viper-mode: "r <Return>" does not work as expected

[Olaf Dietrich]

I tried this in all viper-mode levels (GNU Emacs 21.4.1, i386 Linux):

Inserting a new line break in an existing line by "r <Return>"
(more exactly: replacing the current character by a newline)
does not work; instead, '^M' appears as replacement text.

(The alternative "r C-j" _does_ work, but is not what my fingers
are used to do in vi.)

Is it possible to make "r <Return>" work as well? Is this a known
limitation or bug? (Well, yes, it is known, I found the post

  From: eesti@corp.earthlink.net
  Subject: Emacs VIPER mode: RETURN shows up as ^M after replace
  Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help
  Message-ID: <%NFK8.379$se.11@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net>
  Date: Mon, 03 Jun 2002 08:29:47 GMT

but I haven't found any suggestions how to change this behavior.)

Thanks in advance,
Olaf