Dodge Viper to be revived in 2021 – report

The Dodge Viper went out of production nearly a year ago, but it's alleged that the company's front-engined supercar could be getting revived once again – according to a new report out of the US.

While official details are few and far between at this stage, Car and Driver says "trust us: A new Viper is happening".

The article claims Dodge currently lacks a halo car to go up against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford GT, and is working on a new iteration of its iconic nameplate, but will meddle a little bit with the formula.

According to the report, the new Viper will continue with a space frame and independent suspension front and rear, however, the new model will launch in a convertible, with a coupe "a few years" later.

To keep weight low, the American publication alleges the Viper will utilise aluminium and carbon-fibre heavily in its construction.

In another twist, it's believed the new halo model will downsize – yep, no more V10 – instead, it should launch with a naturally-aspirated aluminium block V8 with around 550 horsepower (410kW) – this engine is reportedly under development to replace the ageing Hemi family.

A year or two after the initial launch, Car and Driver claims a more powerful version will be launched, likely with a supercharged version of the same motor – which it also alleges could be the second-generation Hellcat engine – with 700hp+ (522kW+).

The new Viper should apparently be quite the track car, too, and offer a manual transmission despite numerous manufacturers moving towards dual-clutch automatics.

It's not all unicorns and rainbows, though: the previous Viper's factory in Conner Avenue facility in Detroit has been shuttered for good, so it's likely an external supplier will need to put the car together – likely lengthening the development period.

Additionally, the business case will need to stack up for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).

In terms of timing, next year's Detroit motor show will mark the 30th anniversary of the original Viper concept's debut – a fitting venue for the new model to make its debut.

Car and Driver argues the new performance car could be previewed in Detroit next year, but says it likely won't go on sale until later in 2020 as a 2021 model.

Pricing is estimated to be around the US$90,000 ($118,993) mark, thanks to the use of an existing engine from the FCA line-up as opposed to the bespoke V10 used in previous iterations.

For now, however, that's all talk. We'll wait and see if the rumours are true over the coming year. Stay tuned.

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