Earlier this year, Dodge killed off its iconic Viper. The Viper was one of the only modern-day sports cars to come from an American automaker and it stayed true to its roots for all 25 years.
But, what makes the Chevrolet Corvette a survivor in a world sans Dodge Viper? That’s what we want to open up for discussion in today’s Community Question. The Viper soldiered on with an 8.4-liter V10 engine for its entire life. It did without electronic aids and earned a reputation as an unforgiving sports car that would bite back—and bit hard.
In its final iteration, it was also a tad more expensive than a C7 Corvette, which offered similar performance at a potentially lower price. Maybe the Corvette is more daily drivable? Was the performance too much for a mass-market sports car like the Viper?
Dodge and SRT did all it could to hit refresh often on the Viper as well. The one-of-one program made a custom sports car easier than ever; the ACR was an asailing answer to the Corvette Z06 and some of the world’s best sports cars; and it gained numerous driver aids to make it more approachable. Still, it never, ever, offered an automatic transmission.
The brand said new regulations meant the Viper wouldn’t make the cut for production, but its dismal sales likely had something to do with a decision on reinvestment in the car. While the Corvette hasn’t been the hottest seller this year, it still outperformed the Viper in a steady fashion.
With that said, we don’t really have a straightforward answer. Maybe you do, so talk to us in the comment section below.
Comments
Why do people prefer blue over red? Corvette has heritage, remember in the 70’s with the 105 hp V8’s and they still sold. Just like the mustang and the Camaro, the viper was a kit car built in the 80’s. It didn’t offer an automatic as an option the corvette did. It gains a wider audience, it can be used a daily transportation. The viper tried to be unique for a narrow person, but so many other brands could go just as fast with much more comfort and more useable. Viper stuck to their guns not to change which eventually ended their life. Adapt with the times or die.
Having Viper is like having a Z06. High power, unforgiving. The Corvette model range is what makes it live on. Instead of making more liveable Vipers, Dodge just kept making them more extreme to garner attention. They got attention of the internet, but not customers
Viper is a one trick pony, whereas the Vette can be a track toy that you enjoy driving to the track, and then to work all week.
I’m a GM guy through and through, but that is just plain nonsense. The Viper can more than handle itself on a track and on the street. Sure, the ACR is a little too hardcore for daily street use, but it is after all essentially a racecar for the road. A Viper TA can be a daily driver and a track monster as well.
Its very hard to live daily with something primary built to do one thing very well. I had a dedicated track car that was not getting used much, so I decided to drive it to car shows and such. Not fun, mainly getting stuck in construction traffic on a 102 degree day. No A/C, 6 puck clutch, no interior for heat resistance, and noise so loud even ear buds were not effective. Now having recaro seats that are comfortable, A/C, decent stereo, and still 1.06+ G handeling much easier to live with
CAN – yes, but would you want to drive it daily?
It takes all types, there are plenty of peeps driving one ton diesel trucks to the office every day, those are status symbols, too, despite being basically agricultural vehicles, and they are zero fun to drive.
Zero fun to drive? A subjective statement…
Maybe the people that drive them daily do think they are fun to drive.
A Viper GTS or TA is more civil on the street and can be daily driven. Again, as I stated before, if we’re talking about the ACR (worthless A/C, painfully weak stereo, no sound deadening, etc., etc., etc.. Then, yes…a daily driver it is not. Take it to VIR, Mid-Ohio, etc., then put it back into the garage until the next track day.
All I’m saying is that there are Viper trim levels that are more street friendly. An ACR is a racecar with a license plate, period.
My diesel truck is a blast to drive. I think my duramax could almost hang with my 2010 Camaro SS. It’s no slouch that’s for sure.
The Vette as been around since ’53, the Viper was introduced in ’92. The Vette has had a lot more time to establish a fan base. It also has been known as America’s sports car for a VERY long time. Lastly, the Vette is easier to live with. The Viper is like a raging bull, whereas the Vette is more of a thoroughbred race horse. As similar as they are, they are also quite different in street mannerisms.
not competitive in class. The viper was essentially a Americanized European car. The only people who want to buy cars in that price range want something exotic, not a dodge. Corvettes have a lower intro price, and even for the zr1 and z06 performance versions, which start to reach the performance and price, you have to leap over dodges poor quality reputation.
The Corvette is an Icon and the Viper was just a sports car.
Corvette is like a Harley Davidson where it has reached an icon status and has a loyal following no matter if it was a smogged up mess in the 70’s or if it was a world class sports car.
The Viper was a good car but it had a short history as like most sports cars. Few go on more than 10 years in a single model.
The other key is the Vette has always been obtainable to many people vs. many other models including the Viper. This is why even the C8 will still have a relatively low base price.
The other issue with the Viper is once FCA came in they made a nice car but took away much of it’s raw personality. They then let it rot on the vine with few changes.
FCA owned Ferrari and Maserati when it acquired Chrysler. The Viper was in essence considered an unnecessary stepchild and not allowed to sit at the same table.
Then there’s this
Dodge completed just over 31,850 Viper (from 1992 to Feb 2016)
***Chevrolet Produced about 27,000 Corvettes in 2014 alone.
https://theviperstore.com/Information_Viper_Production_Stats.htm
I agree with y’all but I think you also have to look at FCA’s current position as company vs GM. FCA is not in a very good position to carry such a low volume sports car. Although with something like the Demon being something that they can relatively cheap make since that platform has paid itself off 10 times over
I agree with y’all but I think you also have to look at FCA’s current position as company vs GM. FCA is not in a very good position to carry such a low volume sports car. Although with something like the Demon being something that can be relatively cheap to make since that platform has paid itself off 10 times over.
Magnetic ride control, vastly improved interior, easy to use transmission…yes, the automatic is actually faster than the manual and makes driving in rush hour traffic doable… HVAC that works like it’s in a Malibu, etc. The Corvette is a super-car you can live with and although it’s track capable, most never see it and GM knows that.
The real decline in the Viper was the toning down of the original concept. It was raw and exciting and different than anything on the road.
It become more cooperate and much more like the rest.
It was more like a How the 1965 Shelby was vs what it became in 1970. Yes a better car but not what the car once was. While the roll up windows were needed much of the other fluff should have not been added or tamed.
Sales.. Dodge has not been able to sell the Viper in high volume and this is why the Viper is dead while the Chevrolet Corvette lives on; Dodge managed only to sell a total of 626 Vipers in 2016 while Chevrolet’s worst month for Corvette sales in 2016 was 1,501 cars or more than twice the total number of Vipers.
It comes down to cost structure. The Vette can share development cost with a wide range of GM vehicles that use the same/similar drive train. How many zillion LS/LT engines did GM produce? The Corvette also spans from $50k to $100k. The economics of the Viper are like GM selling only the Z06 and giving it a 10 cylinder built from 1.2 LT motors.
Managing the Corvette the way GM does allows the Corvette to be better and improves the Camaro, CTS-V, etc