Viper Convertible

Make
Dodge
Segment
Compact

Last week there was a report going around that Chrysler may opt to kill off its Dodge brand in 2016 in an effort to consolidate models. Nothing's a done deal just yet but theoretically, Fiat and SRT could fairly easily take over for Dodge when it comes to attracting younger buyers. Although it only has one model so far, Chrysler's new SRT performance brand has just launched a new ad campaign that could have seemingly been used for Dodge.

Yes, the SRT Viper is quite expensive, but here's the thing: in this latest commercial, SRT is aiming squarely at younger buyers. Combined with the fact that an (affordable) SRT Barracuda is only a few years away, SRT's "Body and Soul" campaign could be just the start of an effort to softly kill Dodge.

Now, you could also interpret this video as sort of a promo for the Chrysler Group's return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans after 13 years where the Viper GTS-R will compete. Then again, the folks at SRT want us to know the "story behind the DNA of the brand and how these genes come to life when SRT vehicles are created." That sounds an awful lot like the way Chrysler once promoted Dodge as its youth-oriented affordable performance brand. But the question remains: Will new and less expensive upcoming models from SRT, combined with those from Fiat, effectively kill Dodge in the not so distant future? It's entirely possible.