Gen 5 Dodge Viper

[Robin]

A pity Dodge couldn't make good on a lot of their concepts of that time; along with the Firepower, the Razor and the ME12 were also swept under the rug (although I wasn't terribly confident the last example would reach production).

This is what happened to the prototype ME12 Dat traction sound!

http://dai.ly/x1dtfy

The only ones which made it to production from that design language era were the 300C and Crossfire which were both pretty good in their own way. Is was a pity the others didn't happen.

 

[RocZX]

Viper's Anodized Carbon special edition

If you are looking for a matte grey Viper, be quick, SRT will only make 50 with the Anodized Carbon special edition package, which goes on sale in January.

Apart from the paint, the package also includes black chrome five-spoke "Rattler" wheels, a gloss Black GTS badge, satin black exhaust bezel, anodized carbon fuel filler door, orange brake calipers, carbon fiber brake ducts and rear applique.

Inside, you get Alcantara-wrapped headliner, door bolsters and knee blockers; orange accent stitching on the Nappa leather wrapped door trim, center console and instrument panel and on the leather and Alcantara seats. Orange accents are also added to the door panel and instrument panel. Carbon fiber accents are added throughout the center stack, door panels and steering wheel, and there's an exclusive carbon GTS badge on the dashboard.

Jalopnik

 

[05XR8]

Im diggin that

 

[VspecZR1GT2RS89]

Now that's what I call a Viper. 👍

 

[Azure Flare]

Needs black stripes, a Viper without stripes just doesn't seem right.

 

[Adamgp]

Loving that color combo.

 

[Exorcet]

A pity Dodge couldn't make good on a lot of their concepts of that time; along with the Firepower, the Razor and the ME12 were also swept under the rug (although I wasn't terribly confident the last example would reach production).

The ME was actually pretty close, from a technical standpoint. They even let you ride in it.

 

[Chikane_GTR]

The ME was actually pretty close, from a technical standpoint. They even let you ride in it.

Ogm i never seen this car before .. would this be SRT Supercar .. why didn't it make into production it looks killer. and not a wanna be supercar like the Viper

 

[McLaren]

It wasn't cost-effective for Chrysler. They were trying to build a car that was claiming to have the figures of a Veyron, but as we saw from Bugatti's development, the costs to build such a car was money Chrysler couldn't afford to spend. Mercedes at the time, also wasn't apparently pleased by the development costs as well.

 

[Blackbird.]

I want a Viper so bad, those things are a beast.

I'll take mine in GTS-R Blue with white stripes and polished rattlers or race yellow black stripes and matte black sidewinders

 

[psntomaz]

It wasn't cost-effective for Chrysler. They were trying to build a car that was claiming to have the figures of a Veyron, but as we saw from Bugatti's development, the costs to build such a car was money Chrysler couldn't afford to spend. Mercedes at the time, also wasn't apparently pleased by the development costs as well.

No, it wasnt about development/production Cost, it was the fact that MB knew that This Chrysler could be faster, perform better, and more importantly be cheaper than MB's darling SLR Silver Arrow. Since MB has the Final say when it comes automobile production at Chrysler, MB said NO. the ME412, was the most Production ready Concept Chrysler made.

 

[McLaren]

That's part of the reason. Money was an issue as I said. Chrysler would have been screwed if they built it once it got to point when they needed the bail out.

The car was basically attempting what the Veyron on was doing. We all saw what kind of money VAG lost on that.

 

[Exorcet]

I'm not sure if it was going to be a Veyron. A high end car for sure, but going for Veyron performance doesn't mean Veyron price, and you can see that in plenty of other cars. Chrysler at the time was talking about ~250,000 USD for the car. It sounds a bit low, but I think it shows that they were being a little cautious with cost (or maybe just being outright unrealistic).

One thing I really liked about the car was that they targeted weight from the start. At 2880 lbs the 412 wouldn't need 1000 hp to outrun a Veyron. Lower powered engine would also mean less demand for cooling and probably lower cost. The low weight would reduce brake loads.

All of that said, a $200,000 Viper built around a low weight composite chassis would be amazing. Leave the engine alone, get the weight down to 2,750 lb or less and give it ACR+ levels of downforce.

 

[psntomaz]

That's part of the reason. Money was an issue as I said. Chrysler would have been screwed if they built it once it got to point when they needed the bail out.

The car was basically attempting what the Veyron on was doing. We all saw what kind of money VAG lost on that.

When they showed the viper concect and then the production version. it suprised many and that was a time when Chrysler was also Struggling. The Viper Project was one of the saving graces of Chrysler Corp. the ME412 could had been the same. at 250K, it would had payed for itself.

 

[McLaren]

I'm not sure if it was going to be a Veyron. A high end car for sure, but going for Veyron performance doesn't mean Veyron price, and you can see that in plenty of other cars. Chrysler at the time was talking about ~250,000 USD for the car. It sounds a bit low, but I think it shows that they were being a little cautious with cost (or maybe just being outright unrealistic).

The car was touted as having 750Hp & capable of reaching 248mph. 0-60 in under 3 seconds, QTR mile in 10 & a half seconds, 7-speed DCT, V12 with 4 turbochargers. Interior was to feature a mix of leather, carbon fiber, & other amenities. It was pretty much a Veyron before the Veyron started gaining momentum. Half the reason Bugatti took so long in development was finding a way to reach these figures whilst also making it reliable & usable. There's no way Chrysler wouldn't have attempted the same.

When they showed the viper concect and then the production version. it suprised many and that was a time when Chrysler was also Struggling. The Viper Project was one of the saving graces of Chrysler Corp. the ME412 could had been the same. at 250K, it would had payed for itself.

No, it couldn't because in the end, the Viper project ended up dying off as well until SRT's recent revival.

I don't know where you guys got $250K exact because the engineer behind it said it was between that & $750,000. That's a gigantic range of supercars from either a well-spec'd Gallardo/F430 all the way to a Zonda.

Chrysler has proven it probably could engineer and build a car to take on the European supercar superstars. So what? "We have a very clear and good definition of the technical specifications of the car," says Dieter Zetsche. "With that, we can do a calculation for [the cost of] building 10, 100, and 1000 cars and figure out the price points." If the numbers add up. If he can be convinced enough people are prepared to pay what's rumored to be somewhere between $250,000 and $750,000 for a 248-mph Chrysler, Zetsche says he will give the car the green light: "There's no doubt."

The Detroit News also reported why it didn't go into production.

Thursday, January 6, 2005

DaimlerChrysler puts brakes on concept car

Chrysler sports vehicle costs too much to mass produce while the firm is rebuilding, official says.

By Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

After a year of study, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group decided this week not to build the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve sports car, a concept vehicle billed as the fastest street car in the world.

The Auburn Hills automaker unveiled the sleek super car in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show last year as a "production prototype" and said it would build the 850-horsepower rocket in low numbers if it made financial sense.

Chrysler killed the project after an internal study completed Monday showed that building and marketing the car would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" at a time when the company is still rebuilding, said spokesman Jason Vines.

Named for its mid-engine design, four turbo chargers and 12-cylinder engine, its top speed is 248 mph.

"We're proud of the excitement it generated around the world," Vines said. "But we could not make a legitimate business case for it."

Chrysler may also have less need for the hot sports car than it did a year ago. Last year at this time Chrysler was just completing a three-year restructuring, profits were down and new models such as the Chrysler 300 sedan had not yet hit the market. The ME Four-Twelve seemed the perfect distraction from the company's woes.

Today, however, Chrysler is entering this month's Detroit auto show from a position of strength, ending 2004 with a 3.7 percent increase in sales and a 13 percent U.S. market share, up from 12.8 percent the year before, according to Autodata Corp.

Yet many consumers still give Chrysler poor marks for the quality, reliability and durability of its cars and trucks. Investing money in those areas is smarter than building a super car, even if the model could add prestige to the Chrysler name, said David Hofer, chief executive of Above All, a marketing and brand communications firm in Birmingham.

"Branding is only as good as the promise you live up to," he said.

The ME Four-Twelve was a pet project of former Chrysler Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard, who takes charge of Germany's Volkswagen brand next month. At the Detroit auto show last year, Bernhard said that in an auto market crowded with a dizzying variety of choices, vehicles like the ME Four-Twelve are needed to get customers' attention. Chrysler will unveil another high-end sports car concept at the Detroit auto show this month. The Chrysler Firepower is a rear-wheel-drive coupe based on the Dodge Viper with a 425-horsepower engine and an estimated top speed of 185 mph.

There is nothing that officially says Mercedes killed it off, just assumptions against a Chrysler spokes person.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

The way I see it, development of a very low production supercar is not cost effective for a company that is struggling with money. They would have been, and probably were, better off putting that money into the development of more ordinary vehicles which would make them more money.

 

[Organ-Donor]

T/A Viper at dealership down the street from me. They had 3 other new Vipers in the showroom as well.

 

[SuperShouden]

The ME was actually pretty close, from a technical standpoint. They even let you ride in it.

The only reason the ME412 never went into production was because of Mercedes. I still wish they would remake it with a Ferrari V12, but I doubt Ferrari would allow that, either.

 

[Slash]

Dodge releases photos and video of the original concept car, unreleased before today.

 

[Nish]

The picture was posted around 2010 and the video 2012 and that Viper T/A is beautiful though I don't like that hood.

 

[Organ-Donor]

New Stryker green color

 

[ND4SPD]

It needs black stripes!

 

[-Fred-]

So GM announces a new Z06 that will most likely make minced meat of this thing, and all Chrysler/SRT does: "We've got a new green that's not actually new because it was available on the last gen car but yeah, new green."

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I like all the pics that have been posted. The matte grey with orange accents is also really nice especially the interior with the orange stitching and subtle orange details. My favorite would be the bright orange and bright green. They are all nice.

 

[Exorcet]

So GM announces a new Z06 that will most likely make minced meat of this thing, and all Chrysler/SRT does: "We've got a new green that's not actually new because it was available on the last gen car but yeah, new green."

I believe there are new aero options for the base Viper for 2014. Though I haven't found much info on them.

Supposedly the ACR is still in the works as well. Waiting until the Z06 is out and final may not be a bad idea if they can still move their own performance targets around.

The Corvette is doing fairly well this time around though.

 

[Cano]

That color is awesome.

 

[Chikane_GTR]

Sorry for bumping this thread? But Sad news for the viper and Srt I Just hope Srt atleast has a chance to Show the vert of the Gen 5 and the ACR

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...emporarily-shutter-Detroit-plant-makes-Vipers




I Guess the V8 500 HP Viper at 70.000$ is not looking to bad right now

 

[Organ-Donor]

Yeah I've seen the same Vipers just sitting in dealership showrooms for months. I pass a Jaguar dealership everyday that always has exotics parked right out front by the road and I've seen the same brand new yellow/black stripes SRT sitting there for about 5 months.

They are selling for ~$120K and if its true the new C7 Z06 will be right under $100k that's gonna be even more of a problem.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I think almost everyone who wants a Viper will buy an older, more insane one. The new one is more refined, but if you can afford it then you could also afford a used first gen model and a used Continental GT to daily.

 

[Gotbeefboy564]

Seen a few vipers.