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Dodge Viper production to end in 2017 with five heritage editions

American car maker Dodge has confirmed it will stop producing its Viper supercar in a year’s time, also celebrating the nameplate’s 25th anniversary. To commemorate the final year of the ‘snake’ and its 25th anniversary, the company has revealed five special editions that also pay tribute to some of the Viper’s most iconic offerings of years past.


Since the first Viper launched in 1992, Dodge has built around 30,000 units of the V10-powered supercar at its Mack Avenue (1992-1994) and Corner Avenue (1995-current) assembly plants in Detroit.

After reports that Dodge would cease production of the iconic supercar surfaced last year, the company has now confirmed that no Vipers will be manufactured beyond 2017.

The current '2017' Dodge Viper is hand-built at the Corner Avenue facility, powered by an all-aluminium 8.4-litre V10 petrol engine that produces 645 horsepower (481kW) and 813Nm of torque - which Dodge claims is the most torque of any naturally-aspirated sports car engine in the world.

Each of the five special editions commemorate an iconic Viper variant of the past, also featuring a serialised instrument panel badge with the vehicle’s model name that can also be customised with the owner’s name. Orders for the limited-edition Vipers commence June 24.

Viper 1:28 Edition ACR


Above: 2010 Dodge Viper ACR 1:33 Edition

Paying tribute to the 1:28.65 Laguna Seca lap record set by a 2016 Dodge Viper ACR piloted by champion driver Randy Pobst, the 1:28 Edition will be limited to 28 units.

The car’s red-striped black livery gives a nod to the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR 1:33 Edition, which celebrated the previous 2009 record (1:33.915) set at the California race track in a Viper ACR.

Other features of the Viper 1:28 Edition ACR include carbon-ceramic brakes, ACR interior with contrasting red stitching, and a matching custom car cover that showcases the customer’s name above the driver’s-side door.

Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR


Above: 1998 Dodge Viper GTS-R Championship Edition

Inspired by one of the most iconic Viper looks of all time, the Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition pays tribute to the white and blue 1998 GTS-R Championship Edition - which celebrated the Viper’s 1997 FIA GT2 Championship win.

Limited to 100 units, the modern interpretation of the pearl white-with-blue stripes Viper features include carbon ceramic brakes, exterior carbon package, GTS-R exterior sill decals, USA flag decals on the B-pillars, ACR interior with contrasting red stitching, red seat belts along with the matching car cover with the customer’s name printed above the driver’s-side door.

The original GTS-R Championship Edition was also limited to 100 vehicles back in 1998.

Viper VoooDoo II Edition ACR

Above: 2010 Dodge Viper Voodoo Edition ACR

2017 Dodge Viper VooDoo II Edition ACR revives the black and graphite colour scheme of the original 2010 Viper Voodoo special.

The Voodoo II Viper is also limited to just 31 units, and features a black exterior with graphite ACR driver’s stripe - that features a red outline - ACR interior with contrasting silver stitching, carbon-ceramic brakes, Voodoo II exterior sill decals, and the matching car cover imprinted with the owner’s name.

Viper Snakeskin Edition GTC


Above: 2010 Dodge Viper Snakeskin ACR

Finished in an eye-catching Snakeskin Green that adorned the original 2010 Dodge Viper Snakeskin ACR, this special edition is limited to 25 units.

Adding to the ‘Snakeskin’ theme is a custom snakeskin-patterned SRT stripe, GT black interior, serialised Snakeskin instrument panel badge and a matching car cover imprinted with the owner’s name.

The new 2017 Snakeskin Viper is even more exclusive than the original Snakeskin ACR, which was limited to 31 vehicles.

Dodge Dealer Edition ACR (not pictured)

The fifth and final limited-edition Viper gives a nod to Dodge’s nest performing Viper dealers - Tomball Dodge of Tomball, Texas, and Roanoke Dodge of Roanoke, Illinois.

Finished in white with a blue center stripe and red driver stripe, the Dealer Edition ACR Viper features carbon-ceramic brakes, ACR interior with contrasting red stitching along with the serialised instrument panel badge and matching car cover printed with the owner’s name.

Only 33 units of the Dealer Edition will be produced for the final 2017 model-year.

1 of 1 Viper customisation program

If the limited-editions aren’t exclusive enough, buyers of the Viper can choose to specify their Viper through Dodge’s ‘1 of 1’ customisation program, which was already available prior to the 2017 model-year.

The program allows customers to choose from 16,000 exterior colour options - including matte exterior finishes - 24,000 custom stripe colours, 11 wheel options, 16 interior trim choices, seven aero packages, three brake packages and four suspension options.

More than 50 million combinations are available through the customisation program, allowing customers to create a truly one-of-a-kind Viper.

Each ‘1 of 1’ Viper comes with a personalised instrument panel badge with the customer’s chosen name. Additionally, no two customers can order the same configuration, including colour, in the same model year.

Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger cars for Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and Fiat in North America, said: “The Dodge Viper has had a great run, and 25 years after it was first introduced, it leaves the supercar world reaching for records it continues to set”.

“With more track records than any production car in the world, the Dodge Viper ACR will live on as the fastest street-legal Viper track car ever, [a] car that has set the benchmark for all that follow in its tracks.”

A specific date has not been set for the end of Viper production at its Conner Avenue plant, however, considering the June 24 start date for the orders of 2017 model-year special editions, it would be a safe assumption that the last Vipers will roll off the production line around this time next year.

This isn’t the first time the Viper has stopped slithering, however. Back in 2010, production of the supercar ended when the company filed for bankruptcy protection - which saw the brand pass from the hands of a private equity firm over to Fiat.

Once under Italian control, Chrysler commenced production of the current-generation Viper back in 2013, however it seems slow sales may have contributed to the nameplate’s demise - with US sales totalling 591 and 760 units in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

By comparison, the company sold 2103 Vipers across the United States in 2003.

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