Next Viper to share platform with Alfa Romeo??

I just read in this month's Automobile Magazine that the next Viper "if it gets built" might share a platform with the Alfa Romeo 4C. A compact sports car with a supercharged 4cyl. I sure hope they are dead wrong on this one Now way they could shoehorn a V10 into this thing!

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OMG....

Probably wrong. I remember Ralph saying that Viper would not be sharing any parts with any other italian platform.

Hopefully also it looks nothing like that!!!

Great..now it will look even MORE like a Honda S2000

The Viper WILL be sharing parts with an Fiat invested company. That's all I can say for now if my contact was told the truth. My contact had direct contact with someone who knows alot more than we do!!!!

Lawrenzo said:

I just read in this month's Automobile Magazine that the next Viper "if it gets built" might share a platform with the Alfa Romeo 4C. A compact sports car with a supercharged 4cyl. I sure hope they are dead wrong on this one Now way they could shoehorn a V10 into this thing!

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The all new for 2012 Vipertini...

If that's the case.... just kill it

If thats even a hint of what the new Viper will look like, ALL our values will at least double and demand will be off the charts for used Gen 1-4s. Noone in their right mind would buy that crap.

Maybe for a 16 yr old girl's first car, it's fine. If its gonna be the Gen 5 "Viper", just let the Viper name die with the Gen 4 Talk about an embarrassment to the Viper name!

SNKBYT said:

The Viper WILL be sharing parts with an Fiat invested company. That's all I can say for now if my contact was told the truth. My contact had direct contact with someone who knows alot more than we do!!!!

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And it is NOT an Alfa!

SNKBYT said:

And it is NOT an Alfa!

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That sounds good actually!!!

SNKBYT said:

The Viper WILL be sharing parts with an Fiat invested company. That's all I can say for now if my contact was told the truth. My contact had direct contact with someone who knows alot more than we do!!!!

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A friend of a friend of a friend told you that? Can't dispute that!

I read an article somewhere that mentioned sharing a platform with an Alfa and I could not believe it. I guarantee you I will not buy it, I don't care how much HP, etc. it has.

SNKBYT said:

And it is NOT an Alfa!

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So the 599xx that I recently posted pictures of showcasing gen 4 styling cues on the hood might be on to something eh ?

01sapphirebob said:

Probably wrong. I remember Ralph saying that Viper would not be sharing any parts with any other italian platform.

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I seriously doubt Fiat would be conferring with Ralph about it. I also remember him saying Viper wouldn't be discontinued.

A friend of a friend of a friend told you that? Can't dispute that!

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I won't believe it until I read it on the net!

Car looks very close in size to the proposed Dodge Demon. Bet that is what they meant.

The car pictured doesn't look all bad, but it is definitley geared towards the Jetta school girl crowd look.

I doubt it.. The marketing brains behind Viper are smart enough to realize. The Viper "target" market would want nothing to do with the above vehicle.. Would be much better not to build a Gen. V that build that POS.

But hey, you never know. GM did a pretty good job of destroying the GTO brand in 2004-2006.

I heard a similar rumor about sharing platforms/parts through a Fiat company...however, one would assume it would share platforms with a high performance, more exotic car than something like an Alfa.

I agree, if they can't improve the Viper through partnership, then just kill it and let its reputation (gen I-IV) speak for itself!

But of course, take it with a grain of salt, because we all know the value of rumors!

Ah but viper in not being discontinued. It is taking a couple of years off. Someone here recently posted a article that had Sergio stating " I want dodge to be known as the American Muscle brand and the lynchpins for that brand will be Viper, Challenger, and Charger." I don't know, maybe i'm an optimist but I would like to think what i'm being told is the truth. I understand that a lot of the times they say one thing and do another but I gotta believe what they say has some truth to it so I can keep my sanity

Chrissss said:

I seriously doubt Fiat would be conferring with Ralph about it. I also remember him saying Viper wouldn't be discontinued.

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Common sense tells us that some parts will definitely come from the Fiat family ( Ferrari, Alfa, Lancia, Fiat, etc. ) , since even the early Vipers have had parts from outside the main company , etc. ( example mirrors on Gen 1 and IIs off of Mitsubishi 3000 GTs ).

We know traction control will be mandated, and I think most of us would prefer the Ferrari based system over a Daimler one. Most vehicles today have content from outside the US, so it sure seems we may be worrying about things that really are of little consequence ( remember when the Ford Crown Victoria had more parts built outside the US than the Mazda 626 and did not have enough content to even be considered US built ).

One would likely assume a new platform would be necessary to develope a Viper for the future, and we are just viewing a picture of a car, and not thinking about it's underpinnings.

If we read into what alot of folks have wanted ( less weight, smaller, etc ) under Helbig's discussion, a smaller , 3,000 lb Viper, with high hp, a slightly smaller V10 ( say 7 liters ) sure appeals to me, so at this point I would sure not think we need to cry wolf.

Just my humble opinion, but smaller , lighter, and a nasty V10 ( that is not going away ) doesn't sound bad at all.

I could be on board with that. I have thought for a long time that the viper needs to trim some weight.

Bill Pemberton said:

Just my humble opinion, but smaller , lighter, and a nasty V10 ( that is not going away ) doesn't sound bad at all.

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This is the article I was referring to. While I understand it says the "nameplate" will live on it still implies there will be another viper someday.

Dodge Viper Nameplate Will Live On Under Fiat

I do not doubt that the next Viper will be somewhat different in the future, and that is why many folks are opting to get the last of the muscle car Snakes. To put it in perspective many of us have forgotten that this is not a sudden process, but something that was discussed clear back in 2003. The gist from the beginning was that by 2010-2011 , new government regulations would mandate the Viper be changed. We seem to have all forgotten this with the bankruptcy , the collaborations with Fiat , etc. The car was going to have to under metamorphosis regardless.

So, with that in mind, the next model will have traction control , stability management , cleaner emissions, bumper height regs, etc.

These things alone will require alot of changes and the last of the super hp , driven by the right foot machines, will likely disappear. In it's place will be a high hp car, but with many of the so called nanny controls many of us do not want. Don't blame it on Chrysler, blame it on government controls and then let's move on to what hopefully will be done;

1. Design will be consistent with Ralph Gilles in Control.
2. V10s will stay per Ralph and Sergio Marchione.
3. The car will need a changed platform to meet bumper height regs, and to update new suspension mods, and more.
4. Less weight, and hopefully a more sophisticated engine to better meet emission standards and fuel mileage standards well into the future.
5. A traction control system with an off switch, not a Mercedes system with a quasi off switch ( never quite disables ).


Nuff said, but , yes the car will be different, yet many of us feel it will keep it's heritage with Sergio and Ralph in their respective positions -- car guys in control of the company, AGAIN!!!

Do you suppose they may be focusing on new targets ? Like maybe the guys buying Vettes and 370Zs...

Being a Viper owner I can be selfish and say that the new Viper should remain a low volume niche market car but does that make sense for Chrysler given it's current state...

It's understandable that some folks would rather see the car go out on top for what it is...

Maybe a V10 Challenger to compete with the Camaro and Mustang makes more sense than a new Viper from a business perspective... I was talking to a guy with an SRT8 Challenger and he said if they built an SRT10 Challenger he'd buy it in a heartbeat but a Viper would always be out of his reach in his mind.

I guess we'll see... insert popcorn guy here

TAXIMAN1 said:

I doubt it.. The marketing brains behind Viper are smart enough to realize. The Viper "target" market would want nothing to do with the above vehicle.. Would be much better not to build a Gen. V that build that POS.

But hey, you never know. GM did a pretty good job of destroying the GTO brand in 2004-2006.

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so far ralph has proven to be true to viper...lets all just wait to pounce.

SkyBob said:

A friend of a friend of a friend told you that? Can't dispute that!

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I received the info from a lifelong friend of mine whom had direct contact with a person who has "the powers to know "what is transpiring in his company. Both of these people work for a company that manufactures parts for the viper. The current viper will share some of its current parts with a car that Fiat has vested interest in.
Please understand,that I cannot relay more info,that may be sensitive ,that would jeporidise my trust and friendship with my friend. I will divulge more, if and when I get clearance. Thats all for now!

Lawrenzo said:

I just read in this month's Automobile Magazine that the next Viper "if it gets built" might share a platform with the Alfa Romeo 4C. A compact sports car with a supercharged 4cyl. I sure hope they are dead wrong on this one Now way they could shoehorn a V10 into this thing!

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A 4 cyl Viper? GM would have to maek the ZR1 vette into a Sunfire to copy?

Even if that car was heavily modified to have an extra foot ore two of space for the engine I guess the driver & pass. would have to sit outide the door? Once the trans and tunnel were installed in that little car there would be 8" left inside the doors? Guess that using that little body the Viper would only have room for little 6" wide tires front and back? Aerodynamics (with that short flat nose) would decrease the top speed to a shooping "regulated for safety" 120mph?

Maybe the airbags could be used from that car, but nothing else. Tires, shape, track width and length are necessary to make the Viper safe at over 200mph. 600mph doesn't have any traction with 4 cyl tires on it. There is reasons that those monster tires and long nose are part of the Viper design. Although I've towed full size pickup trucks on my open trailer, my GTS does NOT fit because the sidesills touch the trailers fenders. A Viper is that wide for a reason. If we wanted a crappy POS Solstice type car instead of the "Fastest Road Car" in the World, then it would be OK for a car that ugly to be rebuilt? No, no, no!

Keep the faith fellows. A lighter, faster Viper is what we have been requesting all along.

Those guys at Fiat know a ton about performance cars. With the availability of their technology with American guts, a new Viper could be the car of our dreams.

Imagine a lighter Viper style frame with some serious muscle. Viper could rule again.