Is The Dodge Viper Coming Back With A V8 Under The Bonnet?

According to a new report, the Viper is making a return for 2021, but it won't use a V10
Is The Dodge Viper Coming Back With A V8 Under The Bonnet?

You can’t help but love the Dodge Viper. Its recipe is simple, bonkers and effective: stick a huge naturally-aspirated V10 up front, send its power to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox and keep it light-ish. How can you argue with that?

However, not enough people made the transition from admiring to actually laying down their hard-earned for a Viper, and amid poor sales in 2017, Dodge pulled the plug. So the Viper is down, it seems, but not out: Car and Driver is reporting that the genre-blending coupe is making a comeback for 2021.

The format, to begin with at least, sounds quite familiar. It’ll utilise a spaceframe platform, and have a long bonnet with the engine mounted just behond the front axle. But there’s one rather large departure from the Viper norm: there may not be a V10.

The C&D report claims that Chrysler is cooking up an all-new V8 to replace the ancient iron-block Hemi engine. The publication is merely “guessing” that this V8 will be used as the Viper’s first powerplant, but that would make sense: it seems unlikely that the US firm would develop an all-new V10 just for this car.

We’re getting into pure speculation now, but the report reckons the starting point would be around 550bhp, with a supercharged 700bhp+ version - “essentially a second-gen Hellcat engine” joining later.

What do you think of the idea of a V8 Viper?

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Comments

Jakob

A V8 Viper! What a disgrace! That’s the same as Ford building a V6 Ford GT. Oh,wait…

05/25/2018 - 16:10 |
18 | 2
JenstheGTIfreak (pizza)

In reply to by Jakob

Or VAG making three-cylinder SUV’s! Oh, wait…

05/25/2018 - 18:24 |
6 | 0
Anonymous

V8’s are nice too
Sure it may not be the epic V10, but at least it isn’t a hybrid 4 cylinder

05/25/2018 - 16:33 |
20 | 0
Anonymous

Id would rob some character but id rather have a viper with v8 than no viper

05/25/2018 - 16:39 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

If they do that, they will go full German.

05/25/2018 - 17:05 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

Stick a Demon-V8 in it and everybody is happy apart from a couple of purists

05/25/2018 - 17:25 |
2 | 2
Ray Sloan

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Too tall, won’t fit

05/27/2018 - 21:41 |
0 | 0
Andrew3091

I new the Viper would come back. I’m kinda sad that it’s not a V10 but at least the Viper is making a return and I’m excited.

05/25/2018 - 17:25 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I’d prefer a V10 tbh although If the Viper returns I’ll be happy regardless

05/25/2018 - 18:07 |
2 | 2
Ray Sloan

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I’d rather have them keep the v10 but just make a 6-7 liters instead

05/28/2018 - 12:33 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

I’m disappointed that the V10 didn’t return but I’m also happy that the Viper is coming back as the sports car it was born to be.

05/25/2018 - 18:13 |
0 | 0
CasualG

It’s like only making mustangs with v6’s

05/25/2018 - 19:44 |
0 | 0

That happened in the early years of Mustang 2

05/26/2018 - 08:58 |
0 | 0
V-Tech and EcoBoost kicked in yo

A V8 Viper is called a Corvette.

05/25/2018 - 20:32 |
18 | 0

THANK YOU.

05/25/2018 - 21:01 |
0 | 0

Actually they called it Firepower. Why they didn’t actually build that is a mystery to me.

05/26/2018 - 00:25 |
2 | 0