Viper fans everywhere can rejoice as Dodge announced recently their plans to take the Viper ACR concept car to production for the 2016 model year. This is the natural progression for the car as the current version has been setting track records all over the world and it’s time for the next step to be taken by Dodge with the Viper. With this approval and plan to enter the 2016 model year with the ACR model, Dodge faces some scrutiny regarding the time and the sales of the current version of the Viper.
This scrutiny is a result of the sluggish sales the current Viper has experienced, bringing to mind the question of why would a new Viper be up for the production line with the current version performing, from a sales point of view, so poorly. The answer is Dodge plans to use the new ACR model to create two buyer groups and feed the need of both. The first group will be those who love the Viper and want one in its base for, hence the current version. The other group will be those looking for top performance and to show they have an ACR model for their time at the track.
By offering the ACR model those who might otherwise buy a Ferrari or a Lamborghini might actually stick with a sports car made by an American company rather than buying one of the exotic imports. With the research done by Dodge that shows the need to have both Vipers in the house, they expect to see some massive increases in sales over the next few years once the ACR has caught on and those who have loved the Viper from the very beginning come back to shout its praises.
The new ACR Viper will truly be a function-over-design model that was able to set a record at Nurburgring with a lap time of 7:12.13. This kind of time give Dodge the hope that this will be the Viper that is not only equal to the Corvette Z06 on the track, but possibly be ready to beat it. The Viper ACR will offer very aggressive carbon fiber aerodynamic elements which include the splitter, dive planes, and a large fixed rear wing. There are new and improved fender vents, 19-inch alloy wheels, 15.4-inch front carbon ceramic brake rotors, Brembo six-piston calipers, brake cooling ducts and differential cooling ducts.
With all these amazing features aboard on the outside the car has a very stripped down with not much in the interior to enjoy. This was of course done to save weight, as a track ready car the new Viper ACR will be one of the top performers at the track starting in 2016. Only sales starting in 2016 will show us what the new Viper ACR will do for the Viper line of Dodge. With this new version hopefully Dodge will see some great sales for the Viper line that has been a great, traditional sports car from Dodge for many years.
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