Slideshow: Is the Viper Set for a Return with a V8?

The Latest Hubbub

Clickbait or not, finding out about something before it happens is exciting. Waiting for a company to roll out a new model at an official launch is fun for the people there eating free food and scooping up schwag, but for the rest of us, it's anticlimactic. So it's only natural to hear gossip repeated any time "unnamed sources" whisper something to someone, who then passes it on until it hits someone with a keyboard and a platform. The latest entry into the guessing-the-future game was Car and Driver, who at the end of May, quoting unnamed sources, reported that the Viper would indeed make a comeback and it would likely be V8-powered. They also predicted it would be front-mid mounted, come with a manual tranny, and be offered initially as a convertible, with a closed car to follow. They had the timeline down as a possible 2019 launch, with consumer pegged for 2020 or 2021.

But...

As reported by both Automobile magazine’s Todd Lassa and the Detroit Free Press’  Eric Lawrence, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said it ain't so Joe. "That's a great question. ... It's not in the plan if that's what you're asking," quoth Marchionne. Lassa shared that Marchionne felt the Viper "Didn't make money, and wouldn't work with a "cute" Euro-style engine," and Lawrence paraphrased the CEO as saying that he'd be happy to find a way to make it work but the model didn't generate enough cash for the company. 

Is that So?

Well, that would seem to be that... except that execs always deny rumors. Giant corporations plan these sorts of things very closely and make everyone sign nondisclosure agreements. Even if a Viper was coming in 2019 the only way we would hear about it would be through a planned leak, or possibly via a spy photo. This certainly isn't the latter and it appears not to be the former.

>>Join the conversation about the possible return of the Viper right here in the Dodge Forum.

Will It Come Back?

With the closure of FCA's Conner Avenue Assembly plant as a manufacturing facility, we can be sure if the Viper is coming back it will be built elsewhere. But will it come back at all? Our guess is yes. The Viper is a bona fide performance car classic. It never suffered watering-down—it only got better with age. And it was always a looker. All recipes ripe for a reboot, whenever whoever owns the rights to the car at the time decides the time is right. That said, FCA still has one Hellcat halo, coupes are not their—or any mainstream manufacturer's—business model, and they aren't flush with cash slated for reviving models they just killed for the cause.

>>Join the conversation about the possible return of the Viper right here in the Dodge Forum.

Will it be a V8?

If and when the Viper comes back it sure won't be with a V10. Few manufacturers can afford to make a unique engine for use only in an extremely low-volume automobile, that's doubly true at Dodge price points. Whether Viper is fitted with a V8 greatly depends on when it comes back. The trend is downward for cylinder count, and up for boost to make up the difference. Currently, that means a V8 if Viper wants to keep up with the Corvettes and 911s of the world. In ten years' time, it could mean a twin-turbo V6, though that might leave a bit of room in the Viper's engine bay.

>>Join the conversation about the possible return of the Viper right here in the Dodge Forum.

Supercharged or Turbocharged?

Currently, domestic manufacturers favor supercharging for large displacement performance. Blowers have great power delivery, package well with a V8, and can deliver acceptable economy. Reasons for a turbo Viper would likely have to do, again, with what its direct competition is doing at a given point in time. Turbos arguably have the potential for more boost in a street application, and when it comes to road racing they're by far the more favored recipe for speed. Also, don't count out some type of electric motor assist or recovery system, depending on how far down the road we encounter the next Viper. 

>>Join the conversation about the possible return of the Viper right here in the Dodge Forum.

When?

Predicting the future is tricky business. We're open to suggestions on this one but we'd caution not to expect another Viper in the next 4-5 years. And even then, a few conditions would have to hold. It would be nice if gas prices don't skyrocket, but that might not be a dealbreaker depending on at whom the Viper is targeted—things like running costs matter less and less as the income of the intended consumer rises. New management often looks for a way to make a mark without taking too large of a gamble, so keep an eye on FCA personnel changes. If Dodge intends to keep producing cars, non-SUV, two-wheel drive cars that you don't have to climb up and into, then watch Challenger sales. If the Challenger goes bye-bye that would be the time to start looking for a new Viper to wave Hello. In the meantime, just kick back and enjoy reading the rumors. And feel free to start some of your own right here in Dodge Forum—we might just join you. 

>>Join the conversation about the possible return of the Viper right here in the Dodge Forum.

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