(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – It has been almost a decade since Dodge discontinued the Viper – after the 2017 model year, it was over. The wild US supercar had to be removed from the program for safety reasons, and the chances of a comeback are close to zero.
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In the latest episode of The DriveCast, a podcast from The Drive, SRT boss Tim Kuniskis said the Viper had reached “the end of its lifecycle.” He added that a modern Viper would probably have to do without a manual transmission – in favor of an automatic or a dual-clutch transmission.
Kuniskis praised the design of the fifth-generation Viper, calling it “one of the most beautiful cars ever built” – with “absolutely stunning” track performance, thanks to which it could “take on anything in the world.” At the same time, he admitted that the Viper was not perfect in every respect.
One problem Kuniskis addressed was the car’s inability to meet a new occupant restraint (Ejection Mitigation) regulation – because “for that, you’d have to place airbags directly above the driver’s ear.”
What comes after the Viper
Even if Dodge apparently has no plans to revive the Viper, the brand is preparing a completely new model: the Copperhead. However, it is not intended to be a sports car like the Viper. Instead, Kuniskis described the new model as a “Hyper Muscle Car.”
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The Copperhead is likely to share its platform with the new Charger and will feature many air vents on the hood and behind the rear wheels. In addition, there will be a distinctive scoop on the hood and an equally large rear spoiler.
We expect Dodge’s new “Hyper Muscle Car” to have a supercharged V8 with over 700 hp on board. When the new Copperhead will launch is still unclear – but it probably won’t be too long now.
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that, in this form, could only have been created at a specific time in automotive history. Kuniskis is right: a modern interpretation would have to feature a lot of technology to be competitive – and that would dilute the essence of what the Viper stood for.
More about the Viper:
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Someone converted an old Viper into a stretch limousine
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Source: The Drive
