Dodge Viper Rumored to Get Axed Next Year
The Dodge Viper may not be long for this world if these rumors are true.
In recent years, the Viper has truly struggled in sales, moving just 760 units in the U.S. last year and 503 through September 2015. Sure, it’s a niche product, but even with 645 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque from its naturally aspirated 8.4-liter V10 engine, the Viper can’t even keep up with Dodge’s Hellcat engine on paper with its 707 hp.
Taking a look at the proposed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and United Auto Workers (UAW) Union contract, the Viper will be “built out” in 2017 and there is no future product in development. Currently, the Viper is built at the American automaker’s Connor Avenue assembly plant, which has been rumored to be on the company’s list of shutdowns in the near future.
SEE ALSO: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Price Starts at $117,895
The current model hasn’t sold as well as Dodge has hoped and even received a significant price cut last year. But the appeal of the Viper has been dwindling with increasing competition in the high-end sports car segment. The Corvette Z06 starts from $80,395 including destination and packs 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, besting the Viper which has a starting price of $86,990.
[Source: BangShift]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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I'd like to see dodge if they drop it, replace it with a smaller much more affordable coupe and drop top maybe revive a classic, like say... Demon. Give the toyobaru twins a run for their money!
I'm guessing the poor sales numbers are just do to the new Corvette being so popular. It also doesn't hurt that the front of the new Corvette looks very similar to a Viper.