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Chrysler / Dodge Viper Series: The End?
Dodge Viper to be Discontinued?
Fast Rumour Says Halo Car off the Rails
A nasty, contagious rumour is doing the rounds regarding the end of life as Dodge fans know it. According to this piece of word, the new owners of the Dodge brand are killing off the famous Dodge Viper in 2011.
What sparked this kinda talk was that Cerberus, owners of Chrysler and Dodge, the company that builds Vipers, are feeling heat in all sorts of strange places, no thanks mainly to the inept Chrysler Sebring. The Sebring is a relatively new car, but reviews and sales have been conspiring against it. Management at Chrysler is exceptionally keen to redress Sebring problems as soon as possible, but of course these measures come at a cost. It is then said that these costs would be recouped from the discontinuation of Viper. Also the Viper is quite steeply priced at USD85,000 base. Rumours true or false?
We honestly don’t really know at this point in time, although our sources are often reliable. A more sensible case would be to “downgrade” the Viper brand so to speak, in this sense pull a Porsche by creating a smaller, more appealing sports car that will bring in the sales and revenue numbers for Dodge. Perhaps Cerberus bosses are already thinking this way, and maybe yes, by 2011 we could see a different type of snake coming out of Dodge floor rooms.
Have we lost this unique halo car? Thousands out there, including us at WCF, certainly hope not.
Source: Jalopnik
bristol411s3
February 9, 2008 4:50:45 PM
The Viper has been umcompetitive for some time, but it would be a shame to see it go. I am concerned this might have an implication for Bristol, who use Viper V10 engines in the Fighter, although am I to believe there are still Dodge trucks using that engine?
foose1397
February 9, 2008 5:53:05 PM
Good move by Chrysler/Dodge.There sights are on the new challenger to bring in the money (which i don't know if that is right with the interior that they put in it). But by fading the viper away, they are doing what Chevy did with the Camaro. When they are stable enough they can return it with a new fresh look and hopefully get people wanting there cars again
pzigly
February 10, 2008 2:14:57 AM
Too bad thae camero might not come out now. Check out the camero article on wcf.
jandrews90
February 10, 2008 4:45:21 AM
i completely agree foose1397. i think they should take it away for a bit, then bring it back when they have the money to, and maybe actually make it a competitive car.
sensei
February 9, 2008 6:08:57 PM
No car that is losing money AND not serving to bring in customers should be axed. Sadly, the Viper was primitive and uncompetitive giving the impression that it is the best engineering that Americans are capable of.
nickkop
February 9, 2008 6:14:45 PM
Viper should be redesigned, not axed... Chrysler could update the motor with some more modern technology, such as a smaller displacement, Dual Overhead Camshaft, turbocharged and/or direct injection motor with variable valve timing and high compression, and maintain a lightweight body, or even lighten it, and possibly lower the price...
pzigly
February 10, 2008 2:45:24 AM
Muscle cars dont like turbos, they say "there is no replacement for displacement" or some crap like that. In order to make this thing look better to the US and forign markets (where no one buys it because the stuff there is so much better)there has to be refinement in the interior like carbon fiber, and STOP USING THAT CHEAP LOOKING GREY PLASTIC!!!!! Also use some type of technology that uses gas more efficiently and give you more HP. Every auto manufacturer can get much more HP than 500hp from anything bigger than a 6L engine without using a turbo or supercharger, so why cant Dodge. And stop saying stuff like if we do this then it will take the heart away from the muscle car, because we all know thats just an excuse for not using your brains to get the most out of your car. Sure the car might cost more than $80k but when your in the $80k zone people are not really looking for a bargin, they are looking for a car that is more desirable, nice looking, and has a flashy interior. The car should let the person who buys the car know he made a good choice with his purchase, and not worry about dying if they hit the gas because the cars is so nutty. I heard of supercars crashing at speeds 100+ and people walking away with out a scratch (in the viper you will be lucky to get out at 40mph). Great speed must come with great handling and tougher yet lighter body. We live in one of the richiest countries in the world. Why cant are cars perform better than everyone else?
moyusuf
February 9, 2008 8:35:51 PM
Without the viper, there is no credibility behind the SRT brand.
unknown
February 10, 2008 2:27:47 AM
chrysler is going downhill badly for 2008...what's next?
Joe_Limon
February 10, 2008 6:17:05 PM
drop the dodge ram? XD haha I would buy a plane ticket, just so I could laugh in the face of whoever's marketing idea it was to do that.
Radmeister
February 11, 2008 1:15:58 AM
It is a good idea, viper sales are horrible and costs are high because of the low sales. They should axe this car. Right now this car is not financially feasible for Chrysler.
jsb
February 11, 2008 3:39:24 PM
This kind of thinking is foolish. Sales ebb and flow through economic swings, yet did Chevrolet discontinue the Corvette during these times? The Viper is a brand much like the Corvette, and while the Viper has lost some its luster from the Le Mans racing war days with Corvette, it could easily regain the halo should the resources be reprioritized. Dodge will make their money from Challengers and 300C cars, and the trend to make smaller SUVs. The problem is the HEMI is no longer viable as a sales tool, so they must retool and concentrate on fuel efficient engine technology.
pzigly
February 11, 2008 11:08:18 PM
If they try they can get more horsepower from smaller engines than they have now. This will help them save gas. If Nissan can get 300 hp from a 3.5L v6 (getting over 20 mpg) then why is chrystler getting 200hp from a 3.8L v6 getting 15mpg (pacifica). Sebring has a 3.5 with 235 but still only gets 15mpg. They keep cutting cars because they do not spend enough on R and D. Why come out with a car if it is not competitive in the current market. This is why they are in trouble. They waste money when it doesent sell and is not at all desireable.
gmfan09
February 12, 2008 1:58:05 AM
People buying an 80 thousand dollar car are not to concerned about what kind of gas mileage the car gets particularly the kind of people who would by a Viper. I know if I'm paying that much for a car it had better have at least 8 cylinders. The Vipers V10 is as much of a prestige thing than it is a performance thing. And the Viper makes 600 hp and 560 ft-lbs with a 8.4L V10 and the 350z makes 306 hp and 268 ft-lbs. So the difference between the displacement vs. power isn't that extreme.
pzigly
February 12, 2008 2:44:33 AM
We were not talking about that we were talking about why chrystler was loosing money. and when you are buying a 80k car you want prestige, but viper offers this cheap grey palstic interior. It cant even acomplish prestige!!!
gmfan09
February 12, 2008 5:09:14 AM
Prestige doesn't mean the same to everyone. Your getting 600 hp for around 80 grand. Thats a lot of power even if it cost that much so. The viper has always been about performance not elegance. If it had a great interior it would cost a lot more than it does.
pzigly
February 12, 2008 5:44:06 AM
But when you spend 80k you want something nice. This is why the viper is doing bad. If everything was the same and they made the interior nicer more people would buy it evern if it cost 20k more. Anyone can get 600 hp from a 8.4L(its too big). If I had 80k to spend I would get a skyline no doubt. It will be faster, more reliable, and handle 10x better.
Radmeister
February 14, 2008 2:48:08 AM
Why would it have to cost more?? Look at the Audi TT, mercedes SLK, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, VW Eos, ALL are under 80,000$ and have much better interiors. Stop making excuses that it has crazy performance so that makes driving around surrounded by plastic and tree sap ok. The viper is nothing special, it has a big V10 that doesnt even perform that well, brakes are from brembo and any ricer with a civic can buy them online for 6000$ and put them on, exterior is made from fiber glass and tree sap, sound system is cheap infinity. Horsepower is not everything it doesnt sell a car, thats why the biggest dealer in TO sells in a good year 2 of these. You dont get value for money, you get a big engine strapped to a toy car from hotwheels.
pzigly
February 24, 2008 10:54:36 AM
We are talkin about tryin to save the viper though. Obviously the viper formula is not working. not a lot of people like it as much as other supercars. obviously, people dont like the cheap interior, and over sized engine that can perform much better. there are faster and nuttier cars out there that are more expensive, but they are selling better. few care that this is the cheapest 600hp car out here. looks nice and everything, but they r not selling. you say that people dont car about interior if the car performs, but the car isn't selling. So I think people do seem to care.
german-cars-lover
February 13, 2008 5:52:38 PM
I think it's time to change the whole current gen.
jsb
February 15, 2008 7:32:01 PM
The reality is that an $80K Dodge and a $60K Chevrolet sell for reasons that overcome the brand image of their plebian marque. In other words, "Viper" and "Corvette" are their own brands, driven by performance, driving experience, exotic styling/materials, and racing heritage. These qualities are worth their high prices. If Dodge tried to sell a $30K compact luxury car to compete with Acura TL, Infiniti ES, Lexus IS, Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, it would probably fail on the basis of its badge name alone.
RB442
April 20, 2008 1:00:48 PM
I have a question for many of you who have made negative comments about the Viper. Yes it lacks in many aspects but I wonder how many of you have driven much less owned a Viper or even a Vette. I have both among many others. It is a purpose built car.... a modern day muscle car as I see it and I hope they keep it that way, basic and fast.
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