Just when we thought the Dodge Viper was dead, news of its total demise have actually been greatly exaggerated. Dodge stopped building the venerable and scary-to-drive Viper in the summer of 2017 due to poor sales, and die-hard fans and enthusiasts lamented, as did designer Ralph Gilles who had to say goodbye to his baby.
Car and Driver just reported that the Viper may actually return in late 2020, introduced first as a roadster and later as a coupe. There isn't a lot of detail out there, but supposedly the new Viper will trade out its signature V10 engine for a naturally-aspirated V8 good for about 550 horses. There may even be an upgraded version that uses the 707 hp Dodge Hellcat engine.
Also, there's speculation that the new Viper will utilize a spaceframe platform and make extensive use of aluminum and carbon fiber. The big question is will it be recognizable as a Viper? Our guess is yes since loyalists would decry anything less.
Furthermore, the likelihood that the new Viper will still get a manual transmission seems high, and an ACR-like track version could also be on the way. The big question is whether or not it will actually sell better than the last one, which isn't a high bar but could still be a lofty goal given its niche nature. If the price is still high ($90K), that goal might be tough to hit. The 2019 Detroit Auto Show, where the new car could possibly debut, would be the perfect time and place given that it would mark the Viper's 30th anniversary.
