Is the Viper on the chopping block?

[Z06 Rocket]

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http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs..._blg=1,1738758

[LS2POWA]

They announced its death couple years ago. The money they will save off it will help upgrade lower end models which should help boost sales where there are more buyers.

[Shadow]

The article doesn't make it sound like it's going away

2013.....Same fangs, more comfort

I’ve always felt right at home in the burly Dodge, which is less of a handful than most people think. You just have to respect its incredible power and not do anything really stupid. As others have suggested, I find the Dodge more forgiving and controllable on the track than the Corvette Z06, which is decidedly more tail-happy than the Dodge – though the Corvette obviously whips the Dodge in terms of everyday comfort, passenger space, interior quality and even fuel economy.

The snobs who dismissed the Viper as nothing but a crude muscle car with a giant engine stuffed inside got their comeuppance at the 24 Hours of LeMans, where the Dodge Viper ruled the production-based class for years, beating every Porsche and, yes, Corvette that dared to challenge it.

There's no more rationale for Chrysler to dump the line than there is for GM dumping the Z06, ZR1 or the vette line in general. As a matter of fact, stopping production for a short period to retool and redesign, a more user friendly design a la the corvette, could well result in two things happening:

1) A rise in value for the older, more basic models (some people want that crude race car feel), as collectors cars and such.
2) A "new" breed of buyer that wants the speed, handleing, and creature comforts (a la the Z06/ZR1 buyer) and has the $$$ to afford it. Of course, this would be pricepointed in the Z06/ZR1 range as well...another ++ for Chrysler

Heck, if they made the improvements, and I hit the lottery, I'd buy one in a second! I've always loved the look of the Viper!
But I didn't care for the raw feel on the street. For that kind of $$$ I could buy the vette and still keep my spleen, hearing, kidneys....

Overall, if they do what the article implies, you'll see a 2013+ Viper with the same or better HP, better handling characteristics, and over all, better streetability.
Who knows? Maybe AC and a decent stereo system as well? Traction control?

This ought to get good!

[floridaZ]

I personally hope not. I'm fortunate to have drove a Viper before, and I was wise enough to know not to press that car. And that's a large part of the fun of that car, knowing that there isn't some computer to save you. I wish that there were more cars like it out there, so it will be a sad day if they end up turning it into... every other sports car. I'd rather see it end now then see them turn it into another Corvette (the ones we have now do just fine).

Hopefully they will bring it back someday, in the same raw "pure" sports car spirit.

I had a running argument with Viper engineers over their refusal to equip the car with electronic stability control, out of some misguided notion of the car’s “purity.” There’s macho, and then there’s safe, and the fact is that most people who bought a Viper weren’t even close to being professional or even amateur racers. On rainy roads or while attacking curves, having stability control, I argued, would give drivers the confidence to go that much faster. Plus, you can always turn it off.

That's funny. There's macho, there's safe, and then there is stupid. Driving in the rain can be dangerous in anything, so stability control equipped or not a car like the Viper isn't my preferred choice of car. Besides, the last thing we need is for people driving anything in the rain to be more confident to take corners faster. And if you are "attacking corners"... how does that fit into safety again?