Chrysler ready to put the bite on Viper
The trend away from gas guzzlers, as well as the need for cash, is causing GM to search for a new home for its Hummer brand and now in a stroke of mad genius, Chrysler has realized it could probably get some cash for its long time sports car superstar, the Dodge Viper. Chrysler has been getting its zoom on with the eye-catching model since back in '92 and although they have managed to keep it fresh enough for the potential buyers in that market, the question about what to do after you've reached 600 hp eventually arises. Of course, most sports car enthusiasts would answer that with the quick retort of "give it 700 hp" but seriously, unless you're using as a track car, more hp is pointless, no? A better response might be to make it easier to drive (like GM has done with the ZR1 Corvette) but that kind of work takes a certain kind of dedication and specialization that might be better suited to a smaller, more performance focused firm. Since the car is now put together at a largely independent plant in Detroit, perhaps Chrysler can find someone willing and able to buy the whole kit and Viper cache kaboodle for a boatload of bills and add some sweetness to the sorrow of parting. Let's just hope the break-up is over quickly because Chrysler needs to concentrate their efforts on cars people can afford to drive if they are to survive.
[Source: Just-Auto]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brent 7:31PM (8/27/2008)
"...more hp is pointless, no?" I am surprised anyone lets you write about cars!
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tankd0g 8:13PM (8/27/2008)
I thought they already discontinued this thing.
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paul 7:28AM (8/28/2008)
Chrysler could sell the viper plant as a complete unit but its not going to generate that much money in the grand scheme of things. If its not profitable they should close it, if it makes money even a small amount keep it. The plant has made the Prowler in the past and it is designed to make low volume higher profit cars.
The plant could make a new electric or hybrid car or other specialty car.
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Jim 12:39PM (9/04/2008)
False rumer, They are keeping the Viper at least through the 210 season
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Whopper 12:25PM (8/28/2008)
If it is a rumor no one told Nardelli because he is spreading it. The Viper makes $ but that isn't the only reason for it; it helps bring traffic into the dealer's store, just like the 'Vette does for Chevy.
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bryan 1:06PM (8/28/2008)
If the Viper dies, Chrysler dies. Every viable auto manufacturer has a so called "flag-ship" performance vehicle. Granted they do have the Challenger, but this vehicle has a hard enough time compteing with Pontiac G8, let alone the ZR-1 or Nissan GT-R. Even our eco-friendly pals at Honda have a new NSX lurking in the shadows. Chrysler should have put more thought into their mid-size segment long before any of this ever happened.
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mroverlord 9:54AM (8/29/2008)
I disagree with your Bryan. Chrysler has been around a LONG time and it has only had the Viper since the early 90s. TOTAL Viper production for the past 16 years has only been 25,000.
As much as I love the Viper, I can see the business case for this. I was hoping they would only suspend production after this model cycle, then bring the car back later when it is economically feasible. But, the rumor is that another firm has offered Chrysler money out of the blue for the car.
Dodge could always remake the Viper in a different form instead, but so many people have come to accept the Viper only as a V10 brute, that making it more like a 'vette just wouldn't work. You would have to rename the car for it to be accepted. If that's the case, why not sell the Viper nameplate, and build something different later?
I personally would have no problems with a smaller 2 seat sports car equipped with a 400-500hp turbo 6.
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