The Dodge Viper just got a bit more collectible, as Chrysler has announced that only 500 more will be built. A new sports car will arrive in the summer of 2012, but don't expect it to be anything like the old-school Viper, as it will use Fiat alliance architecture.
Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, though, our Detroit editor, Dan Pund, reports that Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of the Dodge brand, said, "When you have friends across the ocean that are the world's best at building sports cars, that's exciting." Friends, as in friends in Maranello...?
Alongside that, we've learned that the Dodge Nitro gets to live through the product cuts and will continue to be sold under the Dodge car brand. Apparently, Fiat President Sergio Marchionne owns one.
Chrysler has also said the Caliber, Avenger, Journey and Grand Caravan will get new interiors -- evidently on top of the upgrades already made to the Caliber for 2010.
And with the splitting off of the Ram brand, the new Dodge logo will lose the horns and just say "DODGE" on a black background with a touch of red.
altimadude00 says:
09:24 AM, 11/ 4/09
So we go from (according to Jeremy Clarkson) an American engineered assemblage of bits made in a barn producing a snarling beastly concoction that will give all your childish fantasies a reality, to some imported Italian handbag that meshes the style of a stiletto heel and a screaming small displacement engine, and then have the audacity to put a Dodge emblem on it?
And the Nitro is stupid.
[ D O D G E ] Well....that's original. I have a better idea.
[ D O O M E D ]
inlinesix says:
09:35 AM, 11/ 4/09
Bring on the goods Fiat.
the_big_al says:
09:43 AM, 11/ 4/09
What altimadude00 said.
cr_driver says:
10:10 AM, 11/ 4/09
Cheers and joy!
notabigdeal says:
10:14 AM, 11/ 4/09
The Viper will be missed. I'm not sure about the sports car part though. Does Dodge mean to say that Alfa makes the best cars? or Abarth? or by the long shot that the chairman Montezemolo who is also the chairment for Ferrari is somehow going to bring a cheaper ferrari like the R8 to "dodge"brand.
brn says:
10:44 AM, 11/ 4/09
"A new sports car will arrive in the summer of 2012, but don't expect it to be anything like the old-school Viper"
Damn, there goes a piece of history.
estreka says:
11:06 AM, 11/ 4/09
I don't mind the Viper being retired. Frankly, I think it's long overdue. A copy belongs in the Smithsonian.
Interior revamps aren't enough for Chrysler. They need a complete wipe.
cwmoo740 says:
11:43 AM, 11/ 4/09
If Sergio owns a Dodge Nitro that he bought with his own money, there's no way that anyone should trust him with Chrysler's money.
mrryte says:
12:35 PM, 11/ 4/09
"Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of the Dodge brand, said, "When you have friends across the ocean that are the world's best at building sports cars, that's exciting." Friends, as in friends in Maranello...?"
lol....
Either Mr. Gilles loves to dish out shallow praise or he has confused FIAT with FERRARI.
Rage0329 says:
01:15 PM, 11/ 4/09
Oh well. Looks like I'll never get my dream car. A shame.
After finally coming all this way from the original RT/10 to one of the fastest production cars around Nurburgring. Why can't cars I don't like die?
thedream21479 says:
04:44 PM, 11/ 4/09
MrRyte....I believe the Fiat Group outright owns Ferrari, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo...I may be wrong...but if I'm right, then they have a hell of a parts bin to choose from.
alman08 says:
10:02 PM, 11/ 4/09
Ferrari belongs to Fiat
iskch says:
09:08 AM, 11/ 5/09
Dodge never made money selling Vipers to begin with. The Viper will be greatly missed! But looking at the future maybe a new ALFA-MASERATI-FERRARI PARTS with a new 6.4 Hemi Super Charge? Just dreaming.
ev1le9 says:
01:29 PM, 11/ 5/09
There was an announcement earlier this year stating the next "Viper" iteration would have a Ferrari derived engine. This would definitely be a departure from the current Viper, but it could be interesting. Perhaps FIAT believes they can do a sports car better. Good luck.
clarkma5 says:
09:01 PM, 11/ 5/09
The Nitro? Really? Even in Chrysler's poor lineup of cars it's a real stinker.