When will the Viper get a power increase?

[HANKFAN]

Any guesses on when the Viper will see a power increase? I was kind of shocked when the 2016 models didn't receive a power increase to close the gap from the Hellcat. It's hard for me to think that Dodge can let the Hellcat continue to be the horsepower king over the Halo car. I have heard a rumor that Dodge was developing a 10L engine to get over 700hp N/A but I am not sure if there is any truth to that rumor.

[Martin]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the direct injection engine becomes reality soon. I was also thinking it could happen for the 2016 year, but now I'm thinking it'll be a sales-pusher for later. If they want to squeeze more power out of the engine without going afoul of the EPA rules, they'll need to ditch the port injected engine and go direct injection. It's a bit more costly, but the technology is tested and works just fine. With direct injection, they have a lot more wiggle room on gaining power without increasing emissions.

[ACR Steve]

Lol 645hp not enough?

[dasvolk]

I can't be the only person who doesn't think this car needs more power, at least at sea level.

[ViperSmith]

You'll never see a 10L V10. Ever.

The days of big displacement are coming to an end, they won't invest in a larger V10. Smaller I could see.

[Voice of Reason]

Direct injection would require a completely new head design. This seems unlikely for such a small volume V10 engine but I guess they've been able to justify the expenses in the past, like our unique cam in cam design, so who knows? Are any FCA engines DI?

[MBG2.0]

They could tweak the current car with better intake and exhaust...but that maybe would yield only a few extra hp.
But the cars also lacking a auto gearbox...

[shine]

Unlikely to get a power increase with the current engine. It's already a retooled Gen IV engine that they managed to eke out that extra 45 HP while keeping cats and emissions legal and maintaining reliability and longevity. Dick Winkles and his team did a phenomenal job to get it to where it is.

[AM.MSCL]

Arrow Performance is working on the 9.0L V10

[Schen]

Well I can tell you Dodge doesn't not see things the way you do. The Viper is still very much the halo car of the brand and they don't view the Hellcat as being better than it. 645HP in a Viper is alot more than 707HP in a Challenger. Hence the introduction of the ACR.

--RS

[ViperSmith]

Well I can tell you Dodge doesn't not see things the way you do. The Viper is still very much the halo car of the brand and they don't view the Hellcat as being better than it. 645HP in a Viper is alot more than 707HP in a Challenger. Hence the introduction of the ACR.

--RS

The Viper is faster and does everything better than any hellcat.

The only thing the hellcat does better is haul 2+ people.

[V10powerr]

Op I agree with you it needs more power
I am a viper lover so I bought a gen v anyway but most of my friends that have lambos r8 Ferrari Porsche have mentioned that even though my viper is faster or as fast as their cars, the viper has always been know to be much faster. Out of 6 friends with these cars only 1 goes to the track.
If dodge wants its halo cars in the hands of non viper owners it has to do something like what the gen 1 and 2 did, own bragging rights.
At the current rate it will continue to do what is has done in the past, expect the same results.
This is my experience and opinion based on this small group as well as my thoughts.
Not meant to upset anybody.
1 of 1 is not going to increase sales of get the viper the respect it once had or make it a halo car for the sports car industry that it used to be, now it's not even the halo car for dodge
Worst part is they have the recipe to sell, look at the hellcats. That car has bragging rights. My buddies with a ctsv, e63 and cls63 are scared Of that car, the viper was once that legend.

[Viktimize]

Lap records all over the place isn't enough bragging rights for people?

More power was the last thing I thought this car needed when I took it out first few times. But I got used to it fast and would love to get over 700rwhp now.

[Thawk97]

The availability of super/hyper cars today is not the same as it was in 1992. The world today is a lot smaller than it was back then. We are instantly aware of the newest and latest super cars even from tiny shops or with tiny production numbers. Making a splash in that environment takes a much bigger stone than it used to. I don't think there's any way the Viper can reproduce that kind of impact - there are just already too many options at too many price points. It will never be in hyper car territory - simple economics prevent it (can't get $1million performance for 1/10th the cost).

I don't think that's a problem, but I do think people who talk about "recapturing" the "glory days" don't really even understand what they mean. Even at 800 hp, this car still wouldn't get the respect the originals did. The original was unlike anything being sold (much less made) in America. The newly introduced Ford GT would already steal spotlights and garner comparison not to mention the plethora of foreign supercars which are way more common now. Even the P1 has the 918 to fight against - frankly speaking the only car that costs less than a cool million in recent memory to gain the kind of excitement the Viper had (albeit for different reasons) is the Tesla. And that has nothing to do with power - it's simply considered new and revolutionary.

The Viper can never be new. It was new in '92. That's ok.

The Viper stands on it's own today and the list of things I'd rather own is preciously short.

[99RT10]

Lol 645hp not enough?

No................

[TheAnonymousOne]

The availability of super/hyper cars today is not the same as it was in 1992. The world today is a lot smaller than it was back then. We are instantly aware of the newest and latest super cars even from tiny shops or with tiny production numbers. Making a splash in that environment takes a much bigger stone than it used to. I don't think there's any way the Viper can reproduce that kind of impact - there are just already too many options at too many price points. It will never be in hyper car territory - simple economics prevent it (can't get $1million performance for 1/10th the cost).

I don't think that's a problem, but I do think people who talk about "recapturing" the "glory days" don't really even understand what they mean. Even at 800 hp, this car still wouldn't get the respect the originals did. The original was unlike anything being sold (much less made) in America. The newly introduced Ford GT would already steal spotlights and garner comparison not to mention the plethora of foreign supercars which are way more common now. Even the P1 has the 918 to fight against - frankly speaking the only car that costs less than a cool million in recent memory to gain the kind of excitement the Viper had (albeit for different reasons) is the Tesla. And that has nothing to do with power - it's simply considered revolutionary.

The Viper stands on it's own and the list of things I'd rather own is preciously short.

The Viper is neither supercar nor hypercar. A "Supercar" was a $450k+ car back in 1992. In the late 90s a Supercar cost $1mm plus. The term "hypercar" only applies to supercars with hybrid tech, and even then it's a childish name. Supercar territory starts in the $800ks. It's wishful thinking and preposterous to call the Viper a Supercar, or a Gallardo, or an F12, or an Aventador. Those are all "exotics". The Viper is an "Exotic Sports Car". It just irks me when media sensationalizes a word and then the general populous goes overboard with it. It's like telling people your cute girlfriend who was featured on an Instagram model page is a "super model". Wrong.

Now on to the Viper. There are mixed opinions but the truth is crystal clear. The Viper is a beast. With 800NA HP it will more than likely give the Ferrari supercars a run for their money. FIAT will not allow that. Remember a little BMW called the M1? They discontinued it because it was outperforming the M3. Porsche has also made it public that they generally will not allow cheaper cars to outperform their flagships. The Viper is being held back and will continue to be held back. Fortunately they green lighted the ACR. Now maybe we'll see a Ring time eclipsing the La Ferrari but I highly doubt it.

[ACR Steve]

Everyone is so focused on HP numbers. They are meaningless. Its all power to weight and how the power is transferred to the pavement. (I have raced in 170hp open wheel cars that would kick a Vipers butt)
Hell my race car is 355hp to the wheels/ 2,900lbs and will destroy my ACR on the track

Its all about a complete package: Power to weight, chassis set up, suspension, brakes

[Thawk97]

The Viper is neither supercar nor hypercar. A "Supercar" was a $450k+ car back in 1992. In the late 90s a Supercar cost $1mm plus. The term "hypercar" only applies to supercars with hybrid tech, and even then it's a childish name. Supercar territory starts in the $800ks. It's wishful thinking and preposterous to call the Viper a Supercar, or a Gallardo, or an F12, or an Aventador. Those are all "exotics". The Viper is an "Exotic Sports Car". It just irks me when media sensationalizes a word and then the general populous goes overboard with it. It's like telling people your cute girlfriend who was featured on an Instagram model page is a "super model". Wrong.

Don't disagree - in fact you're helping the point. The desire is for something than can run with and even surpass those vehicles for a non "super/hyper" price to recapture the "Awe" factor the original had. My argument is that in today's world, it cannot be done and that's ok.

[City]

Everyone is so focused on HP numbers. They are meaningless. Its all power to weight and how the power is transferred to the pavement. (I have raced in 170hp open wheel cars that would kick a Vipers butt)
Hell my race car is 355hp to the wheels/ 2,900lbs and will destroy my ACR on the track

Its all about a complete package: Power to weight, chassis set up, suspension, brakes

Steven, you neglected to mention the most important part of the "package": the driver. Many (not all) of the "more power people" would be satisfied if FCA would advertise that the Viper has 900 HP regardless of whether it actually did. Sorry but JMHO.

[viper_eddie]

The problem is the competition and the image it creates, not the horsepower not being enough. 645 is more than enough. The Ferrari 488 is coming out with 660 horsepower, I believe. The new GT500 is going to have over 700hp. Porsche is going all turbo in the 911 line up (except for the GT3, for now), I'll bet the 911 turbo will put out at least 650 horsepower.

To most people buying new and expensive sports cars, that hp number matters. Bragging rights...

Not to mention that most of the competition mentioned above is auto/DCT now so it will outperform the current Gen 5. I don't need 645 hp or an auto, but the Viper does if it wants to keep up w/ the future performance levels.

[Jack B]

How many in this thread have not tracked a G5. Perhaps the thread would have a diff ring if all posters had tracked a G5.

[mjorgensen]

With the EPA the way they are and our Presidents "agenda" my take is that you better buy a Viper right now at 645hp and not wait for more only to find out it's too late...

[serpent]

The problem is the competition and the image it creates, not the horsepower not being enough. 645 is more than enough. The Ferrari 488 is coming out with 660 horsepower, I believe. The new GT500 is going to have over 700hp. Porsche is going all turbo in the 911 line up (except for the GT3, for now), I'll bet the 911 turbo will put out at least 650 horsepower.

To most people buying new and expensive sports cars, that hp number matters. Bragging rights...

Not to mention that most of the competition mentioned above is auto/DCT now so it will outperform the current Gen 5. I don't need 645 hp or an auto, but the Viper does if it wants to keep up w/ the future performance levels.

I agree, specially with the c7z having 650hp, the viper has always been on the wild side and should have more power. I know this is backwards thinking from my post regarding a faster shifting transmission, but if dodge isn't going that route, what else will entice buyers? The ACR alone won't do it.

I think there are gonna be more vipers sitting on the lots now to next 2-3 years. Mercedes GT, Ferrari 488, 911 Turbo, next gen GTR... I'm excited yet worried at the same time....

[Dman]

OP, to your question I'd say never.

2016 was a refresh year and no increase. We see Dodge using Arrow and Prefix for power and model options. The ACR release with 640hp, if there were a bump it would have it since its mission is simply world domination of track records. All this indicates we'll not see a bump, soon or IMO, probably ever.

As for the debate of whether it needs more power, there's no winning the debate, it's all opinion. We have what we need to rule the track and set records and that's what the viper is about. For those who want street cred HP bumps, no number is enough, and Dodge is telling us we can have it but in the Arrow packages, not factory based, and I'm sure that's due to fed regulations and associated costs.

Someday we'll see a next gen viper and I'm afraid we may all be talking about the good ole V10 days then.

[viper_eddie]

How many in this thread have not tracked a G5. Perhaps the thread would have a diff ring if all posters had tracked a G5.

And how many BUYERS of high end sports cars track their cars vs those that don't? I would venture to guess the vast majority do not track them. So is that market going to be left out completely?