Could the Next Dodge Viper Be Corvette Based?
A Corvette-Based Viper Isn’t THAT Far-Fetched!
Sometimes a few stories come together for some weird speculation. Today is one of those times. The Dodge Viper is officially dead, but could it be resurrected with help from the new Corvette? It’s not as far-fetched as you might initially believe.
In the past, FCA head Sergio Marchionne wanted to merge with General Motors. He’s currently looking for someone to buy his company, and he’s been shedding non-profitable brands and models to help pave the way for either profitability or a takeover. Though GM CEO Mary Barra has said no, what if under the Trump administration the purchase makes more sense?
According to Business Insider, Mr. Marchionne had a conversation with President Trump that might have included the subject of a merger with General Motors. Now, the President can’t force a company to buy another company — at least we don’t think that’s an option under the Constitution. But the President could incentivize that deal, and help it get passed by regulators.
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So let’s assume all of that happens. It’s unlikely that Dodge would go away under General Motors ownership. So they’d need a halo performance car for the brand. Since they’ll have all of GM’s portfolio to rummage through to make a car, why not go straight for the best performance setup they have: the Corvette?
A new Viper based on the Corvette platform would be an interesting play. It would allow GM to continue to make front-engine Corvettes, and keep the volume up a bit higher, since they’d be building Vipers, too. It’d also potentially make the Viper more affordable, since GM wouldn’t be building an all-new platform to make the car. Assuming all of the above happens, it’d almost make sense to build a Viper on a Corvette platform.
It’d also help GM battle Ford and Honda for the American-made sports car crown. Remember, the Honda NSX is constructed at Honda’s facility in Ohio. A Corvette-based Viper would give the GM portfolio more diversity in what they can offer the customer. And they could keep up with the competition and not lose their butts on costs.
So what do you think? Could it happen? Join the discussion in our forums!
