Hmm, that's interesting...
<preface: rambling thoughts of an armchair theorist>
you see, word 'was' that the reason for the Viper shutdown a few months ago was to retool CAAP to build the Firepower alongside the Viper....
Since that's no longer going to happen and it will cost Dodge at least several million $ to develop a new motor that meets 2007 Federal Nitrous Oxide emission standards (for any new Viper made at this point)....
It seems we will either hear nothing at NAIAS in a few weeks about a new Viper (deafening silence as it were) or....the Viper will be officially discontinued.
I think the only reason we have not heard anything at this point is there are warring factions in DC that want to pull the plug and want to continue the Viper (just a hunch).
Dodge, well, DC, is in a world of hurt right now.
Viper "facts" to be considered:
a) select dealers began selling 06 Vipers (verts and coupes) at a steep discount somewhere between March and April 2006 (steep meaning 76-78K)
b) 2006 Vipers were available in nearly every paint scheme EVER offered (you could get together 18 Vipers at not have a single color scheme repeated!)
...this has NEVER happened before (I "consider it" a parting gift, "here you go, take your pick, every color we could muster")
recap:
white+blue stripes
blue
blue+white
blue+silver
red
red+silver
red+black
red+white
black
black+silver
slate
slate+silver
yellow
yellow+black
yellow+silver
copperhead
copperhead+black
copperhead+silver
<just about the only color missing is Silver!>
(not to mention that there was an unprecedented 3 "special editions" (b+w, r+w and w+b))
c)The "last" 100 Vipers built where White+Blue, sure, you knew that, but, did you know that one of them possessed the text "The Last One" on its window sticker (and Woodhouse had it listed for $112,000 and it was gone pretty quick)
pic:
Question for the "old timers"...is this something each 'last' Viper had on its window sticker (from years past)?
d) VOI.9...no mention of VOI.10 (or anything else dealing with the future of Vipers)
e) Dodge cancelled sponsorship of Skip Barber Driving School (they were the top sponsor for 10 years)...and quickly thereafter Skip Barber rejected the VCA member discount they use to offer (so Dodge probably pulled the plug on their sponsorship very quickly/little notice and a p.o.'d Skip Barber immediately denied VCA discounts...just a hunch) (Mazda has since become Skip Barber's top sponsor - more here
http://skipbarber.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=1684
f) rumors abound from insiders that the Viper will continue in 2008 and that magazine articles are imminient (Jan issues are out..nothing so far), VCA regional presidents have been invited to NAIAS (no doubt to showcase the latest sprinter van! (a nod to VOI.9)), and others under non-disclosure saying "don't worry, new Viper is coming"
...what's that all mean? why all the 'secrecy'...I'll tell you why, because their are warring factions in DC on both sides of the fence and a decision has not yet been made (again, a hunch, reasonable one I believe).
g) If were possible make the 2008 Viper exactly like the 2006 (same emissions) then we would have already seen a 2008 Viper(probably as a 2007) because no new r&d $ would be required to make the car.
background: The 2007 Federal Emissions have been 'known' to car manufacturers for a number of years. Many manufacturers took advantage of this to incremently redesign their engines to comply. Dodge did nothing with the Viper motor to "move" it towards compliance. That's the REAL REASON CAAP was shut down after 2006 model year run...not this phoney baloney retooling to produce the Firepower. They didn't want to invest to make the new motor...they just wanted to take a wait and see attitude if they wanted to make that kind of investment.
And, as an aside, the "Viper Truck" was an attempt to get more "mileage" so to speak out of the Viper powerplant (make a few thousand trucks, help spread out the cost to redevelop the motor...) Of course that truck was cancelled months ago as dealer's could not move them (you could not tow anything and they were very $ for a pickup truck).
Since the Viper Truck did not make it, I don't believe Dodge is going to invest millions of $ to make a new motor for a car they can only sell about 1200 a year of..just a hunch. ("only 1200 a year" given DC's current monetary 'dire straits' and lack of using the Viper as a proper marketing tool to 'sell' the entire line-up)
NOW...for an OPPOSING OPINION!
1)What about these 'test mules' with the leather covered hoods?
Maybe Dodge was doing some r&d on a motor redesign and testing if it would meet emissions compliance? Maybe it was not Dodge at all but ASC/McLaren doing some tuning work for a potential joint venture (should the Viper be continued).
2)Dodge showed off the Viper at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing, China on November 20, 2006.
http://www.upi.com/Newspictures/photo.php?PhotoID=PEK2006112001_001
Why would they do that if they are going to discontinue the car? (warring factions again...trying to see if they can 'add' to the sales volume by selling the car in China...or, since the Chinese don't have such a stringent emmisions control mandate..maybe just making the Vipers for China...as is..no need to modify the car at all...?)
3) What about the Bristol Fighter T?
http://autopark.blogspot.com/2006/11/bristol-fighter-t.html
It's a car that sells for $650,000! and uses the Viper motor, maybe the 'continue Viper faction' in DC is exploring other revenue opportunities.
Summary
---------
Looks like the Viper was moving towards having a future but recent events send a different or at best, mixed signal...of course time will tell.
Let the arrows fly!
-J
p.s. if anyone reading this lives near CAAP, do a drive by, stop, listen, is anything going on? Is anyone there (cars in the parking lot...)?
