Chrysler selling Viper
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Gosh - I wouldn't have liked to be in charge of that decision.
From a purely financial approach, this makes sense :
- Vipers are hand built
- in a separate plant
- it is a very customized, low margin business
- discontinuing the brand means they can also close a plant
However, from a marketing point of view, the Viper brand shines on the total Chrysler portfolio, which is hard to quantify in numbers. So many people who can't afford a Viper buy another Chrysler (or SRT) product because of the Viper association.
Net, my feeling is that this is going to cost them a lot of future sales.
From a purely financial approach, this makes sense :
- Vipers are hand built
- in a separate plant
- it is a very customized, low margin business
- discontinuing the brand means they can also close a plant
However, from a marketing point of view, the Viper brand shines on the total Chrysler portfolio, which is hard to quantify in numbers. So many people who can't afford a Viper buy another Chrysler (or SRT) product because of the Viper association.
Net, my feeling is that this is going to cost them a lot of future sales.
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Maybe youre not old enough to remember about 16 years ago when Chrysler almost went under, but along came the Viper which changed that. This was way before the 300C.
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Selling the Viper will hurt Chrysler, no doubt about it, the whole SRT line of vehicles has done well primarily because of those three letters which started on a Viper. Dodge will no longer have anything to do with real performance.
Conversely, who could (that actually would) buy it that people would trust to do right by it???? The Viper is dead if it leaves Chrysler, of it will end up being a 150-200k car if some small company buys it, but I doubt any large company will buy it.
Regardless of it being done in a seperate plant, much like the corvette, it's the underlings (cobalts, neons etc.) that help keep the price low, once they go solo, expect saleen S7 prices.
RIP to the Viper.
But has anyone seen the ACR run 7:22.1 at the ring in only half a day of effort, banging off the rev limiter and mis shifting all the way around the track (which was partially wet). It's a 7:1x (7:15 or so car) for sure.
RIP ACR.
Conversely, who could (that actually would) buy it that people would trust to do right by it???? The Viper is dead if it leaves Chrysler, of it will end up being a 150-200k car if some small company buys it, but I doubt any large company will buy it.
Regardless of it being done in a seperate plant, much like the corvette, it's the underlings (cobalts, neons etc.) that help keep the price low, once they go solo, expect saleen S7 prices.
RIP to the Viper.
But has anyone seen the ACR run 7:22.1 at the ring in only half a day of effort, banging off the rev limiter and mis shifting all the way around the track (which was partially wet). It's a 7:1x (7:15 or so car) for sure.
RIP ACR.
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Standard transmissions
Having no automatics has cost them dearly over the years. I think Benz AMG's also pays a large price by offering no manuals. Look at the amount of 996 Turbo tips and Vette automatics out there. They were/are limiting themselves in an already small market.
Shane D (future Tip owner)
Shane D (future Tip owner)
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Problem is that + no TC takes too much skill to handle and eliminates 99% of the US population.
And the number of wrecked ones is verification of that. You cant expect a car that wont cater to the majority of the public to survive. Especially when the company is struggling, and they are making too many to try and make of for the loss, which backfired creating more loss.
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Problem is that + no TC takes too much skill to handle and eliminates 99% of the US population.
And the number of wrecked ones is verification of that. You cant expect a car that wont cater to the majority of the public to survive. Especially when the company is struggling, and they are making too many to try and make of for the loss, which backfired creating more loss.
And the number of wrecked ones is verification of that. You cant expect a car that wont cater to the majority of the public to survive. Especially when the company is struggling, and they are making too many to try and make of for the loss, which backfired creating more loss.
Maybe if the styling hadnt changed so much, the car would still sell in big numbers. Staying closer to the original would have been a good idea.
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No kidding. Who would actually buy a regular run-of-the-mill car from one of the big-3?
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Ken
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Again, the Corvette model works for a broader base of customers than the Viper does... Coupe, Targa, convertible... Automatic, manual...tons of option configurations to make your vette the way you want it... Oh, and FUEL MILEAGE... They knock down 26-28MPG on the highway... I loved mine for that one reason alone...
I think there's an issue here creeping up in some of the posts...I love the viper, personally and liken it to the 996GT2/3... No advanced gadgetry to bail you out... No automatic... It's purely a hardcore drivers car... It's what many of us track junkies would pick and is on the list of many of our "cars to own"...
That's a whole different view from "does the Viper business model make sense for a company that was recently let go after years under Daimler... There's a reason that Daimler didn't want to extend their partnership... From a purely business and "non-emotional car guy loving" standpoint, it shows me two things... Chrysler is really looking to trim the fat... and Chrysler is really in trouble...
Mike
I think there's an issue here creeping up in some of the posts...I love the viper, personally and liken it to the 996GT2/3... No advanced gadgetry to bail you out... No automatic... It's purely a hardcore drivers car... It's what many of us track junkies would pick and is on the list of many of our "cars to own"...
That's a whole different view from "does the Viper business model make sense for a company that was recently let go after years under Daimler... There's a reason that Daimler didn't want to extend their partnership... From a purely business and "non-emotional car guy loving" standpoint, it shows me two things... Chrysler is really looking to trim the fat... and Chrysler is really in trouble...
Mike
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You could argue that the viper had a "halo" effect for the brand but I would grant the K-car, the mini-van, and low interest gov't loans credit for saving chrysler.