Dodge Viper could be sacrificed for new Sebring
click above for more images of the 2008 Dodge Viper
Cerberus has had a chance now to fully inspect Chrysler LLC's offerings, and the private equity firm wants to make fast changes. The equity firm owners recognize that a complete overhaul of the relatively new Sebring with its cheap interior and eye-sore looks needs to happen immediately. Unfortunately, some of the cash necessary to fix the Sebring may come at the expense of the Dodge Viper. Inside Line reports that Cerberus is prepared to make an instantaneous decision regarding the future of the Viper, both because of a cash crunch and because the $85,000 snake may be losing its bite anyway with the passing of a new national energy bill and higher CAFE standards around the corner. It's hard for us to imagine Dodge and parent company Chrysler LLC losing its halo car like this. We're no auto execs, but the Viper does nothing but make money and fans for Chrysler, and since it's new for 2008, another redo isn't required for at least a four-year life-cycle or so. In other words, we don't like the idea, and likely very few of you do either. Thanks for the tip, Gustavo!
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
John R 9:01AM (1/10/2008)
That's tough. The Sebring is an awful car and it might be the correct move, but the wave of righteous indignation will be enormous if that next Sebing doesn't make a killing.
Reply
Dan 10:54AM (1/10/2008)
Yes, I think Chrysler's Sebring assembly robots were dislexic. Everything about that car seems upside-down or backwards.
If its CAFE that Dodge is worried about, they should just produce two crap cars that get 80mpg. Then that should even the mileage out across the board and let them keep the Snake :)
Louis Duran 11:31AM (1/10/2008)
I think this is a good idea from a business perspective but I expect Chrysler to screw the pooch on execution. The Viper's total available market is small, whereas the market for a mid-size sedan is much bigger. Chrysler will still screw it up by botching the second design though.
PJ 12:37PM (1/10/2008)
I vote for the ax. Given the quality of Chrysler's '07-'08 redesigns and freshenings--which, Wrangler excepted, have produced nothing but crap--it's unlikely that the Viper would achieve unparalleled greatness if it stuck around long enough to be "improved" in a few model years.
Alternatively, Chrysler could leave the Viper alone, letting it age into obsolescence as the more-refined Z06, ZR-1, and GT-R steal its hype (and buyers).
I'd rather the Viper go out on a high note than wither away. Moreover, I'd rather lose the Viper than Chrysler altogether. Righteous indignation from a few enthusiasts is one thing, but Chrysler's new (intended) mass-market moneymakers are legitimately bad enough to sink the company.
TwinTurbo3000GT 9:03AM (1/10/2008)
!!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
3seriesisking 10:26AM (1/10/2008)
Motion to second that NO! I can't believe what I just read. The Sebring???? The car is a joke!
Snark 12:00PM (1/10/2008)
Congratulations on not getting the point. The Sebring is a joke now. They want to sell more of them. They want to sell more of them than they do Vipers. So, when they design the next-gen Sebring, they want to have enough development funds to produce something that's not a joke, instead of producing another joke AND a atavistic wannabe supercar for K-Mart people.
3seriesisking 12:56PM (1/10/2008)
Snark.......Congratulations on being an A HOLE. I know the Sebring is a joke, that's why I said it. My personal OPINION is that I feel like the Viper, which you can't argue is not a good car should go the way of the dinosaurs for the lost-cause Sebring. Perhaps next time you feel the need to point out the obvious you can find a nicer way to say it.
Avinash machado 9:04AM (1/10/2008)
I do not like the idea either. Hope Nardelli changes his mind.
Reply
Alex 9:06AM (1/10/2008)
Does the viper make money? I thought most halo cars were money losers, but because its the halo car manufacturers keep them to excite the fan base.
I don't think it would be the smartest move but then maybe they are going the Ford route which essentially has no regular halo car. There was the GT, but it was short lived. There is the Mustang but thats hardly a unicorn. Dodge will have the Challenger soon enough. My guess is they are banking on that car carrying the halo sword, much like the Mustang carries it for Ford.
From a bean counter point of view, they'll make more on solid Sebring sales than they would on high mark-up but rare Viper sales.
Reply
DCragtop 9:34AM (1/10/2008)
You sir....are absolutely correct.
Blake 1:05PM (1/10/2008)
Exactly. I'm behind this idea 100%
I hope this somehow reverses the decision to kill the Magnum, too.
brian 9:35AM (1/10/2008)
Sales of the viper have been awful the past few years. The 2006 coupe sat on dealer lots for months, so they took the 2007 year off. Now the new 2008s are already being offered thousands below msrp on ebay. Just a bad sign from an already low production vehicle.
Reply
ChrisInBirmingham 9:25AM (1/10/2008)
I've heard that Dodge loses $40k every time it sells a Viper. Sounds like an urban legend. Anyone know if this is true?
Reply
elprogramer 11:41AM (1/10/2008)
I don't know how it can lose money in a sale. Maybe it loses money everytime one is made.
TwinTurbo3000GT 9:14AM (1/10/2008)
I dont agree with this one bit. There are plenty of cars chrysler makes that the world can live without. The Viper is definitely NOT one of them! That's like firing your star QB so you can afford to further train your second string!
Reply
Derek 12:04PM (1/10/2008)
The purpose of a company is to make money. From that perspective, the "Star QB" is the midsize sedan and second string is the low-volume halo car. A years worth of Vipers is probably as many units as a few days of Sebring production.
Owain Ozymandias Buck 12:34PM (1/10/2008)
No, that's like trading your star QB for a decent young QB who is trainable, and for or five strong linemen. Would you rather have a star QB and no line or a solid line and an okay QB?
The Other Bob 3:08PM (1/10/2008)
I can't imagine Viper sales are all that great anymore. At one time it outperformed the Vette, but now with the Z06 and other Vette versions, who needs a Viper? I bet most American sports car buyers cross shop Vettes and Vipers.
Plus the average driver cannot handle a Viper.
Reply
AutoXN 9:19AM (1/10/2008)
Why not kill off the Chrysler brand completely and concentrate on the Dodge and Jeep brands? Instead of killing the Viper, give it an interior worthy of the exterior.
Reply