It’s amazing what can happen in a week. As the automotive enthusiast community mourned the loss of the third-greatest American sports car, the Dodge Viper (behind Chevrolet’s perennial Corvette and Ford’s historically significant GT-40), our murmurs and emotional wounds were quickly salved with Chrysler Group and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, at last week’s Florida Chrysler Group dealer meeting, unveiled what would be nothing other than the 2012 Dodge Viper. Wait, what? The Viper is already back? In a death-and-resurrection worthy of soap opera and comic book urgency, the rematerialized Viper stepped into the limelight.
But in what form?
Marchionne’s own words speak volumes, “There are times when you are given the opportunity to give life to something which is so beautiful and unique, so just and equitable, that you pay a lot less attention to the numbers, to the financial reality that surrounds it. They happen rarely. In my case, only three times in more than 15 years as Chief Executive.”
“The last time it happened at Chrysler about a month ago.”
“It happened at the conclusion of a long series of dialogues that Ralph Gilles and I regularly have about design, about particular nameplates. We had been debating this particular nameplate for a long time, and every time I just could not get there. And then, one morning the product committee went into the dome and saw it, and we all knew we were in front of something magic, unique. It took less than five minutes for the committee to fund the initiative. Not a negative comment, not a remark, not a single question.”
“And so I leave you with this. The 17th car in the lineup, in select dealers in 2012. Thank you for coming, and god speed.”

Only 500 Alfa Romeo 8C Competiziones were built in 2008, and were priced at $300,000. Touting a Ferrari-built 4.7-liter V8, the 8C made 450hp and 350 ft-lbs of torque, topping off around 180 mph.
Rushing out of the conference center, people began to speculate on the new Viper’s platform, powertrain, and styling. It was Automotive News who first reported that those present reported the new Viper to appear very similar to the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione only with a “Dodge Viper-styled” front fascia. This, of course, sent diehard Mopar loyalists into a tailspin while the rest of the sports car enthusiast world nodded approvingly.
As for the powertrain, the rumors were just as frantic. Mopar go-to site, Allpar, quoted Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles stating that, “[the new Viper] would use expertise, materials, and technology (but not parts) from [Fiat-owned supercar builder] Ferrari to lighten the weight, with a V10 engine derived from the current 8.4L engine.” Gilles went on to state that the Viper “will always be V10 powered and that there might be a V8 powered sibling.”
Early reports speculated that the same 8.4-liter V10 could carry on, but with the inclusion of Fiat’s famed MultiAir technology to help reduce emissions and – more importantly – increase the Viper’s output to well over 700 horsepower. As Giles implied, an entry-level V8 option is a strong possibility, and predictions that Dodge will be tapping in Ferrari’s catalog of handling, steering and stability control system know-how is a strong likelihood.
British mega-show, “Top Gear” reviewed the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, and in typical “Top Gear” fashion, blasted it for not being a Ferrari, Lamborghini or Mercedes-Benz. The 8C was met with moderate reviews across the board despite borrowing from the Ferrari parts bin of leftovers. These reviews, of course, give Viper lovers pause as they fear a lackluster return for their favorite V10-powered sports car.
But there are some key ingredients to the 8C which make it spectacular. Take into account that the 8C is exceptionally lightweight – lighter than an Mitsubishi Evo – all in due to its broad use of carbon fiber. Consider that while fastening its V8 beneath the hood, the transmission is situated in the tail, greatly improving the sports car’s weight distribution. Moreover, with Fiat’s current deals with ZF transmissions, the 8C’s paddle-shifted auto-manual could now become an 8-speed in the Viper.
But Alfa’s 8C Competizione isn’t a dead duck. The 8C has been a favored platform for Euro-tuners for the past two years, creating limited-editions of the 8C for the rich and pompous to flaunt their duckets. Take for example, the TZ3 Corsa. Based on 8C running gear, the TZ3 is not only an Alfa tribute, it’s also a functioning race car specially-commissioned by German collector Martin Knapp and homologated to FIA GT2 spec.
Built first as a private commission and secondly as part of a wide-spread celebration of the Alfa Romeo’s 100th birthday, the TZ3 Corsa is exactly what the 8C longed to be, a lightweight, purpose-built road course machine. Touting the Ferrari-built 4.7-liter V8 producing well more than the factory-spec 450hp and 350 ft-lbs of torque, (which propelled the 8C at a max of around 180 mph, well short of the current ACR-X Viper), the TZ3 was built to exceed those numbers on all fronts.
While not a production version of the Alfa in question, the TZ3 is a far better example of the untapped potential found within 8C platform. Dimensionally smaller on all accounts than the current Viper platform, the 8C is a lighter, more nimble chassis which ought to assist the Viper in competing better on an international stage. The 8C Competizione shares key Viper characteristics (particularly with the GTS coupe) like the long hood, angular roofline and incorporated greenhouse.
Of course, the use of the 8C Competizione platform as the chassis of choice for the future Dodge Viper still remains unconfirmed. Yet, the logic of using Fiat’s massive resources in the way of top tier sports cars is undeniable. Dodge, which recently shed its Ram line in an effort to better focus on building exciting, performance-bred, youthful product, could only benefit from using all the tools that Fiat brings to the table. Again, as Dodge CEO Ralph Giles stated, the new Viper won’t directly use Ferrari’s products, but data and technology derived from the company’s long history of racing, thus ensuring that the new Viper will still be its own car.
But, until the day in which the new 2012 Viper concept is finally revealed, we’re left with sifting through rumor and opinion. Below is a fun digital rendering of what a Viper/8C marriage might look like, although we’re hoping for something a bit more sleek.