No Ferrari Viper, Dodge brand chief says
Despite allusions to cooperation on the Viper with Chrysler's new Italian owners, there will be no Viper Ferrari. Hey, it was a natural question,
Hey, it was a natural question, especially since Dodge opened that door in a press release on Tuesday about a lap record set by a production Viper ACR at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (1:33.915; more on that in a minute).
"When we have partners across the ocean who are known as the best sports-car makers in the world, the future opportunities are huge," Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles said in a release.
The future opportunities for what--a Ferrari V12 in a Viper body? A Viper V10 in a Frankensteined 612? What? You could go insane imagining the possibilities. So we spoke to Gilles directly and asked whether there would be any cross-engineering or parts-sharing to the extent our overactive imagination imagined there might be. We asked about a Ferrari Dodge Viper.
"No," he said in about as definitive a tone as car execs ever get.
Then what did he mean by the "opportunities are huge?"
"They really know sports cars. We just want some advice," Gilles said.
But wouldn't a Ferrari Viper be cool, regardless?
"Ferrari is Ferrari, Viper is Viper," he said. "Please don't go there."
OK.
We did get these exciting tidbits about the 2010 Dodge Viper: there will be a new graphics package! New stripes! And a new color--Anaconda Green! Also, a new interior for the 2010 Viper will be launched at the Los Angeles auto show.
The 2010 Viper will get a shorter fifth-gear ratio (changing from 0.74 to 0.80) for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speeds, which hampered an earlier 2008 "lap record" at the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, where it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in a higher speed capability and potentially a shorter elapsed time. The 2010 Viper also will get a new short-throw shifter, and the rear wing profile and redesigned end plates to allow 4 more mph, topping out at 184 mph.
The latter two improvements sound like Dodge is planning to go back to the Nordschliefe to reset its record there.
"That's honestly not a big priority," said Gilles.
So, there's your news.
Source: No Ferrari Viper, Dodge brand chief says
Hey, it was a natural question, especially since Dodge opened that door in a press release on Tuesday about a lap record set by a production Viper ACR at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (1:33.915; more on that in a minute).
"When we have partners across the ocean who are known as the best sports-car makers in the world, the future opportunities are huge," Dodge brand chief Ralph Gilles said in a release.
The future opportunities for what--a Ferrari V12 in a Viper body? A Viper V10 in a Frankensteined 612? What? You could go insane imagining the possibilities. So we spoke to Gilles directly and asked whether there would be any cross-engineering or parts-sharing to the extent our overactive imagination imagined there might be. We asked about a Ferrari Dodge Viper.
"No," he said in about as definitive a tone as car execs ever get.
Then what did he mean by the "opportunities are huge?"
"They really know sports cars. We just want some advice," Gilles said.
But wouldn't a Ferrari Viper be cool, regardless?
"Ferrari is Ferrari, Viper is Viper," he said. "Please don't go there."
OK.
We did get these exciting tidbits about the 2010 Dodge Viper: there will be a new graphics package! New stripes! And a new color--Anaconda Green! Also, a new interior for the 2010 Viper will be launched at the Los Angeles auto show.
The 2010 Viper will get a shorter fifth-gear ratio (changing from 0.74 to 0.80) for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speeds, which hampered an earlier 2008 "lap record" at the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, where it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in a higher speed capability and potentially a shorter elapsed time. The 2010 Viper also will get a new short-throw shifter, and the rear wing profile and redesigned end plates to allow 4 more mph, topping out at 184 mph.
The latter two improvements sound like Dodge is planning to go back to the Nordschliefe to reset its record there.
"That's honestly not a big priority," said Gilles.
So, there's your news.
Source: No Ferrari Viper, Dodge brand chief says
Post New Comment
