The Dodge Viper is back! A few months after production ended, the automaker is reportedly planning a rebirth in the not-so-distant future.
Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of the Dodge brand, confirmed to The Detroit News that the Chrysler board has given the Viper final approval and development is on schedule.
Countering speculation that it will share underpinnings with Ferrari or the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (given the new Chrysler-Fiat alliance and visual similarities between the latter and the Dodge), Gilles stressed that the new Viper won't be based on anything else.
The car will likely mark a radical departure from the American automobile icon if we're to believe his words. "There won't be a part of the car that's untouched," he said, and that includes the almighty 640-horsepower V10 engine.
Obviously, Fiat will play a key role in the Viper's resurrection. Its expertise will serve to push the performance envelope even further. The new Viper will be a more forgiving car to drive and accessible to more people. The addition of stability control, however, is bound to make purists boil with anger, since the Viper was one of the few remaining sports cars to make do without such technology.
The point to remember here is that Dodge wants to make the Viper more accessible. The outgoing model was so exclusive and revered by a select few, so what exactly should we expect from the new and ''improved'' Viper?
The company seems to be targeting larger sales volumes, lower prices and better profits. Of course, it's all speculation for now, but things promise to be quite interesting by the time Dodge releases the official details.
Source: The Detroit News
Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of the Dodge brand, confirmed to The Detroit News that the Chrysler board has given the Viper final approval and development is on schedule.
Countering speculation that it will share underpinnings with Ferrari or the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (given the new Chrysler-Fiat alliance and visual similarities between the latter and the Dodge), Gilles stressed that the new Viper won't be based on anything else.
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| Photo: Chrysler |
The car will likely mark a radical departure from the American automobile icon if we're to believe his words. "There won't be a part of the car that's untouched," he said, and that includes the almighty 640-horsepower V10 engine.
Obviously, Fiat will play a key role in the Viper's resurrection. Its expertise will serve to push the performance envelope even further. The new Viper will be a more forgiving car to drive and accessible to more people. The addition of stability control, however, is bound to make purists boil with anger, since the Viper was one of the few remaining sports cars to make do without such technology.
The point to remember here is that Dodge wants to make the Viper more accessible. The outgoing model was so exclusive and revered by a select few, so what exactly should we expect from the new and ''improved'' Viper?
The company seems to be targeting larger sales volumes, lower prices and better profits. Of course, it's all speculation for now, but things promise to be quite interesting by the time Dodge releases the official details.
Source: The Detroit News