Snake-Bit; Will the world warm to a new Viper?(DaimlerChrysler's to debut new Viper in 2003)

It's the most iconic American car of its era, arguably the only car made in Detroit since the dark days of the 1970s that's worth veneration. But it's been more than 10 years since the first production model was hatched, and the Viper is now the oldest product in the Mopar lineup. If it were any other car, a complete redesign would be long overdue.

The Viper is myth in aluminum, composite and steel. We've heard the tale of its genesis so many times the story has become folklore akin to that of the Pontiac GTO or even the Shelby Cobra. Ask yourself what Bob Lutz would be doing today if this car had never come to be. Consider this: Would the Germans have so grossly ...