It's funny how closed cars often look sexier than their open counterparts. Think split-window Corvette Sting Ray or Jaguar E-type. Or look at the current Jaguar XK8, Nissan 350Z, and Porsche 911. Or behold the Viper GTS coupe compared with the original Viper RT/10 or the brand-new Viper SRT10 coupe alongside an SRT10 roadster. The Viper hardtops just look more striking and more purposeful than their roadster siblings.
Yet a coupe version of the second-generation Viper wasn't always a given. Trevor Creed, senior vice president for design at DaimlerChrysler, says that a coupe was needed last time around because "the roadster had this ridiculous little black toupee on top-sometimes. And sometimes it flew off. The thinking this time was, if we are going to do a proper convertible top, perhaps we don't need to do a coupe."
In its first full year, the Viper SRT10 did really well, selling 1818 units. But since then, Vipers have been enjoying extended stays on dealer lots, with a full 200-day supply on hand as of November 1 last year. Dan Knott, director of Street and Racing Technology (SRT) at the Chrysler Group, acknowledges that Viper sales have slowed: "The day supply is higher than we would like, but roadster sales are seasonal and fluctuate as you get longer into the life cycle.... Read full article