Our Question of the Week is as simple as it sounds - why do you think that the new SRT Viper isnt selling better? Tell us below and since there are so many possibilities, there is no poll...just offer up your ideas as to why SRT cant sell more new Vipers.

 

"if you build it, they will come" (talking about a city)
so i say "if you build it, they will buy it"!

 

I think its intentional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnX1...ature=youtu.be
AAH #235 - Ralph Gilles Lets the Hellcat Outta the Bag - March 28, 2014

from the 41min 40sec mark Ralph starts talking about the viper and the numbers. too long for me to type out but its worth it to listen for about 5 min.

at one point he says "last year we had orders for 2000 vipers, i refused to build them...we built half of that on purpose."

And at one point he says something that its also about balancing CAFE numbers.

 

Had to be dealer orders. Even then, not good business if true.

The Viper may be too archaic for many of today's 2 seat buyers. Not a problem with me, but does not compare well with some others, excepting acceleration of course.

 

For me it is what Dodge has done to the brand name. I mean it's not even a Dodge anymore. Just an "SRT". There are die hard Dodge fans who want a Dodge. I guess with building the Challenger and Charger as they have, people have another choice to get a Dodge muscle car. You go to the Dodge.com site and try to look at the Viper and it directs you to another site altogether, with no mention of Dodge and the car does not have a Dodge emblem on it. So what is it? A Fiat Viper?

 

Another point he made, if you even listened, was his statement that "you can go to some chevy dealers and find 100 corvettes sitting on the lot. You'll never see that with the Viper"

 

Numerous reasons:

1. They are using an old platform that needs to be retired. This is one of the consistent complaints about how it performs in comparison to its competition. With GM using their magnetic suspension, it proves that Dodge needs to get with the times on the suspension.

2. It has become too expensive. Now the Viper pretty much cannot be had under $100K and taking into account how low tech it is which most people paying that much WANT a higher tech car being that they are paying bucks for it.

3. It is not livable for daily use. It has never honestly, but the gap is widening. The market has changed considerably from the 90s and now one of the best security features on a new car is having a manual. I know the traditionalists will scream at the mention of this, but it is time to offer an automatic as an OPTION.

4. Aside from looks inside and out, what advantage does this have over the 2008-2010. Despite being lighter, having more aggressive gearing, and being more powerful, it really isn't that much faster and struggled to beat the 2010 ACR-X version's track time.

In my view, the Viper needs an overhaul. They need to get a brand new platform state of the art platform (maybe even mid-engine), share dumbed down versions with Chrysler (new Crossfire type car) and one of the FIAT divisions (non-Ferrari) to increase economies of scale, use an updated GDI V10 (not the supercharged hemi) in the LX cars & JGC as the top of the line options to again increase economies of scale, use the ZF 8-speed as an OPTION and get the 7-speed manual offered in the Corvette to help with Gas mileage, offer a supercharged or turbocharged V10 version as an option to a limited version of the Viper.

 

Too much money for what it is. Plain and simple. Take for example Corvette Stingray and Porsche Carrera. Both are more comfortable, Both get better MPG making them capable of being daily driven, The Corvette will do 0-60 in 3.8 seconds , Viper 4.0 seconds, Porsche 4.2 seconds so it would be one heck of a close race from 0-60. Anything over that you're speeding so it doesn't matter unless you're at a track day. The Porsche and Stingray turn just as many heads on the street, The Viper is horrible around corners whereas the Stingray and Porsche will go into a corner hard and come out fast.

Bottom line practicality, gas is $4 a gallon, the economy sucks, people don't have money to buy a $100K car that is just a "Toy" They want a flashy sports car that they can use and enjoy as a daily driver.

Not to mention the Corvette Stingray is ~$70K fully loaded, the Porsche is ~$88K, The SRT Viper is ~$102K.

 

Its a supercar, its exclusive......in other words, its too damn expensive.
As mentioned earlier there are other cars that are monsters for less money. Plus they are a bit more, dare I say...practical?

However, I'm an average Joe and I could buy one brand new off the showroom floor if I really wanted one, BUT I'd just have to sell both my trucks, combined $86K worth of trucks, and then buy a couple of beaters with cash first. LOL!! So I'd be paying roughly $1400 month for a car that would sit in the garage most of the time. Ive paid close to that for a $70k Roush Mustang in 2010. Although the car was a little bit more fun than sex and could be driven as a daily driver and had a back seat we could throw the kid in, Its still just NOT worth it. The day I traded it off was a good day.
Obviously the Viper just ain't practical for the average Joe, nor was it meant to be, PLUS its just not as desirable and techy for the clientele who are really in the market for a supercar, hence its not going to fly off showroom floors.