Dodge is working on some upgrades in their performance line. The return of the Dodge Viper is expected to be spectacular — the Charger and Challenger models will certainly impress as well. Come 2018, Dodge might be one of the top names in American performance.

The Dodge Viper is Back

In case you missed it, the SRT Viper has been canned and the Dodge Viper is back in the lineup again. The SRT brand has been completely dissolved, actually. Now that Dodge is once again in charge of the super snake, it has announced that a major refresh is in the works and set to premier next year.

The Viper do-over part 2 comes just a few years after the SRT Viper was first delivered. These cars were plagued with quality issues and dismal sales. They really took a hit in the gut when the new Stingray started causing a major disruption with the new Corvette redesign.

What changes can we expect to see, exactly? It’s still unknown, but Dodge might choose to introduce an inexpensive model to capture a crowd of driver’s they’ve isolated since inception. They could also be looking for ways to tame the car’s reputation — or maybe they’ll even add a convertible option back into the lineup.

In an effort to move more Vipers on lots now, production has been scaled, then stopped completely over the past few months. Chrysler stopped making some variants like the TA track monster, the Anodized Carbon edition, and a limited TA/Carbon mix.

Watch for Betters Chargers and Challengers in 2018

These two have become Dodge’s most recognized models. They were recently heavily refreshed for 2015 with new interior and exterior upgrades. This was only a small redesigned compared to what’s coming for 2018.

Likewise with the Viper, details about the next generations of these models is sparse, for now. It’s natural to assume that they’ll both be put on a diet in the next-gen. It is known that the new Alfa rear-drive architecture won’t come into play here.

There’s also hints of a new performance model coming to the lineup, simply being called the “E-sedan” and “E-coupe” right now. I’ll just let your mind run wild with the possibilities of what those could be. Possibly a revised nameplate? A 2-door Charger? Who knows.

It’s also worth mentioning that 2017 will be a big year for the Dodge Durango. This model will be refreshed for release early that year, even though a retooled model was just launched last year.

Whatever Dodge has up their sleeves will almost certainly be worth the wait. While the current versions of these models are pretty cool, many think they have a lot of catching up to do. My guess is that they’ll follow the high output, lightweight build trends of their competitors.