Next Gen Viper To Target Porsche Owners

Chrysler Group LLC, the U.S. automaker run by Fiat SpA, said the next Dodge Viper sports car is going to be “drop-dead beautiful” so it can take buyers from Porsche SE’s cars and General Motors Co.’s Corvette.

The new Viper’s look was inspired by “a naked woman on the beach,” Ralph Gilles, the head of Chrysler’s design, said at an event on Jan. 12 in Detroit. The car will be released next year as a 2013 model-year vehicle, Gilles told reporters at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.



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pcar4evr - 1/14/2011 3:12:30 PM

+4 Boost

If it's Oprah, it's an SUV

Gambit - 1/14/2011 3:37:38 PM

+8 Boost

“There are not a lot of younger people, and by younger I mean under 45, who aspire to own a Corvette or a Viper,”

Actually there are plenty of younger people who aspire for Vipers and Corvettes...they just don't have 80 thousand dollars to spend on them.

edeus123 - 1/14/2011 4:37:46 PM

+6 Boost

I'm glad to see that Fiat Is pulling out the full potential of the viper. I'm a huge fan of the viper. I actually own one. Its a GT-S that is dark blue with white racing stripes.



Its too small for me to get in though. Maybe because it is a die cast model.

bfghemicuda - 1/14/2011 5:37:54 PM

+1 Boost

A client of mine has a close friend on the SRT engineering team. I was told that the photo that I now use for my icon is very close to what the Viper will look like. It was not supposed to be released and there are no other angles available.

veyron1001 - 1/15/2011 12:06:55 AM

+3 Boost

So the next gen is slower?

Lexus - 1/15/2011 4:04:31 AM

+5 Boost

I'm sorry but Porsche owners are some of the most loyal customer in a car company.

Well, good luck with trying to converting Porsche owners.

Steve - 1/15/2011 5:29:57 PM

+5 Boost

I can't picture Porsche guys turning to the Viper. To *my* way of thinking, and I speculate also to Porsche fans, Porsche is a marque with a long heritage, German engineering, and makers of timeless icons, like the 911. The Viper, on the other hand, has "over the top" styling that comes across like a parody of a car, and has an engineering approach of brute force rather than finesse. I believe these are two entirely different markets, for people who looking for entirely different cars.

Larrybel2000 - 1/15/2011 7:47:28 PM

+2 Boost

It's still a Dodge.

iamdabest1 - 1/15/2011 10:16:33 PM

+1 Boost

nothing against it being a dodge, just like there is nothing wrong with a GTR being a nissan, if its awesome, its awesome.
the only problem i thought dodge viper had was that unlike a corvette, besides being much more expensive, the interior was worse than a vette, no gps, no cup holders and a harsh ride..
as far as choosing a viper over porsche, i dont see that happenning.

if viper started at 65k i think they would sell more, and vette would lose sales.

MBKing - 1/16/2011 4:59:45 AM

+1 Boost

Porsches are subtle, refined, and elegant. Vipers are flamboyant, out control, and eccentric. no CS4 driver would ever consider a dodge viper. Say this out loud, "ok so i'm between a porsche 911 and a dodge viper," it made me laugh too.

pcar4evr - 1/16/2011 4:49:52 PM

+1 Boost

The Viper will be to Porsche owners, the same as a GTR - one more car to add if they want a track toy. Neither will replace a Porsche.