Would you support a V8 Viper?

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Not wanting to hijack the "2012 Viper" threads, I decided to make this a new thread. "IF" there is a V8 Viper in our future, would you buy one (assuming price and stats were decent), would you feel they tarnish the image/history of the V10 Vipers? Discuss.

Personally, if it has the name Viper on it, it BETTER be a V10. I PROUDLY tell people ALL Vipers to roll out of Detroit have been V10, 6 speed manuals. I don't want a little brother with a V8, paddle shifters, cupholders and foot warmers. Please Dodge, stay true to your roots, keep the Viper a REAL car. I know the government will mandate a lot of new "safety" features and that can't be avoided, but there's no need for Dodge to further neuter our cars.

 

[dave6666]

I've got a V10 in my 1 ton too.

Questions?

 

[TAXIMAN1]

To me, the word "viper" willl always be the Gen.1-Gen.2 Cars.. Ive owned a Gen.3 and it IS a fabulous car(better than a Gen2 in many,many ways). But the definition of "Viper" (to me, anyway) will always be the clamshell hood, and the curves. They just got everything "right" with that car, and I don't see it being duplicated. Kind of like a 63' split window vette.. They hit the nail squarely on the head, with that car.

So, to answer the question. YES, I would..... Because I think they need to move on from the past, and reinvent the Viper. And not "hold on to" the V10 just because its what they have done, in the past. A big part of the viper comeback, is saving weight. Look at Ferrari... it used to be V12's were king. And there are many purists who still prefer those cars. Just like there will be many who always prefer the Gen1-2 cars. But they went V8 years ago with the 355,360,430 cars. And I'd say its worked out pretty good.

 

[musclenutz]

The V-10 is a big deal on a Viper. Separates us from the rest imo. It is what makes v-8's have piston envy ,right?

 

[99 R/T 10]

V-8 in a Viper won't happen. And if it does, it would be the nail in the coffin.

 

[TAXIMAN1]

V-8 in a Viper won't happen. And if it does, it would be the nail in the coffin.

I dont think it will happen either.. But if it did, I would support it. Weight savings IS horsepower.

 

[musclenutz]

I dont think it will happen either.. But if it did, I would support it. Weight savings IS horsepower.

I think it depends on what the rest of the car is like. A lot of nice v-8 cars,but they aren't Vipers.

 

[Vipuronr]

I would absolutely not support a V8 Viper. Just the word Viper brings to mind the notion of a monster V10 motor.

Another thing, is that if there is a V8 and a V10, that would dilute the value of the brand.

 

[Pythonpete]

Viper = V10. I would NEVER buy a V8 car called a Viper.

 

[01sapphirebob]

Just call it something else. Copperhead, Firepower, Demon (imagine that thing with a V8) As mentioned earlier, one of the BIG attractions to the viper (at least to me) is the V10.

 

[viper067]

Chad .... I don't think the question should be would you buy one as I believe the answer for just about everyone on this forum would be no. The question should be would current no viper owners buy them. For this I think the answer is yes.
Remember that the V8's today are capable of producing more HP than the Gen 1 Vipers ... the Mustang V8 for 2011 is rated at 412hp. What it would do (having a V8 Viper) is increase the potential buyers market for the car. The market for $100,000 street legal race car is pretty small, but if you could get the price back down to $50,000 with a V8 and say $75,000 for an SRT10 sales would probably jump.
The lower price would probably attract/steal some of the potential Vette buyers and sway them over to the Viper camp. It would really be an economics issue....higher production should mean lower price as you have a greater opportunity to recover cost on volume.
As for the "safety features", if we would elect individuals who realized that the free market should determine fuel economy, safety, etc ...that can be changed

 

[Zentenk]

I don't like it, V10 is the HEART of a Viper. If you make a V8, may as well make it into a sedan or wagon.

 

[Ricketts]

I don't see it happening personally. Not only do I think it's against what the Viper is, but axing that from step one will save lots of design and R&D money too.

 

[chiefchad]

Personally I love the sound of a thumping V8 - probably more than the sound of a V10. But I don't want a v8 available on the new Vipers if that is going to make them cheaper to buy. The last thing we all want to see is more Vipers on the road. I hope the production stays at less than 2,000 units per year. I'm afraid a cheaper Viper will make the build numbers go way up. For me - the V10, but more importantly, the exclusivity and rareness is what makes a Viper.

 

[Phun70]

If it comes out with a v8 you can keep it. If it's a v10 or v12, then I'm interested!

 

[Kala]

V10 = Viper

V8 = Firepower

Build the Firepower... It's time

 

[kyjellywhite]

Not wanting to hijack the "2012 Viper" threads, I decided to make this a new thread. "IF" there is a V8 Viper in our future, would you buy one (assuming price and stats were decent), would you feel they tarnish the image/history of the V10 Vipers? Discuss.

Personally, if it has the name Viper on it, it BETTER be a V10. I PROUDLY tell people ALL Vipers to roll out of Detroit have been V10, 6 speed manuals. I don't want a little brother with a V8, paddle shifters, cupholders and foot warmers. Please Dodge, stay true to your roots, keep the Viper a REAL car. I know the government will mandate a lot of new "safety" features and that can't be avoided, but there's no need for Dodge to further neuter our cars.

If I wanted a V-8 I would buy a Camaro. I say give me my V-10 or give me death!

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Would support a smaller V10 , but I feel a V8 would dilute the heritage and it isn't a wise move in the rebirth of the legend in the years to come.

 

[Viper 95 Kim]

If i wanted a challenger I would buy one. I buy Vipers & Vipers have v-10s, end of story. You cant do it , dont make it anymore.

 

[Viper Grenade]

NO V8 VIPER!

It would ok, however to use the Viper frame with a Hemi V8 and call it a Challanger or Avenger....or get crazy add AWD and call it a Stealth. With the extra room the V8 provides...why not have a Twin Turbo V8, AWD, monster. I would buy one of them.

 

[Simms]

Viper = V-10 for me. Taking away the V-10 would ruin its heritage and charm.

A different car on the same platform = V-8.

 

[Roysviper]

Only if they were all TWIN TURBO VIPERS making atleast 700 rwhp....

 

[MTGTS]

No

 

[Coloviper]

Funny as I thought the Viper was more than just a motor? If it is required to sell a few V-8 Vipers to make a case to sell V-10 Vipers than so be it. New Viper if V-8 will have absolutely no effect on previous generations and their re-sales down the road. There is already a split between the generations as there is clearly a GEN I/GEN II camp and a GEN III/GEN IV camp. NOTHING is going to change that.

As long as the V-8 they pick is UNIQUE to the Viper, then I don't see anything wrong with it. Tough crowd as Dodge appears to be damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Personally I think it will come down to if you want a new Viper or not. I went through this watering down of the brand to make a business case to produce the high HP and race cars wiht Saleen. The thought of a S281 Saleen made me sick since I had my S351SR. In the end, it had absolutely no effect on the S351R sales and allowed them to produce the S351 car for an extra 4 years. Without it, they would not have had one.

It is just the way these things go. If you don't like it, keep your existing car. Nothing is going to take away from the GT2 championships, etc. Did the coushy 69/70 models hurt the heritage of Shelby cars? No! It has absolutely nothing to do with hurting the previous history.

 

[georgethedog]

No. Probably would never had bought one in the first place had it not been a V-10. That is the biggest thing that makes the car special. No matter what Viper I have had in the past the first thing people want to see at car shows (or anywhere) is the V-10. That's the biggest draw of the car. I would not buy a V-8 Viper. If someone gave one to me I would sell it and buy something else (or a Gen 2-4).

 

[agentf1]

To me, the word "viper" willl always be the Gen.1-Gen.2 Cars.. Ive owned a Gen.3 and it IS a fabulous car(better than a Gen2 in many,many ways). But the definition of "Viper" (to me, anyway) will always be the clamshell hood, and the curves. They just got everything "right" with that car, and I don't see it being duplicated. Kind of like a 63' split window vette.. They hit the nail squarely on the head, with that car.

I have to agree with this statement.

Anything 03 and up is a SRT## not a Viper. If I am not mistaken they lost the Viper name in 03 anyway, didn't they?

 

[AZMotorgod]

I agree 100% with Mr. Pemberton

Viper= V10

Now if the right way to go for a Gen 5 Viper is a high-tech, smaller displacement V10 then I have no problems with that.

 

[Vipuronr]

A Viper stands for one thing - Raw V10 power! It is one car with one UNIQUE motor. There are no cheaper Vipers, only more exclusive ones - ACRX for example.

Viper is not your everyday US muscle car, it is handmade, has a V10 and fewer have been made in its lifetime, than Corvette sells in one year. When you say you have a Viper, most people go "wow" really? If you offer a $50k V8, you will be selling more "cheaper" units and its uniqueness and status will go away.

Don't dilute the brand and make it a Mustang, offering different levels from cheap/slow (base car) to expensive/fast (Shelby 500).

The Viper has the reputation it does BECAUSE of what it is - UNIQUE!

While a V8 may sound cool, I would much prefer them to go bigger and offer a non-supercharged as is now, and an option for a single and maybe twin-turbo ala Sean's cars.

We should be looking up not down when considering where Viper goes. Viper is not about increasing market share, its about maintaining its specialness!

Just one person's opinion!

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

The Viper/SRT is an icon there is no doubting that, and the V10 is a big part of that equation, but on the other hand if we want the halo car to stay a part of Dodge and that has to include a very powerful (I'm sure) V-8 then bring it on. I don't want to see 40,000 Viper/Vettes a year and I suspect Dodge does not either, so as long as the exclusivity is the same that's what matters.

I'm not sure there would be a ton of weight savings using a V-8 though, but the cost savings it could give in Chrysler/Dodge's current economy may be just what is needed to secure the future of our beloved Viper. Plus there may be even more opportunities for upgrades because of them using a more common configuration over the V-10? Doesn't sound all bad to me.

 

[01 RT SNAKE]

It's no different than Ferrari putting a V8 in one of their cars as opposed to the legendary V12. How are those V8's doing in the Ferraris by the way? I love my V10, but I wouldn't freak out if they put in an 8.