Autoweek talks about 2008 viper

[sween]

most of this stuff we already know but I decided to post it anyway

"Dodge will continue the 2006 Viper SRT-10 convertible and coupe until the re-engineered and restyled 2008 model is ready. A 2007 model will not be produced. The 2008 Viper will pack more horsepower, likely in the 575- to 600-hp range . "

hopefully less weight too

 

[Finally got it !]

I hope they are wrong. 575 to 600 is not going to cut it for me....

 

[Janni]

What do you do with your car that 575-600 HP isn't going to cut it for you? What's your magic number and why?

 

[SylvanSRT]

i dont think that 575-600 will put the SRT Viper at the top of the performance hill unless somehow they manage to remove 300-400 lbs

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Yeah, but just think of that Viper they had at SEMA with all the carbon fiber panels. I think we would have King of the hill again.

 

[Casey]

I love the "redesigned" idea!

600hp must be a MINIMUM for the Viper to regain the title of "KING" of the US !!

 

[Casey]

on another note, I hope it's still called a SRT, or GTS, etc.

We don't need another section for this website!

 

[AxlRoseViper]

Who really needs all this power anyway? 95% of the drivers on here can't even fully use the 500hp in the SRT....bumping up the power just to say it has it will only lead to more wrecked vipers.

Trust me...you would rather drive the current Viper minus 600-700lbs than a heavier version with 600hp.

As far as I am concerend there will always be faster cars out there now....so make it look wild and enjoy. There is so much more to the experience than just beating someone in a straight line...high school was a while ago people

 

[slaughterj]

Who really needs all this power anyway? 95% of the drivers on here can't even fully use the 500hp in the SRT....bumping up the power just to say it has it will only lead to more wrecked vipers.

Trust me...you would rather drive the current Viper minus 600-700lbs than a heavier version with 600hp.

As far as I am concerend there will always be faster cars out there now....so make it look wild and enjoy. There is so much more to the experience than just beating someone in a straight line...high school was a while ago people

More power = bragging rights, thus necessary for the Viper.

As nice as it sounds, cutting 600-700 lbs would cost WAY too much money, we'll be extremely lucky if they cut 200 lbs.

 

[Nader]

Waht is the difference between a Viper dropping weight and mainstaining the same horsepower compared to a Viper with the same weight adding additional horsepower, assuming the horsepower increase is proportional to the increase in performance from the weight loss?

While there maybe some track benefits to the lighter car, 95% of the Viper are driven on the street. The cost to drop weight, at least a noticeable weight decrease, far exceeds the cost to add horsepower.

I vote HORSEPOWER on this one.

 

[Racer Robbie]

Up the horsepower and loose a ton of excess weight from the car. It is a weight hog now and needs to loose weight. Then it will be the king of the hill again.

 

[Nader]

This day and age 3400 lbs is not excessive for a sports car. In addition I dont see there is much weight to lose. Not the engine nor the chasis. Maybe the rims and tire but I have done that. Where else are you going to pull weight from, especially the weight reduction you are looking for? I think 100lbs is the max.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

I think, if they can shoot to knock 1000lbs off these sports cars, over the next ten years. We can get the performance numbers we want and the fuel mileage our country needs. IMO





2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[Warfang]

This day and age 3400 lbs is not excessive for a sports car. In addition I dont see there is much weight to lose. Not the engine nor the chasis. Maybe the rims and tire but I have done that. Where else are you going to pull weight from, especially the weight reduction you are looking for? I think 100lbs is the max.

I tend to agree, but money is the real deciding factor here. Viper can probably lose 400-500 lbs doing everything in CF and titanium. The frame can change out to aluminum, which would **** like the z06 unless they spend a ton of engineering time to make one as sturdy as the frame we enjoy now.

 

[Nader]

For me I would rather stick with the rock solid foundation of the Viper and increase the power. In fact, i am seriously thinking of keeping the car and installing a blower, regardless of what DC comes out with. I am that happy with the my current Viper.

 

[Socrates]

For me I would rather stick with the rock solid foundation of the Viper and increase the power. In fact, i am seriously thinking of keeping the car and installing a blower, regardless of what DC comes out with. I am that happy with the my current Viper.

Ditto that.

 

[AxlRoseViper]

Nader the differnce in weight savings is not something only realized on a track. The whole bragging bit is silly, someone will always have more power and a faster car...everyone here needs to face the fact...the days of the viper having power supremacy over the rest of the world are over. Luxury sedands are now offered with 100+hp than the viper. These cars will keep getting more and more power until insurance rates and gas prices drive down the market.

Chevy will most likely come out with the Z07 which will eat alive the SRT and most likely destroy the 2008 Viper (DOUBT very much the power will go even close to 600 more like 550), again if all you care about is bragging rights...the viper will most likely only dissapoint you in the future.

I like my car the way it is....could it be leighter, sure..but it's still a blast to drive! I know for a fact that there are faster cars out there...and that's fine...doesnt take away my enjoyment of the viper. The only place you guys will end up in this ******* contest is wrapped around a tree in a wrecked car....i'll pass

 

[Paul Hawker]

Aftermarket offers easy and inexpensive weight reductions.
Corsa Track exhaust
Run Flats kinda heavy and require heavier wheels. Put on regular tires and lightweight wheels.
Lighter brakes and aluminum flywheel.
Go on Atkins for a month.
Not too hard to get rid of 100 lbs. More really requires money and dedication.

Much easier and less expensive to add more HP.

Would we be willing to give up stereo and amp, air conditioning, carpet, leather seats, crumple zones, impact bumpers, side impact protection, air bags, etc to get the car lighter.

Vipers are blinding fast as they come from the factory. Faster than 99% of all other cars. Few can drive them to their present potential. Would not be to harsh just because only 1 other American car matches it's performance.

Zo6 and Viper sell for about the same street price. No way would I choose the Vette over my Viper. It would not be any faster in my hands, and It has so many other issues, that I have come to appreciate the VIper that Dodge has already built. A standard Viper Convertable can run with the hopped up Zo6 anyday.

(But I do agree that even more HP would be nice)

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

More HP and and an Al frame with more carbon fiber components to lose weight.

No question I would not buy a Vette. And for sure a the winner of a race between a ZO6 vs a GenIII Viper is more a refelection of the Driver. More Viper HP will make the launch even more difficult. The Viper is for Drivers. The Vette is for ? not sure who!

 

[SnakeBitten]

The only place you guys will end up in this ******* contest is wrapped around a tree in a wrecked car....i'll pass

What a stupid quote...How many guys you see on the forums with 600-1500hp Vipers???Some run there cars on street and track as well...Havent seen a whole lot of them wrapped around a tree yet...So how is 600+hp stock hp going to be a problem all of a sudden???

As for bragging rights? If you want to be passive about that and drive around a car that looks like the Viper but gets dusted by not only the Vette but every new luxury car that comes out thats on you...But most of us want the Viper back in its rightful place...At "least" on par if not ahead of the Vette in most performance catagories and at least competative with the best from Italy,Germany etc...It needs a serious weight reduction if they are going to "only" give it 550-600hp...

 

[Nader]

Firs off, yes there are other cars with greater horsepower than the Viper but those are overweight luxury cars that I have no interest in. Hell the CL65 weighs 4600 pounds and cost $175,000. That is not a contender or competition to the Viper in my eyes in any sense of the word.

My point was it is cheaper to increase the horsepower to gain more performance in 2008 then to try to take away weight to see the same increase. I said nothing about bragging rights regarding horsepower. The point of this threat is what is in store for 2008 and an increase in performance is certainly a piece of the puzzle.



I am glad you like the current Viper as I do as well. In fact i mentioned I probably will keep it and simply continue to make improvements which will include more horsepower.

And finally I can assure you it will not wind up wrapped around a tree.

 

[viperbilliam]

An aluminum chassis is not as tough as a steel chassis and is more expensive to repair. Some of you would be willing to do without stereo, A/C, safety stuff and basic luxury items (you want a race car). I wouldn't and probably a majority of potential buyers wouldn't either. The feel of quality will also decrease as weight is cut down and that's hard to sell at its price range. There's a lot of compromise in a street car of which is kept to a minimum in the Viper design I realize. I know some of you hard-core Viperheads don't like my perspective but I don't think DC can make enough money making a car to your tastes. Or maybe they could if they can street legalize the CC and sell that as an additional model. It would be kind of like the Z07 which is an additional model over the Z06 isn't it? Or is the Z07 a replacement? I think the current SRT10 is a great package with all compromises considered in my biased opinion. How will the 2008 get me out of my 2005? That will be tough.

 

[valentine_viper]

A standard Viper Convertable can run with the hopped up Zo6 anyday.

I have to beg to differ on this. Drivers being equal, a stock SRT10 is about even with a stock Z06 on a road course. A modded Z will hand a stock Viper it's butt. Many Viper owners will never race their cars on a track, but quite a few of us (myself included) do and will always be looking for ways to squeeze the most out of the car that we can. Less weight and more power will always will be welcome and it is the basic formula that has made the Viper the icon that it is today. Some are happy with the current Viper, but complacency leads to obsolesence. It's DC's commitment to contiually improve on the platform that has created the Viper we all know and love today.

I say keep up the good work and push the envelope even further. We all benefit in the end, even if we never use the car's full potential.

 

[AxlRoseViper]

This all becomes a mute point...the Z06/SRT are so close in performane in the real world they are essentially equals...the days of the viper "blowing away" a vette are over...if the Z07 comes around it will be the vette blowing away the viper until the viper has a similar model.

With the trouble Chrysler is in as a company...I doubt keeping the Viper on top of the hill is anywhere near the height of their concerns....

I wouldn't hold my breath for a 650hp factory viper anytime soon. Heck they are giving dealers a $10k rebate just to move the current models....

 

[DEVILDOG]

With the trouble Chrysler is in as a company...I doubt keeping the Viper on top of the hill is anywhere near the height of their concerns....

Yeah...and it's a good thing GM isn't having any problems and can concentrate on the Z07 as their #1 priority!

 

[WANTED]

With the trouble Chrysler is in as a company...I doubt keeping the Viper on top of the hill is anywhere near the height of their concerns....

Yeah...and it's a good thing GM isn't having any problems and can concentrate on the Z07 as their #1 priority!

LMAO - well said

 

[SRTRICKY]

anyone think it will be just be minor upgrades like the gen 1 to the gen 2 or do you guys think it will be a complete redesign?

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Pre-designing the 2008 Viper has got to be a tough one. No matter what they build, if gas is $5 per gallon by then, people are going to be spooked about buying one, and DC will look like idiot for building it.
Remember the 1970’s? Top of line Cadillac's dropped half there value because nobody would buy them.





2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[sween]

anyone think it will be just be minor upgrades like the gen 1 to the gen 2 or do you guys think it will be a complete redesign?

its going to be like the gen 1 to the gen 2

 

[Nader]

I dont think gas prices are really going to sway someone from purchasing a Viper. If you can afford it you can afford the gas. It is not like this is a daily driver for most who purchase the car.

While DC has thier own financial problems as with most auto companies, not stepping up the Viper will be a huge sign of the depth of these issues. It is an icon and they almost have no choice but to build it. I think that picture told a huge story. Redesigned intake, different looking heads, what looks to be a dry sump reservoir, and some other changes under the hood definitely show some proof something new is coming. Not just 50 horsepower either. they could get that from the current setup with exhaust and minor head work or cam.

Also I remember reading a quote from the then VP of SRT in Viper Mag that said something along the lines of while I am now out of the SRT group I have been invovled with the next development of the Viper and trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed. He even goes as far as to mention that the Viper enthusiast group (this website) is a tough crowd to please and I am sure they will not be let down. I have to find the article.