DODGE

Dodge is preparing a successor to the Viper

The Dodge Viper was one of the last completely unfiltered American sports cars. Its long nose, large V10 engine, brutal performance and very few compromises made it a legend, but production ended in 2017. Since then, Dodge has not had a real super sports model that would stand above everything else in its offer. Now that is changing, a successor is coming, but it will not be called Viper.

According to Stellantis' new plans, Dodge is preparing a sports top of the range under the Copperhead label (the name of a venomous snake from North America).

The name is not accidental. Dodge already used it in 1997 on the Copperhead concept, a car that was then conceived as a smaller and more affordable cousin of the Viper. That concept never reached serial production, but it remains an interesting piece of Dodge history. Apart from the "snake name", the new Copperhead should bear a badge similar to the Viper, but Dodge does not want to directly say that it is a successor to the Viper. As the American reports succinctly put it, "it's not a Viper, but it is a snake."

The car was shown to selected journalists during the presentation of Stellantis' FaSTLANe 2030 plan, but so far without official photos and technical data. Descriptions from those who saw it speak of a long, low and very aggressive coupe, most likely based on the platform of the new Charger. This means that the Copperhead is unlikely to be a completely independent supercar like the old Viper, but an extreme version of the familiar base.

The design is said to go far beyond the regular Charger. There are mentions of large air vents, an S-duct on the engine hood, a pronounced bulge at the front, additional openings behind the rear wheels for cooling the brakes and a massive rear spoiler. The exhaust tips are visible at the back, which is an important detail because it confirms that this is not an electric model. The powertrain has not been officially announced, but almost no one expects anything less than a V8 engine.

This fits well with the current turn of Dodge and Stellantis in North America. After a period in which much was placed on electric power, the company is once again strongly pushing gasoline and hybrid models with large engines. The return of the Hemi V8 engine in several programs and the introduction of the Ram Rumble Bee with powerful V8 versions clearly show that the American part of Stellantis does not want to abandon the classic muscle philosophy with SUS engines too quickly.

The arrival is not expected immediately. Since Stellantis's plan covers the period until 2030, the most realistic is that the Copperhead will arrive towards the end of the decade.

26 years...The Dodge Viper was, for about 26 years, one of the scariest cars on the road. From its slithery styling to its charismatic V10, there hasn’t quite been an American sports car like it before or since. But America has been without a Viper since 2017, and that’s depressing. Dodge seems to be suggesting something is going to change, as it just teased something that looks high performance coming in about 2030. This new car could also be more or less Dodge’s take on the Mazda MX-5 Miata formula. Or it could be a high performance muscle car like the Superbird. Let’s look at where Dodge’s most famed sports car came from and where it could be going.

Stellantis just announced one of the most ambitious turnaround plans we’ve seen in a while. The automaker says it’s going to spend $70 billion to turn the corner, and the plan involves launching 60 new models by 2030, nine of which will be priced under $40,000. If you, like me, have lost track of time, that’s just four years from now!

Stellantis really wants to breathe some life into the brands that have seemingly been abandoned. Chrysler, which currently has just one car, is set to have four by 2030. Ram is getting a compact pickup truck, a revival of the Dakota, a Ramcharger SUV, and even a second ProMaster van! Then there’s Dodge, which will be getting a GLH.

We always knew when Dodge said the Viper was going away for good that it would eventually return, but we weren’t sure exactly when. But recent leaks confirm it’s coming back soon and it won’t be some weird electric car or a hybrid. Instead, the Viper will be packing a V10 with a special V12 version supposedly in the works.

Plus, we all know automakers change a lot of things in the development process of a new model, so these details might not survive for the final product. But at least the Viper is returning to the Dodge lineup!

One thing that isn’t clear is when exactly the Viper will return. If it were coming for the 2026 model year we likely would’ve already seen something, so it’s going to be until at least 2027, possibly longer. Considering the last generation, the VX, bowed out in 2017, that’s a long hiatus from the market.

TK’s Garage, a popular YouTube channel that focuses on Mopars, claims to have insider info from Dodge executives. According to him, the Viper will be a mass-produced V10-powered sports car, possibly with the engine mid-ship like the C8 Corvette.

In other words, the Viper won’t be some super expensive, limited-run vehicle only the affluent can buy, only to sit in a some fancy garage alongside Ferraris and McLarens while the rest of us wish we could experience it.

But he says there will be a limited-edition Mamba version of the Viper which will come with a fire-breathing V12 engine.

YouTuber Butter Da Insider pointed out what many others have noticed in the Dodge Charger Daytona configurator. In the background, there’s what appears to be a Viper on a lift. That could mean anything, but people are hoping it’s just another clue about the snake’s return.

Butter has his own theories about what could come to pass with the new Viper. He believes there’s a chance it will be built on the Maserati MC20 platform, which would make sense since developing an all-new platform would be costly for Stellantis. That would support the mid-ship layout, which we have mixed feelings about.

The YouTuber also believes there’s a chance Dodge will use the thumping Hellephant supercharged V8 in the new Viper. We suppose that’s a possibility.

There are some who claim Stellantis will make the Viper a hybrid with a V6, inline-six, or V8 engine. We guess that could happen, but others claim the Mopar sports car would be more akin to the original Viper instead of being a creature of modernity.

We’re hopeful whatever Dodge is cooking up will be relatively affordable, fun, and will honor the Viper’s legacy.

Dodge Appears To Be Working On…Something...Sitting all by itself in the bottom left corner of the Stellantis Fastlane 2030 presentation is a new Dodge product. It’s shaped like a sports car, and Stellantis says that an SRT version is planned. However, this vehicle was never actually mentioned in the presentation. It doesn’t even have a name yet. What is this car?

One possibility is that Dodge is planning on making a sort of Viper-inspired affordable sports car. Back in early 2025, The Drive spoke with Dodge CEO Matt McAlear. When asked about the Viper, he said that it was “One of my favorite cars.”

Then, he brought up something fascinating when asked if there was a need for a halo car outside of the Charger. McAlear said that there is a market for an entry-level halo car and a flagship halo car. Things got only more exciting from there. From The Drive:

With that, McAlear introduced an entirely new element to the conversation—the prospect of an “entry-level halo.” So of course, we pressed. What would that even look like from Dodge?

“I don’t know what I’d compare it to,” he said. “I think there’s inspiration in seeing what some of the powersports companies have done. Not only the crazy side-by-sides, but the three-wheelers, the Slingshots, I think there’s something there.” “Everyone has so many hobbies these days, they want to spend their money on so many different things,” McAlear continued. “It’s tough to be all-in on one thing, put all my chips in one basket and say, ‘I gotta have that car.’ “It’s great for those who can afford it, but not all of us can or want to do that.”

“I think there’s some kind of entry-level, back to that sub-$30,000 mark,” he said. “I think there’s a market for people who just want to have that weekend car again, who would like a Viper, but don’t have that $100 or $120K. Something that doesn’t need all the safety features, doesn’t need the heated seats. Just a car.”

McAlear never confirmed development of a Viper or an affordable Viper-like car, but it was clear that he’d love to see something like it in the Dodge lineup. This wouldn’t even be the first time that Dodge has gone down this path.

Autonews