The new Fiat Chrysler is bringing all its performance cars under the Dodge brand,putting Viper back where it started, Dodge chief Tim Kuniskis said Tuesday.
The sleek two-seater, priced to start at about $100,000, has long been one of Chrysler Group's crown jewels. But it hasn't sold well as part of the SRT performance division. Just 591 of the about Vipers went to buyers last year, according to Autodata.
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Dodge shook up the performance world when the car came out in 1992. Viper is known for its raw and in the earlier years, often untamed, power -- both around town and on the track.
The car is made largely of carbon fiber and aluminum and has an 8.4-liter, 10-cylinder engine that develops 640 horsepower. The Viper name is in its fifth generation, and the car is assembled at a special plant in Detroit.
Fiat Chrysler hopes the Dodge name will push performance-car sales to the floor. A turbocharged Dart is coming in 2016 and a performance version of a compact crossover, likely the next generation of the Journey, in 2017.'
Priddle reported from Auburn Hills and Woodyard from Los Angeles.
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