What if?

"Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager" (Nighthawkwill7)
11/08/2013 at 20:03 • Filed to: None

SRT released an SRT-8 Viper with the 6.4l Hemi and priced it to be competitive with the C7 Stingray?

DISCUSSION (39)

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:06

I hate being all purist-y but then it wouldn't be a Viper.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
11/08/2013 at 20:08

475hp is still not too shabby and if priced around the Stingray, it would be a pretty good buy I think.

Manuél Ferrari > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:08

Interesting idea. The only problem with it is that they'd probably sell a ton of them and barely any of the regular Viper.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:08

Angels would sing but the Viper would still be more expensive, and slower than the Corvette.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > Manuél Ferrari
11/08/2013 at 20:09

Pretty much the whole base Corvette/Z06/ZR1 situation.

The Transporter > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:09

Now that's just crazy talk.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > The Transporter
11/08/2013 at 20:10

I was just thinking about what Ralph Gilles had said the other day about wanting to boost Viper sales out of the slump and this came to mind.

PS9 > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:11

Nah. The V10 is, like 90% of the appeal, and I think it would take more than an engine swap to make this platform price-competitive with the vette without sacrificing margins at this point.

I think Chrysler should just accept that only a few thousand people want a Viper. It's just not going to give them the volume they want at the prices they're asking for it + dickhead-, err dealer markup. When the time comes to replace this Viper, perhaps a more cost effective platform and a derivative Challenger replacement might solve this problem. Though I don't know how current Challenger buyers would take that, as they freakin' love that car.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:13

Maybe, maybe not. The Corvette has a longer history but I think it would give them an impetus to make the car better. I mean, at that price it wouldn't be the niche product the Viper is so they'd have to make it as good as the Vette if they hoped to compete.

dogisbadob > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:14

Actually, I do think of that from time to time. A non-SRT Viper would be pretty cool

SE: 6.4L V8, manual and auto options
SXT: same V8, but with more options, including sunroof
R/T-10 (convertible) and GTS (hardtop): current V10
SRT-10 and GTS-R: DOHC V10, 8.4L V10 with 840 hp, maybe AWD too
ACR: DOHC V10, RWD, stripped with no features
Power Snake: Cummins turbodiesel I6, at least 5000lb towing capacity!

dogisbadob > PS9
11/08/2013 at 20:15

It's not the Challenger buyers that would object; it's the Viper buyers! (they might not want their car based off a cheaper car)

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:16

Oh I'm not going to argue against it being a great buy or it being not powerful enough, what I'm saying is can it really be called a Viper without the excessively large V10? The thing that I love about the Viper is that there are hundreds of more efficient, more powerful power-trains but the Viper says "fuck it" and goes with a really fucking big V10.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > dogisbadob
11/08/2013 at 20:16

I like this lineup. Power Snake :)

dogisbadob > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:17

haha yeah that was the best name I could think of that would have any shot at actually being used!

I derived it from the Power Ram and Power Wagon trucks, and the Viper/Snake theme

best towing capacity of any supercar!

TheOnelectronic > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:18

Not the Viper. Something new. Adder? Mamba? Asp?

They won't want to muddy the Viper brand with lower-tier versions.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:19

The Viper will always be low production. The car is mainly hand built and hand painted like a Mclaren. The Corvette is built in a factory much more similar to a Cruze than a supercar.

Kinja'd!!!

The high volume, low production cost of the Corvette is one reason it's such a value but will never have much in the way of exclusivity.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > TheOnelectronic
11/08/2013 at 20:20

Diamondback would be a cool moniker I think. Or take the name from the Copperhead concept.

SonorousSpeedJoe > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:21

The V10 is part of the Viper's appeal, though I do want to see what the 392 could do when it's not in a heavier Charger/300.

I think the most realistic change they'd make to sell more Vipers is making the 8-speed ZF available as an option.

dogisbadob > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo
11/08/2013 at 20:22

What they should do is make a DOHC V10with 840 hp and sell it as a Ferarri 810 Viperelli

Manuél Ferrari > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:22

Yeah... Only real enthusiasts buy the higher models of the Corvette because people that just want the looks can buy the cheapest model.

If Dodge did this they would probably make the cheapest model with the Hemi priced to compete with the Stingray with the Z51 package.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:22

Makes me want a Viper even more.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > SonorousSpeedJoe
11/08/2013 at 20:25

8- speed Viper sounds interesting.

Leadbull > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:30

What if...

Corvette released a Zr-1 with a supercharged motor and priced it to be competitive with the Viper?

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > Leadbull
11/08/2013 at 20:31

Why hasn't anyone thought of this

Kailand09 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:33

While this is true, those pictures are highly misleading. Many hands touch and attach parts of the corvette, they are simply supported on that structure to move it along the assembly line.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 20:33

Well don't listen to this Viper with a Corsa exhaust, then.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Kailand09
11/08/2013 at 20:35

As are all cars. But there are more machines putting Corvettes together than Vipers, the cars are built much faster and the capacity at Bowling Green is much larger than Conner Ave.

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:37

Kinja'd!!!

Kailand09 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:39

No I agree with that. My point was simply that the picture made it look like not a singlehandtouches itif someone isn't familiar with manufacturing of cars.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Kailand09
11/08/2013 at 20:43

Oh I agree, the Corvette pic didn't have a single person in it except that guy in the background. I picked it because it showed the volume they had vs the Viper.

Kailand09 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos
11/08/2013 at 20:54

Oh yeah, I think the vette is around 200 cars a day.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > Kailand09
11/08/2013 at 20:59

It fluctuates to meet demand. I know when the C6 came out they were selling 30k a year, which the Viper couldn't dream of doing, and near the end they were down to 5k.

More Power!!and also some brakes. > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 21:09

I think they would sell a shit load based on looks and affordability but it would get its ass handed to it by the C7 in any performance test.

Chris > TheOnelectronic
11/08/2013 at 21:14

The Pit Viper

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 21:26

Kinja'd!!!

Seriously? I'm the only one who remembers the copperhead concept? They thought about this a while ago but for whatever reason, decided not to do it. It was basically a mini-viper with a V6 and a focus on upgraded handling to complement the brawny viper. That could be the "V8 Viper'. Shorten the chassis a bit, don't use carbon fiber to keep cost/complexity down (and maybe use a bit more steel) and stick in the 6.4L hemi. It would fit nicely between the challenger SRT-8 and the bae viper.

dogisbadob > SonorousSpeedJoe
11/08/2013 at 21:29

They could sell it as a Ferrari 810 Viperelli, now that they're automatic-only. Or how about Alfa Romeo 10C, or even a Maserati 8400 GT or Maserati Hassan (they do like their middle eastern sounding names) or Maserati Michigan or how about a closed coupe GT-ish car (slightly different back with a rear quarter window) called the Maserati New Mexico?

Hey, it worked for VW and Ford! (R8/Gallardo and XKR/DB7)

Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
11/08/2013 at 21:51

That's exactly what I was thinking about when I wrote this up.

doodon2whls > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 21:55

Needs to be the SuperCharged 6.2L HellCat engine.

Make it so.

RMudkips > Nighthawkwill7, Hoon Depot Manager
11/08/2013 at 22:44

I can't tell if this would be a good idea or not. Most of the appeal of the Viper comes from its insane V10 engine. If they lose that, they'd have a Viper body without the Viper soul. That'll dilute the brand of the Viper, and you won't have much sales.

You could theoretically go with something of similar layout without the Viper name.