Alright everyone, I'm tired of all the doom and gloom. Everyone is singing the funeral dirge for the Viper before it's even gone. Aren't we supposed to be its strongest supporters? Didn't you buy your car or admire them because you love them? Why are you so ready to roll over and give up? Why does everyone always think the worst? Let's set a few things straight. The articles coming out saying the Viper is officially dead? They're wrong and blown out of proportion. What has happened is the UAW ratified a contract with a tiny section that talked about production at the Conner Avenue plant. What did it actually say? Read below:
"Current product build out in 2017. No future product has yet been identified beyond the product lifecycle"
What does this actually mean? It means we are guaranteed two more years of one of the coolest cars around. Real, brutal, aggressive V10 power with tires as wide as a bus. What else does it mean? To me it sounds like the car is due for a refresh/overhaul post-2017. Look at the wording? Does it say the Viper is unequivocally dead, never to be replaced? No. It says "current production will end in 2017". The next part is the important bit. "No future product has yet been identified beyond the product lifecycle. This can mean a couple things. One is that they are still working on some new model to be built at the plant. Maybe there will have to be a one or two year gap if they are doing a significant redesign. Maybe they're still working on something and have to make sure it will pass emissions/performance requirements. Maybe they are moving the production to a different plant. Regardless, these two tiny lines in a contract don't say the Viper is gone for good. All they state is that the current iteration is slated for something to happen in 2017. They could very well extend production as well, it's not like this contract forbids them.
Regardless, you people should be ashamed of yourselves. If something you love is on the verge of leaving, you should be doing everything you can to fight for it instead of just giving up. If your dog runs away, do you just shrug your shoulders and let it go or do you go out looking for it? Let's organize a huge event at the plant or FCA headquarters as a national club. Throw affiliations aside. I don't care if you're VOA, VCA, V_A, whatever. If you love Vipers and want them to stay around, do something about it. Rally the troops and show Dodge the support they deserve for such an amazing car. At one point or another the car must have touched your life and left and impression or you wouldn't be here talking about it. I've heard stories of the amazing events the club used to do. Sadly I wasn't around back when the club was in its heyday, but there's no reason we can't bring that back. Take pride in what you have. If Viper owners and enthusiasts and saying the Viper is done, there is something wrong. We should be the last ones to throw in the towel. Kick and scream and fight to the bitter end. Stop saying it's over until the day the project is officially dead.
Sorry for the rant, but I am just incredibly tired of the negativity I see about this subject. This is the last place I should be hearing people say the Viper is done for. Plan events, get your cars out there in the public. Let the masses know that the Viper still lives. We hold the flame for the Viper's future, not FCA. If we get people talking about the car, we get more people buying them and production has to continue to keep up with demand. Have you ever heard a disappointed Viper owner? I drive mine everywhere. I let people sit in it all the time. I'll give rides whenever anyone asks. All it takes in one spark to get someone interested. They have a reputation for being wild, but they're not really as bad as people paint them to be. They demand respect and you can't toy with them, but they're not hard to drive normally. Tell people how much fun they are. Don't scare them away with horror stories. Do you really want your dream car to stop being made?
"Current product build out in 2017. No future product has yet been identified beyond the product lifecycle"
What does this actually mean? It means we are guaranteed two more years of one of the coolest cars around. Real, brutal, aggressive V10 power with tires as wide as a bus. What else does it mean? To me it sounds like the car is due for a refresh/overhaul post-2017. Look at the wording? Does it say the Viper is unequivocally dead, never to be replaced? No. It says "current production will end in 2017". The next part is the important bit. "No future product has yet been identified beyond the product lifecycle. This can mean a couple things. One is that they are still working on some new model to be built at the plant. Maybe there will have to be a one or two year gap if they are doing a significant redesign. Maybe they're still working on something and have to make sure it will pass emissions/performance requirements. Maybe they are moving the production to a different plant. Regardless, these two tiny lines in a contract don't say the Viper is gone for good. All they state is that the current iteration is slated for something to happen in 2017. They could very well extend production as well, it's not like this contract forbids them.
Regardless, you people should be ashamed of yourselves. If something you love is on the verge of leaving, you should be doing everything you can to fight for it instead of just giving up. If your dog runs away, do you just shrug your shoulders and let it go or do you go out looking for it? Let's organize a huge event at the plant or FCA headquarters as a national club. Throw affiliations aside. I don't care if you're VOA, VCA, V_A, whatever. If you love Vipers and want them to stay around, do something about it. Rally the troops and show Dodge the support they deserve for such an amazing car. At one point or another the car must have touched your life and left and impression or you wouldn't be here talking about it. I've heard stories of the amazing events the club used to do. Sadly I wasn't around back when the club was in its heyday, but there's no reason we can't bring that back. Take pride in what you have. If Viper owners and enthusiasts and saying the Viper is done, there is something wrong. We should be the last ones to throw in the towel. Kick and scream and fight to the bitter end. Stop saying it's over until the day the project is officially dead.
Sorry for the rant, but I am just incredibly tired of the negativity I see about this subject. This is the last place I should be hearing people say the Viper is done for. Plan events, get your cars out there in the public. Let the masses know that the Viper still lives. We hold the flame for the Viper's future, not FCA. If we get people talking about the car, we get more people buying them and production has to continue to keep up with demand. Have you ever heard a disappointed Viper owner? I drive mine everywhere. I let people sit in it all the time. I'll give rides whenever anyone asks. All it takes in one spark to get someone interested. They have a reputation for being wild, but they're not really as bad as people paint them to be. They demand respect and you can't toy with them, but they're not hard to drive normally. Tell people how much fun they are. Don't scare them away with horror stories. Do you really want your dream car to stop being made?
