There is no doubt in auto industry circles that Chrysler/Cerebrus is struggling badly.
Sales are down company-wide nearly 30% just from a year ago and there are no shining stars like the 300C set for release in the foreseeable future. So where does this leave a niche vehicle like the mid-life crisis on wheels also known as the Dodge Viper?
Word from headquarters in Auburn Hills is that management has lowered the axe on the iconic coupe and roadster. In production since 1996, the original show car was a halo model for a then thriving and independent Chrysler.
Never a smooth operator, the Viper featured a truck engine derived 10 cylinder whose sound was akin to a threshing machine used to turn trees into bark. The clutch pedal was so stiff, it required the calf muscles of Lance Armstrong to drive it in freeway traffic. In spite of all this, the Viper has an extremely loyal and active fan club that organizes rallies and other Viper-only events.
Still want a brand new model? Well, you had better hurry up as 2009 appears to be the final year the Freudian slip will still be in production. Prices start at around $89,000 for a coupe and around $95,000 for a convertible. No, that isn’t a typo. Dodge charges Porsche 911 money for the keys to a new Viper.
Advice for the sane majority who appreciate a sports car that doesn’t favor hurling you into the shrubbery should save 30 large and buy a Corvette. Besides, the Viper also shares the dubious distinction with the Insurance industry as the car most likely to be in an accident the first time the owner drives it. And we don’t think it has anything to do with a Honda backing into it at the Costco parking lot!