The Dodge Viper is a great car with a long history of success behind the nameplate. Despite being an icon of American motorsports, the Viper was discontinued in 2017 due to dwindling sales. It may not have had the same sales success as cars like the Dodge Challenger, but it is still a great car that a lot of enthusiasts adore. Since its discontinuation, many gearheads have yearned for it to make a return to production as a new all-American sports car.
That being said, there are more than a few reasons as to why the Viper would be the perfect car to bring back— reasons many enthusiasts would agree on. Bringing back a car to the market is no small task, and Dodge would need a strong business case for a bespoke sports car in a rapidly shrinking sports car market. Yet, we believe these reasons are compelling enough to potentially warrant a second life for the Viper.
11 Brand Heritage
The history of the Dodge Viper is incredibly rich. Being produced in five generations from 1991 until 2017, it was an ever-evolving car, getting better in every iteration. The car managed to evolve in terms of design and performance throughout the decades, and this development would certainly be continued in a new model.
With substantial growth in technology, especially regarding suspension and power delivery, a brand new Dodge Viper could take elements from its history and infuse it with new technology, something it has done in each one of its generations. It would undoubtedly be a very quick car too, which is always welcome.
10 It's The Corvette's Natural Rival
The Dodge Viper is the only real American car that could rival the new Chevrolet Corvette when it comes to track performance. Not even the Ford Shelby GT500 has a chance against Chevy's mid-engined supercar on the track, especially once we see the Z06 hit the streets. And with the success of the Corvette, especially with the recent release of the C8 model, there are really few cars that can challenge the dominance of the Corvette as a high-performance US sports car. With renders of a new mid-engined Viper competing against the mid-engined Corvette, it is easy for enthusiasts to be excited about the prospect of this.
As such, it would be great to see the Viper make a comeback as enthusiasts would love to see it compete against the Corvette, and to see what levels of performance it could go to when competing against another dominating sports car.
9 The ACR Model Would Be Insanely Quick
The Viper ACR models were always fantastic. Standing for 'American Racing Club, 'these cars came with extra performance features to make them absolute monsters on the track. First introduced in 1999, the Viper ACR came with increased spring rates, Koni adjustable shocks, and the removal of unnecessary weight. The car went on to be produced in other generations, with the 2016 ACR coming with a new aerodynamic body and a carbon fiber rear wing, boosting downforce and making it the world's quickest manual-transmission sports car around the Nurburgring.
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With such impressive figures previously, a new ACR model would be expected to be even faster than this, with the focus on producing a vehicle that embodies all of the best things about a performance car. As such, an ACR model would be a real track icon and a real selling point for the Viper.
8 It Could Spawn Hellcat And Redeye Models
With the success of the Dodge Challenger (SRT) Hellcat and the outstanding Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, it wouldn't be surprising for Dodge to launch a Viper Hellcat and a Viper Redeye if it was to launch a comeback for the Viper nameplate. The Hellcat and Redeye models are insane in terms of power and speed, and the Viper is the perfect candidate for having such models in its lineup as it is such a high-performance car already. It would make a lot of sense to use the same engines in the Viper for amazing acceleration.
This would be a great reason for the Viper making a comeback, and enthusiasts would love it because of this. No one can deny the impact of the Hellcat and Redeye trims, and we would love to see the Viper receive such special treatment and for it to be a great car to compete with other models like the Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
7 It Could Embrace EV Power
With the recent growth in the number of sports cars utilizing electric power, the Viper would be a fantastic candidate for this, too. Making use of the newest technology and the ability for the car to have instant acceleration and torque would be incredibly fun for enthusiasts. With the EV technology being the heart of some incredibly high-performance cars, it is worth considering that the Viper could use this power effectively. With brands like Tesla pioneering electric sports cars, it would not be unforeseeable for Dodge to do the same with a new Viper.
As such, we would love to see the Viper make a comeback to see what it could make use of in terms of new tech. Indeed, Dodge could show off how the car can evolve, embracing the past and future in an all-new EV Viper.
6 The Market Needs A Bare Bones Sports Car
The Viper is a straight-up sports car, with no confusing features. It is one of those cars that an enthusiast can just get in and go with, but also, it is very traditional. Indeed, it comes with all of the elements of a proper sports car, with the high acceleration rate combined with a lack of electric driving aids.
Moving this into the current age, it would be great to see the traditional appeal of a sports car return to a modern car.
5 The Dodge Challenger Is Aging
The current Dodge Challenger is fundamentally 13 years old, making it a rather old halo car for the brand. While it is still very much a loved car among enthusiasts, for many, it is now getting old and a re-launch of the Viper nameplate could be a great way to renew the Dodge lineup significantly.
The Dodge Viper would be a great way to bring a new halo car to Dodge, bringing in new buyers and younger generations who always wanted to buy a Viper when it was new. While there is nothing wrong with the Challenger and the numerous updates over the past few years have kept it as fresh as a 13-year-old car can be, a new Viper would be the perfect way to retire the Challenger by taking its spot at the head of the brand.
4 New Design Choices Could Be Made
With the Corvette recently going mid-engined, Dodge could also make use of new tech and choices for the Viper. As mentioned above, the car could go mid-engined too, but Dodge can also look at implementing further features that could make it into a different car than what it used to be. Indeed, the last generation of the Viper didn't sell well, so a complete revamp of the car could be just what the Viper needs to get things going again.
Making different engine choices may be an option, boosting power and bringing it up as a competitor to the Challenger, or changing the design language of the Viper to signal a new age for it.
3 It Would Probably Be Manual
In a world that is increasingly ditching the traditional manual gearbox, the Dodge Viper could represent a break in this trend by offering a proper manual transmission sports car. For example, the new Corvette C8 offers a dual-clutch automatic as opposed to a manual gearbox—something that will infuriate purist gearheads who want that proper manual experience.
All previous generations of the Dodge Viper offered a manual gearbox, and it was integral to the analog driving experience. A manual Viper needs to come back because it would keep the tradition going and it would appeal massively to enthusiasts who live and breathe the analog car experience.
2 Why It Won't Come Back: Engine Regulations
The V10 engine used in the Dodge Viper is outstanding, offering both power and size. The engine's final generation was in 2013, and it probably wouldn't be used again due to engine regulations in the U.S. The V10 Viper engine is the core of the Dodge Viper, and this probably means that Dodge wouldn't bring the car back if it can't utilize the famous engine. While Dodge could implement a new engine, this may put off buyers who love the nostalgia of the V10.
As such, this alone may be a reason why Dodge won't bring the Viper back any time soon. While Dodge can make it an EV, if it's history Dodge is after, the Viper may not be around for a long time, if at all.
1 Why It Won't Come Back: Sports Cars Are A Dwindling Marketplace
The sports car market shrinking. With inflation and economic inequality problems, buying a sports car just isn't the most viable option for most people, especially in the current target generation. Also, the environmental problems the world is currently dealing with are another reason why people aren't buying sports cars as much as they used to, and many electric sports cars have priced out people.
Often, people also need a practical car rather than a sports car as they need this for city driving with it being incredibly expensive to rent a large garage space. As such, the Dodge Viper may not be the right car to put on the market in the next few years.