Unlike the previous generations of Viper, the 2013 SRT Viper debuted as a hardtop instead of a convertible. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a drop-top version at some point.

In an interview with WardsAuto, SRT boss man Ralph Gilles declared that an SRT Viper convertible would indeed be coming; though he didn’t give an exact time frame, he did say it would be less than the four years it took the previous-generation Viper to add a second model. Going topless shouldn’t be a problem for the new Viper, either. “The car was designed to be a convertible,” Gilles says. “Under the skin is a convertible chassis. It’s already there – the stiffness is there. It’s extremely easy should that come, but we’re not in any rush.”

So why’d SRT and Chrysler decide to break with tradition and launch the 2013 Viper as a coupe instead of a roadster? Well, for one thing, it made the car’s immediate entry into American Le Mans Series racing a lot easier. For another, when the last-generation Viper ended production in 2010, the plant was making 60 percent coupes and 40 percent convertibles, so it made better business sense. Plus, hey, we like coupes more, and we’re sure the opinion of 0-60 was a big part of their decision-making process. [via WardsAuto]