Dodge Copperhead

Dodge Copperhead

Manufacturer	Dodge
Parent company	Chrysler
Production	1997
Class	sports car
Body style(s)	roadster
Manuals	Service Manual

The Dodge Copperhead, also known as the Dodge Concept Car and Dodge Concept Vehicle, was a concept car created by Dodge, and was intended to be a version of the Dodge Viper for people who couldn't afford the Viper's $75,000 USD price tag. The Dodge Copperhead is one of the most well-known concept cars of all time.

Overview

The Dodge Copperhead was unveiled in 1998 to great avail. Many were impressed with its aerodynamic, yet rugged styling and the fact that its production price tag would be about $30,000 USD ($45,000 less than the Viper). The Copperhead, unlike the Viper, was made more for handling and driving pleasure, while the Viper was made more for raw power. The Copperhead had excellent handling due to its low, wide stance. Dodge engineered the Copperhead to make the driver feel the road and the pavement, and this was done by stretching the wheels to the end of the frame, adding 5" of ground clearance and a stiff suspension, making this car marketed more towards enthusiasts.

Name controversy

After the unveiling of the Copperhead, Dodge got complaints from another company that had the copyrights to the Copperhead name, and as a result, Dodge could not use it. To avoid lawsuits, DaimlerChrysler unoffically renamed the car, with it being referred to as the 'Concept Vehicle' instead of 'Copperhead' in modern press kits, and on scale toys and merchandise. This makes press kits or items with the Copperhead name collectibles. The Copperhead's name controversy is accredited as the most likely reason why the car never reached the production line.

Production?

Despite the fact that the Copperhead never went into production as itself due to the name controversy, many fans believe that it went in production as the 2003 Dodge Viper, because of the convertible's uncanny resemblance to the Copperhead. There is also a rumor that the Copperhead (with a little bit of the Dodge Razor mixed in) will go into production as the Dodge Scooter, but DaimlerChrysler hasn't confirmed this.

In popular culture

The Copperhead is a very well-known concept car, and has appeared all over the market. Toy car makers like Hot Wheels, Maisto, and Matchbox, among others, have created scale toys and models of the Copperhead. The Copperhead can also be found on just about any calendar or media relating to concept cars.

When the Copperhead appeared in Gran Turismo and its follow ups, Dodge were unable to use its name, they settled by calling it the Concept Car

External links

• Brief overview
• Specifications
• Picture gallery
• Concept Car Central page