VIPER: From a ‘halo’ car to an expensive folly

[rickaren]

September 10, 2008

The Viper was first shown as a concept car in 1989 and launched in 1992 with a powerful V-10 engine and intense consumer interest.

The Viper was conceived to inject some excitement into Dodge’s brand lineup at a time when enthusiasm was lacking, and on that front it certainly delivered, winning a host of accolades and awards over the years. The 2008 Viper ACR, for example, holds the record as the fastest production vehicle to circuit the Nuburgring test circuit in Germany.

But the Viper hasn’t delivered when it comes to sales. Sales are up this year, but fewer than 1,000 units were sold in 2007, and the automaker only sold its 25,000th Viper in March — a very modest number for a company that ships hundreds of thousands of minivans each year.

“Viper owners may not be happy that it’s leaving the Dodge brand, but sometimes you have to make these sorts of decisions to make yourself profitable, and consumers are simply buying more Hondas and Toyotas than Dodges,” he said. “The money would be better spent on other Dodge products, like the Charger and the Caliber — they are phenomenal vehicles and they should be investing in making those vehicles fresh and learning from their good design cues to use in other vehicles.”


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LINK: From a ‘halo’ car to an expensive folly - The Driver's Seat - MSNBC.com