Back in 02 or 03 when I first decided to purchase a Viper I called all the Dodge dealers in the San Diego area. They told me if I didn't previously own a Viper, good luck. They would not take my order, tried to pull a Ferrari marketing plan. Anyway, I wasn't really following any forums or magazines; for me a sports car purchase is an emotional experience. I don't study, though I am aware what's available for x dollars and y horsepower; and if it makes me hard I want it! So, I'm on my third Porsche since then, 5 lifetime and many Corvettes, and already have my order in for the 997 turbo cab S or x-50 if they produce it.
I'm not sure exclusivity is a good marketing plan to bring new butts into Viper seats. Dodge doesn't have the instant sales that Ferrari can generate by announcing a new model. If I'm told I will have to wait until previous owners get theirs or previous owners will get a discount not available to me, I AM NO LONGER ON THAT DEALERS LOT OR PHONE. And yes, I have gotten some evil, subversive satisfaction that the **** I just talked to is watching a few bucks walk away. Not everyone is a Bill P. or the Wizard. If they could be the only ones allowed to take Viper orders then I would most assuredly have been in one sooner. But if I am new to the Viper world, I probably don't know who they are. Rather than being on my third or fourth Viper, I'm on my first one. And yes, it still makes me hard! Will I get another? My black hot rod is just that, a hot rod and that is why I like it so much. As nice as a Gen IV might be, stock I doubt it will perform as well as most abnormally aspirated Gen III's; it will take a while for me to justify modding another car. I believe this may have occured between GenII and GenIII and why there is still a resistance to change?
The majority of gals and guys that can afford a 80-100K car new don't research it like most of the VCA dedicated do. My .02.
Larry
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To clarify, what happened back in 02-03 for the 03 rollout of the SRT10 was that ONLY current Viper owners who could produce a vin that was purchased NEW by them directly from a Dodge dealer were eligible to purchase an 03. They were issued a certificate and allowed to take it to the dealer of their choice and negotiate price. Needless to say, this led to the best deal in Viper history as the owner could virtually dictate the price. The only way a dealer ever wound up with a car to sell on their own to the general public was if one of these individuals refused to take their car when it came in. The dealers, other than the Viper friendly ones, hated it, it took away their ability to tack on the usual extra 10k for the brand new rare model. So, your dealer was actually telling you the truth, he could not get you a car unless you were a current Viper owmer. No Ferrari tactics that time. And due to the general dealer uproar, it will probably never happen again.
