Mopar, SRT, and Dodge enthusiasts holding out hope for the revival of the Viper for its sixth generation are in for disappointing news. It’s not going to happen.
In Detroit, Michigan during an exclusive one-on-one interview for the latest episode of The Drivecast, SRT Chief, Tim Kuniskis, stated to The Drive when posed with the question of whether the Dodge Viper still holds relevance or if that chapter is closed, “As difficult as it is for me to admit, it has reached the conclusion of its life cycle.”
Catch the full discussion starting when Kuniskis addresses the Viper and its demise.
While many casual critics might assume the Viper was discontinued due to emissions standards, given that it had a V10 engine, or poor sales figures, that is not the case. Kuniskis revealed the true reason for the Viper’s end. “I mean, when they introduced the new regulation for ejection mitigation, we had to stop the production of the car because you would have to install airbags directly over you—as a driver, right over your ear. And you sat in the vehicle. It’d be unfeasible,” Kuniskis explained.
During the conversation, Kuniskis took time to note, “The track potential of that vehicle was astonishing. If you consider what it was—I mean, it was an analog vehicle with a manual gearbox, and it could compete with anything globally. Technology doesn’t matter. I mean, it was just that impressive.” However, the Father of the Hellcats isn’t blinded by affection as he quickly added, “But it had its drawbacks. I mean, let’s be truthful. I own one, so I’m permitted to critique it. If you don’t possess one, you can’t because we’ll have an argument. But if you own one, you can critique it.”
To that end, the Viper was an analog vehicle in an era where technology, and performance metrics, were advancing. The fastest Porsche 911s on a racetrack rely on a dual-clutch automatic transmission. “Honestly, in today’s scenario, it would have needed to transform into an automatic or a dual-clutch or something similar,” Kuniskis remarked.
Envision a scenario where a Viper is equipped with an automatic transmission. It’s hard to imagine, yet evidently on the executive’s radar. Earlier in the discussion just before he touched upon the Viper, Kuniskis remarked that “I think about the C8 [Corvette] constantly.” Further elaborating, he stated, “I am extremely impressed by the engineering of that vehicle. There are certain aspects I’m not fond of, naturally, and I’m biased, undeniably. But there are certain elements in that vehicle—and I’ve had the opportunity to meet Tadge and discuss the car with him in the past—and it’s a remarkable car, and the engineering in it is exceedingly impressive.”
Concluding the discourse on the Viper and its standing in the automotive world, Kuniskis said, “It reached the end of its life cycle.”
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