If you’ve ever driven a Dodge Viper, you know this: as sports cars go, the Viper is more “blunt instrument” than “laser scalpel.” Driving one, particularly at speed, required confidence, good judgment and the ability to tolerate sidepipes that tried to roast you like a Thanksgiving turkey.

The old Viper is gone, and rumors are that the new one will pack an 8.7-liter V-10, up from 8.4-liters in the outgoing model. No horsepower figures have been suggested yet, but it’s likely the new engine will produce more than the last Viper’s 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque.

No matter how much grunt comes from the Viper’s V-10, this much is a given: unlike the old car, which got by without the aid of modern amenities like electronic stability control, the new car will be reined in by electro-nannies. You simply can’t build a 2012 model without electronic stability control, although we’re fairly certain that Dodge will allow drivers to defeat it for track day fun.

Dodge head Reid Bigland summed up the new Viper to Autoweek by saying, “I think it will still be a thrilling ride... but (will) offer a few more creature comforts. Those who were attracted to the Viper in the past will certainly be attracted to this new Viper. Guaranteed.”

While originally expected to debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, the 2013 Viper appears to need a bit more time at finishing school prior to its grand entrance. Bigland confirms that the car will debut in 2012, but admits it isn’t likely to appear in Detroit.

We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything, but you can follow our coverage on the 2013 Dodge Viper here.