Dodge News: End of the Line for the Dodge Viper in 2017?

[William Maley]

The Dodge Viper's future is uncertain after 2017. Allpar got their hands on the proposed UAW contract for FCA and looked at the production changes. According to the contact, the current Viper will end production in 2017 and leave the Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit without a vehicle to take its place.

 

The current Viper has been languishing since its introduction in 2013 due to a combination of a high pricetag and competitors stepping up. Through September, Dodge only moved 503 Vipers, a decrease of 7.9 percent when compared to the year before.

 

Source: Allpar

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[ccap41]

I posted this earlier in another thread I thought I'd place it here as well.

 

"I'm actually not sad about that anymore. When it first left us I was..but I honestly just don't care about the Viper anymore. At that price point there are just so many better choices out there that the Viper wouldn't even cross my mind if I was 100k car shopping. If it was priced closer to a regular Stingray(and went up from there) I think it would appeal more to me. At 100k though.. Not as if I would buy it if it were 60k but it just seems more like a 60-100k car(like the Vette) rather than a 90-120k car. Other than the heating issue the Vette has been plagued with what does the Viper do better than it? Make a few hot laps behind the wheel of a professional driver(which Randy Pobst doesn't even like)? That's about it and even then the Z06 would be on it's rear bumper. Interiors? Hands down Vette. I just don't know why anybody would buy a Viper in 2015 unless the sole reason was to have something somebody else doesn't have."

[aurora97]

Having a 25 year run of this beast is not too shabby.

[Suaviloquent]

I think right now FCA wants to build up the rest of their products and while the Viper is still a great Halo vehicle, I don't think anything from it really advanced any other part of the firm.

 

What I mean is that a flagship for a brand can be easily justified if you plan on trickling down the technology in the future as a technological demonstrator or you want a specific branding strategy for a name. But the Viper, despite it being so exotic: hand laid carbon fibre, exclusive engines and whatnot; the rest of the car trickled up from Dodge, such as UConnect.

 

And Dodge already had plenty of performance cred. 

 

If FCA's house was in order, I don't think this would have happened. But it's still a monster.

 

And I think the Viper name might be used again, but in a dystopian future for Naturally Aspirated V-10s. It might not be a Viper in essence, but it'll be a Viper in performance.

[daves87rs]

Not surprised....not to mention I see FCA going the other way in terms "fast" cars.

 

To really start pushing some MPGs, some things have to go....

[oldshurst442]

I am saddened if this is true.

Its easy to say "oh well, it was a good run" especially 25 years worth.

Its true, that many sports cars dont see a 25 year production run and that is an amazing feat in itself, but like a marriage, when you pass the 7 year itch (I wouldnt know what would be the equivalent in the automobile world if there actually is one) I tend to think that things should be smooth sailing as a name has been established and a core of loyal buyers too.

 

Yes I know, both Camaro and Trans Am went away...and wasnt THAT sad?

Proof of what Im talking about though is that CAmaro came back with a vengeance in both sales and performance to beget a 2nd generation Camaro loyal following and a 2nd generation of the 2nd generation resurrection.

 

When Viper briefly went away a couple of years ago, I naively thought it was never permanent and I naively thought that when it did come back that it was here to stay forever, like the Corvette. In turn, I naively think the Corvette is here to stay forever also ignoring the fact that Corvette was nearly canceled several times in its history. As recently as the C4 to the C5 and the C6 to the C7. The C8 is a lock to happen, but are we sure the C9 will happen?

 

Anyway, its sad when an automotive icon has to go away, especially an American legend like the Viper as I am an American car guy.

 

Just to say, the Corvette eats up another competitor...

[David]

The Viper is a Monster and could have done so many things right. FCA like so many of their auto's is unable to move the product forward with the times. As it is, this is a great run for a Gas Guzzling V10 Monster that few can own and few can actually fit in. Trust me I have tried and while I got in, it was hell to get out and I would NOT have been happy driving it in the uncomfortable position. This in comparison to the Corvette that I can fit in and actually drive.

 

FCA wants a Halo car, then they need to look at the up and growing EV race scene and build the new viper as a true exotic Hyrbid or EV. 

 

Having been doing my research for a paper I will publish here in the near future about EV conversion, I have to say it is very easy to get 600HP with 1000lbs of Torque in an electric motor that gives you crazy acceleration.

 

Having an EV Viper that can trash everyone else out there with a 200 mile battery pack would sell I believe and give FCA a New Halo Car that is Green.

[smk4565]

Not a surprise, the Viper doesn't sell, and FCA just did a new union contract.  I am sure they would love to either close a plant in Detroit or build high margin Ram Trucks or a Jeep in the USA.  While moving low margin stuff like the Dart to Mexico where labor cost is cheap.   Plus the Viper can't fit a Hemi under the hood, the V10 isn't doing them any CAFE favors, and FCA might want to push Alfa Romeo and the Hellcats as their halos.   There are probably a dozen good reasons to end Viper production, not many to keep it going.

[balthazar]

Well, Viper has sold 503 units YTD, Lamborghini 567 units. It's a very limited exotic- sales are inconsequential; not a valid reason.

By the same token, the sales-weighted contribution of the Viper is like 1% of the corporate number, if that, so MPG isn't a valid reason.

Viper legacy is built around the V-10, putting a Hemi in would downgrade it, so that's invalid.

Alfas could never be made as a halo in the U.S., no; never. Hellcats are still not sports cars, but muscle cars, so that's invalid.

Viper is alone in it's factory IIRC, so if FCA isn't using space there to build something else right now, that's also… invalid.

 

Gee, 0-5 on that post.

Edited October 18, 2015 by balthazar

[daves87rs]

I think people in general are not in to the Viper now....years ago yes-but not now....

[hyperv6]

They did have a longer than normal run and with all the challenges it is amazing it made it this long.

But sales have tanked. The Corvette and much of the sports car world has left this one behind. It needed to break some new ground but it really never did.

Sales as they are and the cost of building these is high there was little meat on the bone here if any. Also the fact Sergio really shows no love for Chrysler also is apparent here. He had so many things they could have drawn from to supply this car but they chose not to. Ferrari could have shared much here.

But I feel the Italian wanted to protect Ferrari and his beloved Alfa that will never match up to this car.

The other factors like MPG and the like could have been addressed as Chevy is doing. This product was left to rot by Sergio.

[oldshurst442]

Also the fact Sergio really shows no love for Chrysler also is apparent here. He had so many things they could have drawn from to supply this car but they chose not to. Ferrari could have shared much here.

But I feel the Italian wanted to protect Ferrari and his beloved Alfa that will never match up to this car.

 

 

I naively did not want to believe that...even as far back as when I posted my first response in this thread. Which was October.

 

I defended Sergio when it came to the Viper because I naively thought he could have just closed the door on it when he acquired Chryco.

All he did was just green light a dead project on arrival, because in hindsight, its true what you said, some love from Ferrari would have been welcomed...

 

 

But...when Sergio forced Ferrari to share technology with the other brands, that is when Ferrari people and engineers had a fallout, so maybe, all this blood may not be solely on Sergio's hands, maybe 'tis Ferrari that was not comfortable in sharing tech with a "low class, redneck sports car"...

 

Because..I find it strange that Sergio just green lit a project in which he could have just let die.

 

What did I just say? Let me rephrase that.

The Viper was ALREADY dead when Sergio acquired Chryco.

Sergio green lit what the Viper team had in store for the  next generation Viper....but those plans died when Chryco. went bankrupt.

So...Sergio did not have to green light anything....but he did.

 

And THAT is what is sooooooo perplexing to me.

Why waste money on a project that WONT bring any money back to you? Fresh from a bankruptcy with more pressing issues for platform sharing than a dead sports car anyway...because the Viper was gone by that time...

Why waste money on a project when you know that  there wont be a budget for?

Why waste money on a project when you know you arent serious with it to begin with....because this Viper really had no major improvements from the last generation because there was no money. I remember Ralph Gilles saying he had to perform miracles with the budget and technology he had to work with...

 

So...good on the Viper team to actually make competition for better technologically advanced machines...

 

So...my question is:

Why DID Sergio green light a project when we all know today, he was really not interested in it?

 

I believe he had some interest in it, but Ferrari clashed with him so he said eff it in the end...

[El Kabong]

It's a beautiful car that no longer has anything else going for it.

[ocnblu]

Meh, no venom

[ccap41]

It's a beautiful car that no longer has anything else going for it.

Well worded.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm surprised it lasted this long. The Viper is a handful compared to much more composed yet equally capable cars. 

[hyperv6]

I'm surprised it lasted this long. The Viper is a handful compared to much more composed yet equally capable cars.

Yes everyone stepped up the game and this car just remained with small changes. Chrysler and Fiat never really showed it the love it needed.

[Stew]

I am glad the ACR is sending i out with a bang and with the track process the original vipers and the 08 ACR that made them what they were.  IMHO, they still need a 2 seat performance car that is more comfortable, more street-able, and less expensive.  The 6.4 Hemi fitted with an aluminum block starting in the low/mid 50s would be a great starting point, then they could work up from here.  This shouldn't be called a Viper though.  Maybe design a V10 version, new V10 though, maybe based on Hemi Architecture with say, a 6.5 liter displacement and at least 650 HP with as much weight savings as possible.  Call that the Viper.  Just an idea.  Rumors swirl there will be a new one, but they do need to rethink the formula.  

[hyperv6]

With the ability of Ferrari engineering they really need to look to them for a new car. They really could have hit one out of the park but really did not get all the support that could or should have been given. I blame the Italy first thinking here as they treat Dodge as the red headed step child. 

 

The ACR is nice but they left a lot on the table with the standard car. 

[oldshurst442]

With the ability of Ferrari engineering they really need to look to them for a new car. They really could have hit one out of the park but really did not get all the support that could or should have been given. I blame the Italy first thinking here as they treat Dodge as the red headed step child. 

 

The ACR is nice but they left a lot on the table with the standard car. 

So a Dodge  is a Testarossa is what you are saying?

Not a Ferrari as I originally thought....HMMMMMM 

 

Edited February 6, 2016 by oldshurst442

[hyperv6]

Well I should have known not to open the blocked post. It is a click I will never get back. 

[oldshurst442]

Well I should have known not to open the blocked post. It is a click I will never get back. 

Why Hyper?

 

You dont have a sense of humor?

 

Are you that into yourself that you cant laugh a little?

 

Block me all you want...I aint NEVER going away!!!

 

And the more you resist me, the more Ill bug you, until you remove that stick out of your

Edited February 6, 2016 by oldshurst442

[Suaviloquent]

The Viper ACR is incredible.

 

I would reckon though that you have to be able to survive just how much the car punishes you to deliver the kind of performance it is capable of.

 

So aside from race car drivers, there is not much left for the Viper.

 

And really, it should be a car that has limited production runs. If it's a long-term production car, then it will need some real support, some real corporate back-bone to do it.

 

Now the Corvette is the everyday hero sports car, but I'd still say it's not an exotic. And it has developed a reputation for greatness on GTLM class racing, but I'm not sure if that pans out for real endurance like the Monster ACR in the Z06 production car.