As an owner of two neons that have gotten me through snowstorms and just won’t quit after driving them hard for years with the occasional unintended off road adventures, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You one of those trolls?

Adaptive cruise control radar. 

I own an SRT4 and the FoST is the closest modern representation of the SRT4, but more comfortable and with more interior space. I definitely encourage you to test drive one, you’ll love it!

Agreed!

I commute. Commuting with an auto sucks. No autos for me. Sorry.

If your problem with manuals is bumper-to-bumper traffic, you either need a new strategy for driving in traffic and/or need to stop skipping leg day.

I can second this. I bought mine 3 years ago completely stock with 24k miles on the clock because it was a unicorn. It is now a gutted track car who only likes it HARD.

I learned these were cool when I had a hard time pulling on one in my SRT4.

Funny, I don’t like Mercedes! We’re like opposites!

Came here to say this. Either these auto journalists can’t read, or they’ll do anything for views.

I feel sorry for anyone who’s in the social class the deems WRX’s “socially unacceptable”. What a bunch of clowns.

*275

I agree on convertibles not being ideal, but reading your rant on your white-people problems is annoying.

Your description of building the Viper around the V10 reminded me of the A10 Warthog: “here’s a big gun, let’s build a plane around it.” Strangely enough, the Viper is my favorite car and the A10 is my favorite plane... I may have a thing for vehicles designed around one large component...

The V10 is actually quite compact. It’s a few inches longer than the Hemi, but a lot narrower and not as tall.

So make a new Viper, but taking everything away that made the Viper infamous? I agree with OversteerMyBagel, do whatever you want, but do not call it a Viper. The Viper is, and should always be a raw, unadulterated, killing machine that rewards good drivers, and punishes idiots.

6.4L won’t fit, too big. Exhaust interferes with the frame rails, which would have required extensive rework, increasing costs. The idea of having a Copperhead (V8 Viper, different fascia/name), with the addition of an automatic trans and convertible options would have been a great business case if not much rework…

Correct, the 8HP90 is far too big for the tunnel and would have required a new chassis to fit it according to the Viper Chassis folk I talked to who ran a study on it. The lack of an automatic and a convertible really hurt the Viper’s chances. If you look at Vette sales, a majority are automatics and/or convertibles.

The Viper may not look $20k more expensive, but it is more exclusive. Corvettes are so common, no one even notices them anymore. However, every time a Viper passes by, you see people rubber necking. The Viper is significantly more exotic than the Vette.

Aside from performance upgrades, I’ve only spent money on tires and oil changes to keep my neon on the road for the past three years. This includes the fact that it has been autocrossed and tracked numerous times... Neon is love, neon is life.

Nah.