If were goin to talk about cars needing built....

im goin to say a 2/4 door sport compact much like the r/t neon
the dodge electric current based off the lotus
A v6 sport coupe/covertible/sedan with the pentastarv6 variant
And a v8 & v10 Model of the viper
A halo car for chrysler like the "me412"
an affordable electric car like the size of the neon or make one outta the sc coupe 4 door
and a natural gas variant

 

I would disagree with the idea that they should split the Viper from Dodge and make it its own division. This leads to at least four problems.
#1. Fiat already has enough performance brands, they do not need another.
#2. This strengthens the case to dismantle Dodge as it will become what Plymouth was in the end.
#3. This is a impractical move as more divisions costs more money.
#4. Having the Viper in Dodge is a successful marketing tool (which they have forgotten).

The last thing FIAT should do is run Chrysler the way Daimler did. Badge-engineering the Viper would be a horrible move. It will keep Chrysler fans away as well as take sales away from Ferrari. The best way to keep the Viper and Ferrari apart is to leave the Viper alone in its core strategy. The Viper should be about having the largest production engine on the market in the traditional OHV American design. People who want really want Ferraris will not care if it has the same interior because they want the status symbol and the Italian design of a small multivalve V8 engine. Although they compete against each other, they appeal to completely different consumers. The only things I would change are the following:

#1. Make a new V10 as the Hemi as the template: The reason for this is the small block Hemi is apparently less expensive to build per unit as the LA block was by noteworthy margin. Also doing this allows improvements to be spread trickle down or trickle up (meaning any improvements on the V10 will naturally be able to be applied to the V8 or vice versa thereby reducing the cost of needing to update two seperate engine lines). On top of this, I would look into adding new technologies to the engine to keep it up to date with what the market demands without changing the core of the engine (it must stay an OHV). I would add GDI to it and on top of this, look into the possibly of making it E-85 capable as E-85 is technically a racing type fuel and the extra octane would be beneficial for aftermarket performance upgrades.

#2. Improve the interior: Being that the Viper is out of our price range, the fact is only the upper middle class or higher can afford a car such as this and to get this, they have to sacrifice all the luxury and interior that other that have not quite as fast performance but fast enough for about the same price with quite a status symbol to themselves. Add more creature comforts and upgrade the interior to make it feel more like the car that it is priced as. Besides the ACR can always be had for those who want the real bare bones deal.

#3. Offer more powertrain options: Now, I'm not looking at this from the same perspective as some are. I have long said that giving the least expensive model the name SRT-10 is ridiculous as it is a base model. Just call it the Dodge Viper. That's impressive enough. No one besides an absolute Auto Nerd like myself is going to bother mentioning the SRT-10 part in a conversation anyhow. The SRT-10 nameplate should be reserved for a model aimed at being the fastest in straight performance supercar in the world (translation: turbo or supercharge the V10)

#4. More Transmission options: Face it, Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, and Porsche all have automatics as options. It's time to adapt to the customer's wishes. Again, most people who can afford a Viper have many cars to choose from that have automatics and many of these people are lazy. You have to give the customer what they want or you will lose their business.

As for your suggestion Chase, I think that having the powertrain list that you had makes more sense as a Chrysler model. As the Challenger already has or will have that list, it would make those two models compete against each other, though I agree with having a lower performance model. Having it in the same division also provides too many like models in the division of Dodge and Chrysler desperately needs something to help its image as the 300 isn't doing very well as it has aged, the PT should have been updated or discontinued about 3 years ago, the Sebring has not done well, the Pacifica "failed" (I still reject that idea), the Aspen failed (obviously), and the Crossfire failed. Considering that Chrysler has about as much luxury value left to it as Mercury (merely implied with nothing to back it up anymore no thanks to Daimler), I don't think it would be too far out of price and would make a nice addition the line up. I doubt it would be the disaster that was the Crossfire as the technology is superior, it wouldn't be as expensive to build, it would look a lot better (styling of the Firepower concept in mind), the interior would more than likely be better, and it would be built here by Chrysler instead of built by a subcontractor in Deustchland and imported with Chrysler slapping its badge on it. Having this and the Viper would make sense as they wouldn't be as likely to compete against each other and would benefit from economies of scale.

I would also use the V10 in limited edition offerings in the LX/LC platform to increase economies of scale and spice up those models. If limited enough, it shouldn't hurt the already ultra low production Viper.

 

Compare my idea to the other two American companies.

V6 Stang
V8 Stang
GT

V6 Camaro
V8 Camaro
Corvette
Corvette ZR1


I just personally think that the V6/V8 coupes shouldn't be the same car.

 

I totally agree with you 97. I however know what they are going through in rethinking and our guesswork on the status of the VIPER and every other model that hangs in the balance. With no american V8 competition for the base Vette, being several thousand less than the Viper, it leaves the question of are they doing the right thing by having just the V10?

I dont want to see Chrysler and Dodge go down the Tubes because of badging or poor judgement. I think a V8 really wouldnt be a bad option for the Viper even though it is and always should be a v10. I was only making a suggestion of branding the Viper like they Did the Ram because I dont want to see the Viper go wayside with all these changes that dont make it a Viper. That would be like genetically engineering a Michael Jordan that was only 5-10 and couldnt reach the basketball hoop with a jump.

 

Chase, I must be having a problem with understanding your original point where you were talking about an R/T 4.0L V6. Could you clarify your position (if you mean different cars on a similar platform but distinctive by their styling, engines, and price tag please give them names so then I can keep them separated in my mind such as for the 4.0L being a Stealth, the 5.7L R/T being a Demon, and the SRT-8 being a Viper)?

In this quote, when you say "I just personally think that the V6/V8 coupes shouldn't be the same car." are you saying that the pony cars should be either a V8 or a V6 and not both or what? I'm confused.

highrevr/tflea, I think moving the Viper down market will fail for a few reasons:

#1. You are fighting a legacy car: Although the Viper has been on the market for almost 20 years. The Corvette has a solid customer base and for the most part has always been a volume sports car. GM is an amazing company frankly where they care more about sales numbers than financial success. What I mean by this is, GM will not allow their precious Corvette ever be beaten in sales by anything American. Heck, they discontinued and dropped several models because they could not bare the thought that anything from more expensive, more high end brands in their own company could dare to threaten that status. GM would sell out anything to keep the Corvette number one, even if they have to bankrupt the company to do it. The only way is to keep the Viper at a premium and without the standard V10, it won't have that image. It will be seen as an over priced sports car (no longer a supercar). It simply won't work.

#2. Limited market segment: This isn't a truck, mini-van, or family sedan. The demand in this market is limited. The sales are questionable which makes profit questionable. Right now strategy is technically working as the Viper is turning a profit despite its low volume.

#3. Making a V8 standard may cause the death of the V10: The V10 was originally used not only to make the Viper stand out, but also the LA V8 had been deprived of performance technology since the 70s where as GM never stopped. The fact that the V10s massive displacement has tons of untapped potential to make it a unique yet affordable tuning machine. The Hemi is unquestionably more performance ready than the 360 was. If you down grade it, many people who are now buying V10s will down grade as some just want the car and others will move on after losing some of the status symbol of the model (some people I have talked to will not own a Corvette because they are too common). It also makes it too tempting for them to discontinue the V10.

I'm not comfortable with this situation either, but as the saying goes, there is strength in numbers. Stripping the Viper away also makes it easier to discontinue as it is no longer identified with Dodge. Likewise, they could also make the argument that all performance models should be moved to Viper, taking away the Challenger at first and perhaps working next on the SRT-8 Charger.

This Ram division in my view is a marketing disaster in the long run and I'm suspicious as to why they would do that unless they are trying to transform Dodge into Plymouth and use the same justification. The truck image and the performance image work hand in hand. Dodge isn't having an image problem with the youth, it's Chrysler that is having that problem (among other problems). Dodge just needs better interior, better fuel economy, cars that are bigger than what they look and feel as that was what made them popular in the Lutz era.

I think that the best way to do this without hurting the Viper's essence is to make a Chrysler model to fit all these other things. It can be done. Even when Chrysler was a luxury brand, it was still quite affordable. It can have luxury, V6 and V8 performance, and compete against the Corvette as well as similar offerings from BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, and the rest.

 

Not a Bad Perspective...Maybe they should do the FirePower again...

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I just would like to see high performance car in all the classes. Those were just the engines I thought could be used.

I really want to see a 6.4L Firepower like car... and a Mustang type car that's not HUGE, Heavy and blocky. COUGHCHALLENGERCOUGH Also, a lower end performance vehicle. SRT4/6. But I want to see these vehicles be built from the ground up... not thrown on a remake of the Lancer platform or slammed on a heavy sedan platform...

 

lower end performance vehicle? the SRT4 Neon can be built into a monster, my buddy has one and no corvette Z06 can hang with it or SRT8 charger mustang GT's they dont have anything on it at all. so i wouldnt call it a lower end performance car. Like my car i have a 1992 Stealth, that i converted to AWD TT stroked and cammed up. Im runnin 763AWHP and i have a 100 shot of nos in it as well, and i can tell you vette's camaro's stang's cant hang with me ive only met one person to beat me in a mustang and it was a pure drag car. I mean hell i would race the viper and feel confident i would beat it the new SRT-10 only prodices 600HP to the crank, so you can make smaller engine little cars into awesome cars for less money. so let the rich people have vipers but there all stock, anyone can go buy a new car why not build one alot of people dont have save money and beat all the "super" cars lol.

 

Not a bad point but a modded stealth next to a viper is still just a stealth. Anybody can build somethin to smoke anything, the point is the performance out of the factory and exciting new cars.