice cars to get a foot hold with the young and up and coming drivers. The movie the Fast and Furious launched the ricers into a big chunk of the American car market.
Movie's like Transformers, and Knight Rider etc will go a long way to moving the up and coming kids to want American cars.
For me growing up the Lambo Countach was the poster child car of everyone's dream. Then I talked to a bunch of people and found out they are a maintenance nightmare. If the Lambo was as reliable as my Viper I would own one of those too! But they are junk so I am glad I bought a GT500 instead.

 

[bluestreak]

Ok STOP IT, STOP IT! You're giving me headaches because the daydream you describe feels so good if it would come true I would PAY them instead of the other way around if they would only let me loose with it and slowly learn it's capability and that of the Ring...

It would be way cool if you see Nissan and Chevy battling to beat the CGT and each other with the Vspec GT-R and ZR-1 and the ACR come out of no where and beat them both, no announcements of traveling over there, no lap rumors (though if they are lapping SOMEONE will see them and it'll be on the net).

But it would be awesome to see that. The least hyped car doing the most, that I do like about dodge, no fuss, no hype. The anti-gtr of sorts.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The movie the Fast and Furious launched the ricers into a big chunk of the American car market.
Movie's like Transformers, and Knight Rider etc will go a long way to moving the up and coming kids to want American cars.

The rice assault way well underway looooong before Fast and Furious. But your point is noted and presents a warning - the last people I want to see owning Vipers are posers vicariously living their fantasies through a Hollywood movie. (present posers excluded).

But again, at less than 2000 Vipers annually advertising is the least of Dodge's concerns. In fact, if the choice was to spend 10 million on a Viper ad campaign or 10 million on Viper development, which would you prefer? And which would produce the best results?