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According to Drive.com.au's Toby Hagon, SRT chief Ralph Gilles hinted about creating a ”baby Viper.”  He quoted Gilles as saying: “Going forward, of course, my dream is to continue making unique SRT products, something like a baby Viper or something like that.”

From there to actually believing that a baby Viper is being considered is a long leap, but one that Hagon was willing to make. While he admitted that “Gilles wouldn’t be drawn on the chances of a baby Viper or how it would come to life,” Hagon speculated on how a smaller, more efficient Viper could help with fuel economy targets (though Viper's small production numbers are unlikely to harm Chrysler much), and tossed out the Alfa Romeo 4C and next-generation Mazda MX-5 roadster (which Alfa is working on) as possible platforms. One could also speculate that the upcoming rear-wheel-drive mid-sized platform to be shared by Alfa..

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[Sir Moses Wellington]

Woa woa woa, hold on a sec. Just because he said "baby" doesn't mean it would be smaller. Could be a 392 GT type car off the Viper platform with different sheet metal. As in, look at the FirePower concept. In no way a bad thing.

 

[dana44]

I agree, doesn't have to be smaller, but it may mean that two seater we have been begging for for the past decade or more. Razor or Demon-like for those of us that can't feasibly run around in a Viper all the time?

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

I agree, doesn't have to be smaller, but it may mean that two seater we have been begging for for the past decade or more. Razor or Demon-like for those of us that can't feasibly run around in a Viper all the time?

That would do well I think. Shove the 2.4L as the standard motor, then have the 3.2L or a lightly boosted 3.0L motor in there as the high performance version.

 

[Mike V.]

Big dream...

 

[jerseyjoe]

Its time for the Razor or Demon. The ZEO is way cool:

http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&tbo=d&rlz=1C1RNAN_enUS461US461&biw=1124&bih=654&tbm=isch&tbnid=nv83dMD6hKPs0M:&imgrefurl=http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/concept_cars/dodge_zeo.html&docid=l-9U8tCGF94FRM&imgurl=http://www.diseno-art.com/images_2/Dodge_ZEO_concept_rear.jpg&w=400&h=297&ei=fJbTUPKgPKrV0gHMnYAo&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=822&vpy=162&dur=1667&hovh=193&hovw=261&tx=135&ty=123&sig=112735499442371645011&page=1&tbnh=146&tbnw=187&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:145

 

[Jeepnut]

Just a guess but baby Viper = BARRACUDA!

 

[tomaz]

Can they still use "Copper Head"?? or is it still copy written... *rolls eyes*

 

[dakrt99]

I thought that was what the "Barracuda" would be, a smaller, D-Segment, RWD coupe, exclusive to SRT? A baby Viper could be, a V8 Viper with an automatic, mds, targeting 28-30MPG, like the upcoming C7. Big dream or a possible way to spread the cost of building the Viper and maintaining CAAP? Has it not been discussed, a V8 "base" Viper costing 1000s less and selling much more?

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

I thought that was what the "Barracuda" would be, a smaller, D-Segment, RWD coupe, exclusive to SRT? A baby Viper could be, a V8 Viper with an automatic, mds, targeting 28-30MPG, like the upcoming C7. Big dream or a possible way to spread the cost of building the Viper and maintaining CAAP? Has it not been discussed, a V8 "base" Viper costing 1000s less and selling much more?

If the weight is low, drag is low, and the 392 is hooked up to the 8 speed automatic, maybe it could make it to 27 or 28 highway? I doubt it, but with the MDS and the 8 speed it might be possible considering the amount of weight in the Challenger and the MDS 5 speed making it possible to get 23.

 

[Erik Latranyi]

I'm not sure SRT should be considering a V-8. That would be a direct Corvette competitor with a very dedicated fan base.

It would be far better to do a 4 or 6 cylinder sports GT that blows everything else out of the water.

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

I'm not sure SRT should be considering a V-8. That would be a direct Corvette competitor with a very dedicated fan base.

It would be far better to do a 4 or 6 cylinder sports GT that blows everything else out of the water.

So run the SRT4 motor from the Dart and/or 3.0TT from Maserati/Ferrari as the SRT6? I like it, considering the Crossfire SRT6 was a competitor to the Corvette kinda and it didn't do so well. But if you would undercut the price enough maybe it could do well.

 

[dana44]

Well, if it is going to become a reality, there are way too many options and combinations for us to consider until more information is given, if it is in fact something in the makings. I think something from the past two decades becoming a reality would be a good choice, at least there is some insight as to how it was received in the past, and once a classic concept, always a classic concept, I say.

 

[tryphon]

Perhaps a variation on the AlfaRomeo 4C?

 

[SheltonBreeden]

I've been saying the same thing since the Barracuda rumor started.
They moved Viper upscale and left a huge gap between it and the other SRTs deliberately.
Barracuda will be where the next gen LC design language debuts before pushing down to the next gen Challenger. It's how they will soften the blow of de-retroing Challenger.

 

[Muther]

Put the DSRT4 or a TTv6 engine into the new Mazda-Alfa love child, re-skin it, and do an SRT makeover to the other mechanicals. HT and Cabrio. make it unique to SRT as is possible. No overlap, the Alfa and Mazdas are at other dealers, and the SRT would have performance well above those two anyway. You get to re-use a chassis/platform/architecture (whatever the hell it is, sorry Bob), and an engine.

Is the 4C the rear-mid-engine one? A rear-mid-engine SRT would be a very bad-asp car to drive, regardless of output numbers.

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

Put the DSRT4 or a TTv6 engine into the new Mazda-Alfa love child, re-skin it, and do an SRT makeover to the other mechanicals. HT and Cabrio. make it unique to SRT as is possible. No overlap, the Alfa and Mazdas are at other dealers, and the SRT would have performance well above those two anyway. You get to re-use a chassis/platform/architecture (whatever the hell it is, sorry Bob), and an engine.

Is the 4C the rear-mid-engine one? A rear-mid-engine SRT would be a very bad-asp car to drive, regardless of output numbers.

Hmmm. I wonder if they would be able to do an actual hard top version as in permanently affixed roof with the same tooling. Not just plop a hard top on when you aren't going to be using the convertible top for awhile, fully affixed roof. Would make a rather agressive and interesting follow up to the Demon concept and Crossfire sucessor. Or would that eat into Alfa 4C sales? I think it would, so they probably won't do that kind of power or size car with a roof, especially with Alfa being where they are right now and have been for how long.

 

[bumonbox]

Can they still use "Copper Head"?? or is it still copy written... *rolls eyes*

Copperhead is hands down my favorite smaller Sports car to this day. The Demon is my second. The Zeo never did much for me, The Razor was not bad but seem lumpy or something. Slingshot not bad, but no where near as good as the Demon or Copperhead IMO

 

[suzq044]

Did he not already refer to the SRT Dart as a baby Viper at some point?

 

[dana44]

In that case, wouldn't pitting it against the GT-R be the answer to that question?