Monday, December 24, 2012
“Going forward, of course, my dream is to continue making unique SRT products, something like a baby Viper or something like that.”
From there to actually believing that a baby Viper
is being considered is a long leap, but one that Hagon was willing to
make. While he admitted that “Gilles wouldn’t be drawn on the chances of
a baby Viper or how it would come to life,” Hagon speculated on how a smaller, more efficient Viper could help with fuel economy targets (though Viper’s
small production numbers are unlikely to harm Chrysler much), and
tossed out the Alfa Romeo 4C and next-generation Mazda MX-5 roadster
(which Alfa is working on) as possible platforms.
One could also speculate that the upcoming rear-wheel-drive mid-sized platform to be shared by Alfa Romeo and Dodge
would be a good potential chassis, but in all likelihood a true “baby
Viper” would require either its own custom designed chassis, or one
borrowed from Ferrari.
It is also quite possible that Gilles was making a throwaway remark
which has been thoroughly blown out of proportion. In past examples of
the “echo chamber” nature of some reporting communities, remarks or
speculation are picked up by other sources, and each time one or more
provisio is dropped, until it reaches the eyes of a high-circulation
print publication. Appearing in print — or on the web site of a print
publication — often gives the rumor a level of authenticity it does not
deserve, and since these publications usually do not credit “lesser”
sources, or condescendingly refer to “blogs,” the writers who originated
the story then gain confirmation. In the best case, the attention
convinces the manufacturer to actually create the rumored object.
(Thanks, Seth Johnson / whfrat)
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