Sergio Marchionne claims that reviving the Dodge Viper is “not in the plan” because it didn’t sell enough but he would be happy if FCA could find a way to get it done.
Dodge Viper Revival Rumors Fall Short of Reality
Rumors of a possible Dodge Viper comeback surfaced last week when a report from Car and Driver cited a source that the sports car could return with a more powerful V-8 engine as opposed to the V-10 that it’s used in past years. That kick-started speculation that FCA was considering bringing back the sports car it just retired two months ago. Unfortunately for fans of the Viper, waiting for its return is like waiting for snow in the Philippines. It’s not happening anytime soon.
FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said so himself, saying that bringing the Viper “is not in the plan.” According to Marchionne, the Viper, as iconic as it is, suffered from one big flaw that forced FCA to get rid of it. It didn’t make money for the company. As spectacular as a car is, the whole industry is rooted in being a business above everything else. If a company loses money on a model, that model is not long for the world.
That’s what happened with the Dodge Viper, and unless FCA finds a way to reverse that trend by offering a version of the sports car that could be profitable, it’s hard to imagine the automaker having the stomach to bring back the model with the expectation that it’s going to burn money in the process.
There you have it. Fans of the legendary sports car can rest easy now. The Dodge Viper is not returning anytime soon, and even if it did at some point in the future, who’s to say that it’s going to be the same Viper that we all know it to be. If anything, the days of the V-10 Viper are over. Whatever transformation it ends up getting — if it gets that far, to begin with — is going to have to happen if FCA can make a good case of bringing it back.
Final Thoughts
The Viper probably isn’t coming back, folks. It’s time we all make our peace with that. There may still be a small glimmer of hope but, at this point, it's best if you don't hope for anything. There’s a good chance you’ll end up disappointed.
References
Read our full review on the 2015 Dodge Viper.
Read more Dodge news.