Dodge Viper: R.I.P.

autoweek said:

No apparent replacement in the pipeline for all-American sports car

The Viper, Dodge’s all-American exotic sports car launched nearly a quarter-century ago to much acclaim, will end production in 2017, according to details contained in Fiat Chrysler’s new contract with the UAW.

The product plan is included in the agreement that will be voted on by UAW members next week. It also indicates that FCA will upgrade its eight-speed automatic transmission.

The original Viper went into production in 1992. It was updated in 1996, 2003 and 2008, before Chrysler’s bankruptcy ended its run in 2010. A redesigned version debuted in 2013, but a big price increase and improved competitors hurt sales.

The 650-hp sports coupe is built at FCA’s Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit. The company's $5.3 billion product plan indicates no replacement vehicle for the small factory where Vipers are built by hand by about 80 employees.

FCA has struggled to sell the Viper since its relaunch. Through September, just 503 Vipers were sold in the United States, down 7.9 percent from the same period a year before. Dodge sold just 760 Vipers in all of 2014.

Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/viper-cease-production-2017#ixzz3p1VncFoQ

I thought this was going to be it's last year?

Really too bad, it looks like a great car.

So what happens to the "SRT" brand when they lose their halo car?

calteg wrote: So what happens to the "SRT" brand when they lose their halo car?

Uh, Hellcat? Pretty sure they'll be fine.

In reply to Javelin:

They ain't winning any races with that turd...

FCA has no interest in motorsports with the Chrysler brands. The Viper isn't selling so it gets the ax.

Hate to say it but a good part of it has to do with no automatic offering. Most of the cars in that segment are bought and driven by the over 50 crowd.

If you look at the other sports cars in that segment, they sell mostly automatic or PDK style gear boxes. I know it's not the pure thing but most people don't care about the "pure" driving experience when they are mostly driving them around town.

truly sad news.

It's had a lot of things going against it for awhile now hasn't it? I'm kind of surprised it wasn't announced sooner.

bmw88rider wrote: Hate to say it but a good part of it has to do with no automatic offering. Most of the cars in that segment are bought and driven by the over 50 crowd. If you look at the other sports cars in that segment, they sell mostly automatic or PDK style gear boxes. I know it's not the pure thing but most people don't care about the "pure" driving experience when they are mostly driving them around town.

Hey, can you tone down the overt Age-ism? I'm over 50 and truly offended by your comment. I buy manual transmission vehicles whenever possible. And for your information, there are a lot more drivers over 50 that can drive a manual transmission than there are snot-nosed 20-somethings or 30-somethings. Grow up!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rY0WxgSXdEE

What a world

1988RedT2 wrote:

bmw88rider wrote: Hate to say it but a good part of it has to do with no automatic offering. Most of the cars in that segment are bought and driven by the over 50 crowd. If you look at the other sports cars in that segment, they sell mostly automatic or PDK style gear boxes. I know it's not the pure thing but most people don't care about the "pure" driving experience when they are mostly driving them around town.

Hey, can you tone down the overt Age-ism? I'm over 50 and truly offended by your comment. I buy manual transmission vehicles whenever possible. And for your information, there are a lot more drivers over 50 that can drive a manual transmission than there are snot-nosed 20-somethings or 30-somethings. Grow up!

Very few 20-30 somethings can shell out 100 large for a toy though. Very few new car buyers today purchase true manual transmission equipped vehicles. It doesn't take much to figure out that there aren't many people with both the means, and the desire, to drive a Viper.

While you may be right about the number of people your age that can drive a stick, the fact is, most people capable of buying a new Viper would rather not spend their dough on a car that is raw and unrefined vs the competition. This is evident in the lack of sales of the current model. Adding an auto trans option almost certainly would've brought some new buyers into the fold, or kept previous Viper owners from leaving for a new Zo6, AMG, GT-R or 911 variant with a more automated transmission choice, and higher levels of refinement. The same could be said for reducing the amount of cabin heat and noise, improving ergonomics or getting better fuel economy.

It wasn't meant to be an ageism thing. Sorry if you took it the wrong way. It's just the take rate for the manuals in the higher end sports car category is very very small.

Ferrari, Lambo, and Audi R8 don't even offer one anymore. Porsche quit offering one in their 2 highest end models. If there was a huge demand for a manual in these cars, they would offer them.

The demographics that buy these cars are not wanting a manual. It's not that they can't drive a manual, it's that they don't want to.

Old people, smdh

I've never really thought of the viper as a sports car.

STM317 wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote:

bmw88rider wrote: Hate to say it but a good part of it has to do with no automatic offering. Most of the cars in that segment are bought and driven by the over 50 crowd. If you look at the other sports cars in that segment, they sell mostly automatic or PDK style gear boxes. I know it's not the pure thing but most people don't care about the "pure" driving experience when they are mostly driving them around town.

Hey, can you tone down the overt Age-ism? I'm over 50 and truly offended by your comment. I buy manual transmission vehicles whenever possible. And for your information, there are a lot more drivers over 50 that can drive a manual transmission than there are snot-nosed 20-somethings or 30-somethings. Grow up!

Very few 20-30 somethings can shell out 100 large for a toy though.

So 30ish year old who can actually buy one. Its not 100K its more then that, my ACR build would have been close to 135-141K. There are just more compelling options at that price point. I can go out and buy another V10 R8 for that and still have 30K to buy a track toy and tires and track fee's for 10 years. There is nowhere on the street that you can use one and have fun without getting snagged. "No officer it was the other blue and white viper with a monster wing shooting flames that blew by you at 20 over the limit".

At this price point you are solidly getting into the showoff hard-parked cars. New Viper or a used F430 convertible? V10 R8 spyder used with a manual and 30K in your pocket? You can get a perfect LP560 Gallardo for that. I test drove a freaking MP4-12C at 121K a few days back that is 3x the usable car over a Viper on the street and I bet it is faster at the track as well.

Is it wrong that for some reason I just am kind of ambivalent that it will be going away?

In reply to T.J.: It was the 2014 continental Championship car

Is it still "All American" when it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of an Italian company? I am not upset because (follow me here):

1. FCA used a very Italian Fiat as the newest Jeep model
2. SO they don't mind mixing brands that they own
3. AND they don't care if an iconic nameplate is slapped onto a import
4. AND they own Maserati and most of Ferrari
5. SO they could rebadge this as a Dodge and sell it at a discount.

In reply to dean1484:

Nope . . . I feel the same way.

In reply to pinchvalve:

Damnit... caught me again... At first I was thinking, "why is he posting a picture of a C7?" ... and then I saw the prancing horse badges...

In reply to pinchvalve:

They'll sell a Corvette?

No, wait...

In reply to dean1484:

I think I feel the same way. The original Viper was a unique phenomenon. It was much more than a Corvette competitor but it didn't fit in with the foreign exotics because it was obnoxious, and that was cool.

I saw the reintroduction of the Viper as an attempt to join the rest of the pack while still remaining a Viper. Somehow I don't think it was ever as "Cool" as the original. While it may have been more capable than the old one (and we've seen that it's a fast car on track) I think somewhere along the way it lost its aura. And that's why no one is buying them. It's not unique anymore. And, as wearymicrobe said, there's better options out there.

So, ambivalence here too.

Now the Hellcats... those are a unique phenomenon. Like the original Viper it's a brilliant answer to a question no one asked.

the original Vipers were badass: much like the Cobras that inspired themm they werre a total middle finger to the world... too much power and a race car suspension that started off with some parts from the Dakota pickup with no electric nannies to rescue you when you got in over your head... no airbags, no top, and no side windows... then there were the sidepipes that were guaranteed to burn the legs of anyone that wasn't careful getting in and out..