Doesn’t look like it, but that’s okay with me, after Gen II Chrysler to me was designing the car away from it’s roots. Raw power with nothing else, no TC, no ABS (some models), no anything besides a driver and a tight ass seat belt. I believe the Gen I/II will be worth a good buck one day, like all the old Mopars. I kept holding off but picked up mine for 37K, I doubt they’ll ever be this low again.
On another note, if you prefer the Gen 3-5, they’re dropping HAM in price. If I waited another year, I probably could have gotten a Gen IV with 600HP compared to my 450, but it was more about the boyhood dream than anything, I’m keeping mine as stock as possible.
The Dodge Viper is speeding down the road to cancellation for the 2017 model year, and at least part of the reason for the V10 monster’s death is a problem fitting it with federally mandated side curtain airbags. An anonymous source close to FCA US told Motor Trend the automaker can’t install the parts because they would further limit the coupe’s already tight headroom. The government believes the side curtain airbags can reduce occupant ejections during accidents, and all vehicles must have them for the 2017 model year.
The Viper’s slow sales also don’t provide FCA US much motivation to work out a solution to this problem. The automaker moved just 676 of the handmade sports coupes in the US in 2015, which was down 11 percent from 760 deliveries in 2014.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hinted at the Detroit Auto Show that the Viper could return eventually. He doesn’t like that the current model has a dedicated platform but indicated a new one could share the underpinnings with another of the company’s products. Marchionne’s current business plan for FCA stresses building the automaker’s value, so it might be a while before we see the sweater-clad CEO focusing on a niche vehicle like the Viper.
I’ve never been a huge Viper fan, but I’ve been warming up to the idea of grabbing a 2nd gen in the next year or so. It seems like you can’t go wrong buying a 2nd gen (especially B&W, for whatever reason) if you plan on holding onto it long-term, money-wise. My soon to be FIL has a 3rd gen and I keep telling him to dump it now.
You’re right now that I think about it over again. It’s just like the ACR always seems to be in its own league. But it should push the other manufacturers toward improvement.
Comparing a Z07 package Z06 to an ACR Viper is 100% fair. Each are the best model from each manufacturer. I like how the guys sort of pushed for GM to hurry up with their mid-engined Zora 'Vette.
I had the understanding that there was not going to be a ZR1. I would agree that the ACR is in a different league. it is a streetable track car where the ZO6 is a street car that can do track stuff well.
How many times can they kill it and bring it back?
Sorry, 10-pack fans, the Viper is downsizing. Chrysler is (finally) developing an aluminum-block V-8 to replace the aging iron-block anchor it calls Hemi. We’re guessing that a naturally aspirated V-8 will be the new Viper’s first engine.