According to comments from Chrysler’s CEO, several companies
have expressed interest in taking up the production of the nasty snake in the
wake of Chrysler’s comments that it would be discontinued soon due to slumping
sales.
Over the past two years, the skyrocketing gas prices and
slumping economic market have slowed the sales of performance cars, and
considering the low sales volume of the Viper even a few years ago, the
announcement that the Viper may not return was not a huge surprise although it
was a huge disappointment to Dodge enthusiasts.
One of the most powerful cars made in the US, the Viper dominated its market
for years starting in 1992, but another factor bringing about a cease to the
Viper is the introduction of the new Corvette Z06 and the ultra high
performance ZR-1 model.Both of these
Corvettes have turned out similar-to-better performance numbers, but the Z06
did so at a price quite a bit lower than the Viper.
Chrysler has stated that they may not necessarily kill off
the Viper though, as there are allegedly several groups interested in the
purchase of the Viper name.We do not
know from these comments if these groups are aftermarket tuner, an investment
group, or even other manufacturers, but there is no sign as to whether it would
still wear the Dodge nameplate, or even the Viper name.As of August 2008, Chrysler had only stated
that they were willing to entertain offers, but no other concrete information
has been given.Hopefully the upcoming
show season will unlock some of the mysteries of the future of the fabled Dodge
Viper.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
