With the Newly-Announced 'Copperhead,' Is Dodge Laying The Groundwork For Their GT Return?
For those of you paying close enough attention to how the grounds of the automotive world are shifting back towards the appreciation for internal combustion engines, what Dodge just announced should absolutely get you excited for the future.
Revealed to reporters and media outlets at their state of affairs event in Detroit on Friday, parent company Stellantis laid out their expansive and radical five-year roadmap to fixing all of their current issues with the multitude of brands under their umbrella with a very clear, concise message at the forefront - build cars that people actually want to buy.
What Dodge did not do was dive even deeper into an all-electric future, nor did they announce something timid, safe or conventional. What Dodge stated loudly and proudly is that they're returning to their performance roots in a big way in pulling off a complete 180 in their vision and new production goals. With a clear focus on restoring their brand heritage that was present for so many years, a re-embracing of V8 engines, high-performance muscle cars, and even a potential challenger (pun intended) to the likes of Ford and Chevy in the high-end American sportscar division is coming.
Dozens of racing and car media outlets were present at the event, and although photos and video were not available to take, descriptions of what these outlets saw was fair game. Among the revelations from Dodge - a revitalization of the SRT subbrand, a redesigned and surely SRT-badged new Charger fully equipped with a high-rise rear wing straight out of the Richard Petty Superbird era...and the confirmation of a new halo sportscar born of spliced DNA between the old generation Viper and the aforementioned incoming new Challenger - labeled the 'Copperhead.'
The name itself is a callback to the original concept car originally unveiled nearly 30 years ago as a version of sportscar meant to sit right below the flagship Viper variant, and this new project is Dodge's reborn offering to get back in the supercar game with a seriously built-out V8 performance vehicle.
As head of North American brands Tim Kuniskis put it, the Copperhead is not a direct successor to the Viper, "but it is a snake."
The body is long and low, with a sleek and aggressive two-door shape. The hood isn't as lengthy as that of a Viper, however, and the hard points suggest that this range-topper is based on the Charger. Still, this is a far more extreme performance vehicle than the Charger. The front end is full of vents and grilles, with slim LED headlights nestled into the openings. A massive S-duct is carved into the hood, directing air through the front end and over the cabin. Behind the S-duct, a hood vent channels cool air to the engine, and there's a large bulge in the center of the hood. The hardcore aerodynamics continue down the side, where there's a massive vent for brake cooling just behind the front wheels. At the rear, there's a massive wing that reminds us of a shrunken version of the appendage that lived on the back of the Viper ACR. We also spotted exhaust tips, confirming gas power, and a cool snake logo that is definitely reminiscent of the Viper badge.
Even before an official reveal and any sort of announcement comes detailing what the car could actually be, the exciting and obvious questions begin to arise when thinking about how Dodge will choose to market this new high-performance machine to its ultimate arrival, with many guessing would come no sooner than 2029.
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| One of visuals media outlets were shown - what's that there bottom left?! |
Low, sleek, design. Aggressive aerodynamics. Hood vents and a huge S-duct. A massive rear-wing, exhaust tips and badging reminiscent of the legendary Viper brand? I mean come on - how can you not imagine what Dodge might also have in mind with a potential return to sportscar racing?
With the popularity and presence of motorsport continuing to elevate and ascend in these recent years, and with a clear foundational refocusing of who they are as a brand and as a company, could Dodge already be envisioning themselves as jumping back into the fray with a new contender ready to fight on racetracks yet again, this time against the Mustang GT3 or the Corvette Z06 GT3.R?
Now, before any of that could realistically happen, the substantial restructuring of Stellantis and in combination Dodge would have to yield positive, substantial returns. Before they could run they'd have to show that they can walk, and then they'd have to commit time, energy and resources to also creating a GT-homologated variant of this incoming New Copperhead.
The first part of any racing puzzle has always been and always will be - does the road car even exist? If the production vehicle doesn't exist, there's no path to making into a GT car. The Viper has been out of production for nearly a decade, Now, we know there is a new high performance sportscar being developed by a brand reinviting themselves by going back to basics and focusing on what they're good at - insane amounts of horsepower and brutal, punishing performance.
Now, we sit and wait for more news to come regarding the project. You already know what we're hoping for.
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