Since the V10 powered Dodge Viper was introduced back in the early 1990s, there have been people wishing that they could afford one. That desire for an affordable Viper has spawned endless pleas and rumors by enthusiasts that the company was working on a lower priced Viper packing a V8 engine. This car would, in theory, compete with the base model Chevrolet Corvette and if powered by the 6.4L Hemi V8 used in the rest of the current Street and Racing Technology line, it would have a slight advantage in power over the 2014 Corvette base model.
This car would most likely sell like crazy even though most of the people clamoring for a Viper that doesn’t cost $100k probably also couldn’t afford a Viper that costs $58k but there is no question that a 2-seater sports car based on the Viper platform (even with a unique look and different name) would steal at least a little business from the Corvette. The up-side to this idea is that it would allow Chrysler to cut into GM’s fun with the base Corvette while also offering the Mopar faithful a performance car to fill the gap between the 470hp, $45,000 Challenger SRT8 and the 640hp, $100,000 SRT Viper. The downside to this idea is that it would substantially cut into the exclusivity of the Viper…unless the company gave this Hemi-powered a unique look and a name of its own. There is also a chance that some of those people who were going to buy a $100,000 SRT Viper opt instead for the Hemi-powered supercar for $60,000 but realistically, I don’t imagine that GM worries about losing ZR1 sales to the base Corvette.
So what do you think? Should there be a lower cost Hemi-powered sports car based on the Viper? Should it be a trimline of the Viper or should it have a different look and name? Click here to head into the forums to give your two cents!
"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.
