VIPER'S FUTURE

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The Future of Viper - by Maurice Liang
[This is a excerpt from Sept/Oct 2008 edition of the NorCal Viper Club "Snake Eyes" we thought you'd find interesting.  Most of this information was presented at VOI 10.]


Concept Vipers...

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL Will there be a Viper after all? That's the big question these days. And with all the doom and gloom in the auto industry and headlines that read, "Viper Line May Be Cut Loose", it's not surprising. But if you think Chrysler is itching to throw in the towel on the Viper, think again.

SHOPPING THE BRAND
To clarify, Chrysler did not go looking for buyers for Viper, buyers came looking for Viper. As Bob Nardelli, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler, LLC explained, "We have been approached by third parties who are interested in exploring future possibilities for Viper. As the Company evaluates strategic options to maximize core operations and leverage its assets, we have agreed to listen to these parties." VCA president Bob Carroll commented, "Let's face it. If someone came and made you an offer on your house, even if you weren't planning on selling it, you'd probably listen to the offer and see what it's worth by shopping it around. Maybe you'd sell it. Maybe you'd keep it and invest more into it." It doesn't take a rocket scientist (or even a brand manager) to recognize the halo effect Viper has had on Dodge and the entire Chrysler Corporation.

PR VALUE
On my shelf are nine binders of magazine covers and articles written about—and because of—the Viper over the past 19 years. Each binder contains approximately 420 pages. Multiply that by 9 binders, and that's 3780 pages of ink. If Chrysler were to purchase ad space at say, a discounted rate of $5000 per page, that would equate to almost $19 million— about $1M per year just in advertising. And it wouldn't be nearly as effective as editorial. And let's face it. Were there any other cars in Chrysler's lineup that would have generated that kind of editorial interest?

CHRYSLER AMBASSADORS
Any Viper owner knows the Viper is a conversation starter. Every time you park the car, you get into a conversation with some total stranger about the Viper. If you've have had a positive experience, you can't help but share with them how much you love the car, and how great Dodge has been with the Viper Owners Invitationals, and encourage them to buy one. How many times have your responded to a friend who asked a question like, "What do you think of the Porsche Cayenne?" with an answer like, "Check out the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT- 8. It costs half as much and can blow the Cayenne into the weeds!" Congratulations. You're a Dodge/Chrysler Ambassador. If Viper was built by an independent company (e.g. Saleen or Shelby), that brand loyalty would likely evaporate.

ADDITIONAL SALES
When the Viper first came out, Dodge dealers assumed that Viper buyers would buy a Viper and then they'd never see us again. But how many of us have one or more other Chrysler product(s) in our garage because of our Viper experience? Would you have bought that Dodge Ram, Jeep Grand Cherokee, or another Viper if you hadn't owned a Viper? Let's say there are some 20,000 Viper owners out there, and on average, everyone has purchased or influenced the sale of at least three other Chrysler products. That's an additional 60,000 vehicle sales. And that probably happens every year.

POTENTIAL SUITORS
For obvious reasons, Chrysler is not identifying who the potential suitors are. It could be a large company with ample resources to support such a limited production vehicle, and wants an instant halo car, much like Ford did when they bought Jaguar. Or, it could be a smaller company who wants to move into manufacturing a complete car, like a Saleen. However, without the corporate resources to leverage, a small company would incur higher expenses in continuing to develop the Viper. As one Saleen representative said, "We'd love to build the Viper. But if we did, it would have to cost $170,000."

DECISIONS, DECISIONS
All this and more is being factored into the decision process. As Nardelli said, "Viper is an integral part of the Company's heritage. While this is a strategic review, our intent would be to offer strong operational and financial support during any potential transaction, in order to ensure a future for the Viper business and perpetuate the legacy of this great vehicle." Chrysler is including VCA's national officers in the discussions to ensure customer representation. Deborah Meyer, Chief Marketing Officer added, "Believe me, (it's) not an easy decision. Ultimately, we want to do what's best for the brand and what's best for all of you. We appreciate the support of the club, because we (don't) know how all of this will turn out."

A PEEK INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
The sale of Viper is not imminent, nor even a foregone conclusion. To keep the Viper flame burning, Chrysler's Vice President of Design, offered us a peek into the crystal ball at VOI X by sharing the sketches you see on these pages – proof that Chrysler is still considering the future of Viper. While no details were given, you can see from the sketches that the basic architecture remains the same, i.e. a front engine, rear drive, 2-seater. Viper's DNA dictates a V-10, if at all possible. More exciting, you can see that the designers have captured the heritage of the Viper, while at the same time, taken another step forward in evolution. With the current gas price situation, the horsepower war is likely to come to an end. Even the cross-town boys at GM admit that. Increased performance and efficiency is likely to come from reduced weight with lighter materials. How? Drive Naked.  

LOSE WEIGHT. DRIVE NAKED.
If you've ever visited the Viper plant, you've seen the Viper naked – before they install the body. They call it "the world's fastest go-kart". And if you're like me, you always wished you could drive one. Well, my wish came true at VOI. As luck would have it, I was talking with Tom McCarthy, the new "Herb Helbig" when Erich Heuschele, SRT's Vehicle Dynamics Supervisor pulled into the pits with the "Naked Viper". "We were about to send the ACR mule (development car) to the crusher, when we got the idea to see what a Viper would drive like, minus about 500 pounds of body work," explained Tom. "Want to go for a ride?" he asked. "Hell, yes!" I said. As I started to get in, Erich asked, "Want to drive?" "Are you kidding?" I asked. "No, go ahead!" he replied. This was one of those magical moments of being in the right place at the right time! So off we went for a drive around the Chelsea test loop. Minus 500 lbs of body work, the Naked Viper is as Tom had described it, "a lot snappier". Everything just responds quicker. Steering, brakes, acceleration. It reminds me of the Lotus 340R, where Lotus stripped the Elise of bodywork and left a frame with minimal bodywork. "Add lightness," was Lotus Founder Colin Chapman's expression. "We're thinking about what else we can do with Viper," explained Erich. Now this would be an extreme Viper! Let's hope they keep going in this direction. All too soon, we pulled back into the pits. As he drove off, I noticed a decal with Calvin running buck-naked. The caption read, "Life is short. Play naked." Indeed.

VIPER'S NEXT CHAPTER
Whether Chrysler sells the Viper or decides to keep it, the next Chapter in Viper history is about to begin. It promises to be an exciting one. Stay tuned!