The Chrysler Group has announced the first bits of pricing information for the 2014 SRT Viper and for those prospective buyers looking to put the “base” Viper (non-GTS) in their driveway or garage – it will cost you $2,000 more than it would to buy the base 2013 Viper. However, this price increase comes due to a handful of new standard features that were part of pricey option packages for the 2013 model year Vipers so when you consider what you are getting for that $2,000 – the 2014 Viper is actually a better value than the 2013 Viper.
The 2013 SRT Viper carried an MSRP of $97,395 which jumped to $101,990 when you factored in the $1,995 destination fee and the $2,600 gas guzzler tax. The 2014 SRT Viper is attached with the same destination fee and gas guzzler tax but with an MSRP of $99,395. – the final price of the 2014 base model Viper comes to $103,990.
While some people (many of whom won’t be able to afford any Viper anytime soon even if they were only $50k) are grumbling about the price increase, it should be pointed out that the jump in the 2014 SRT Viper price is not your average “it costs more because it is a new model year” price hike. The 2014 SRT Viper now features standard HD Radio with Navigation, a 12 speaker Harmon Kardon sound system featuring dual subwoofers and the ParkView Back-up Camera system. That 12 speaker Harmon Kardon sound system was a $1,995 option for the 2013 Viper base model while the back up camera, the HD Radio system and the navigation setup were all included in the $2,500 Grand Touring Package so getting a 2013 SRT Viper with those now-standard features would have cost you $106,485. In other words, the 2014 SRT Viper has an MSRP that is $2,000 more than 2013 models but the company has added $4,495 worth of new standard features – thus making the 2014 SRT Viper the better bargain.
The price of the 2014 SRT Viper GTS remains unchanged with an MSRP of $121,895 and a final price (with gas guzzler tax and destination fees) of $126,490. There has been no pricing announced on the 2014 SRT Viper TA at this point.
"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.
