The 25-year production run of America’s premier supercar, the Dodge Viper, ended when the last unit rolled off the assembly line at the iconic Conner Avenue Assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, on August 31, 2017, following its shutdown by then-Fiat Chrysler. Automobiles (FCA).
In its lifetime, the Dodge Viper was a testament to the limits of what a manufacturer offers for sale. Since a car was originally sold without windows, door locks, air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, or roof, it provided an option for those who found the Corvette a little too boring.
The Viper was a worthy, rebellious competitor to overseas rivals, but respect for the renegade waned over the years. True to his nature, he fought to the production grave screaming “no replacement for displacement” like a manual-shift, rear-wheel drive, high-downforce street car at a bargain price.
Can you still buy a Dodge Viper?
Even though production ended almost five years ago, you can still buy a brand new Viper sledgehammer with the shocking performance of a V10. According to Jalopnik, the opportunity is mainly due to Gerry Wood Dodge in Salisbury, North Carolina, who bought 135 units in 2017 so the Viper would see the production line.
Edmunds shows Vipers justify just over $133,000 in retail. However, a used quote on Autotrader reaches the half-million dollar mark.
Stellantis reported a Viper sale in June 2022
Aside from the high used market prices, new units are still being sold. According to the sales figures of Stellantis Q2 2022, the company even shifted one Viper in June.
Cars sold years after their production are known in the industry as “zombie cars,” and it’s not as uncommon as you might think. For example, Stellantis reported that four new Vipers have been sold in 2021.
It’s unclear which model Viper sold in June 2022 or who had the monstrosity to throw for one. It could have been one of five special edition Vipers that rounded out the last model year.
Performance Specifications and Special Editions of the 2017 Dodge Viper
The Viper has come a long way since its austere but lively beginnings. While the first generation RT/10 was Chrysler’s Bob Lutz and Tom Gale’s modern image of a Cobra. The fifth-generation VX became more refined in its fusion of muscle car and exotic thoroughbred, becoming America’s example of the fastest road-legal track car imaginable.
With its muscularity shaped by aerodynamics, the 2017 Dodge Viper is one of the last representations of analog supercar performance. What started with a Lamborghini-built Chrysler LA V8-inspired 8.0-liter V10 was bumped up over the years to 8.4 liters, resulting in a heart-wrenching, naturally aspirated 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. . to its 6,200 RPM red line.
With fully adjustable Bilstein dampers, much of the handling setup is left to the drivers. With a power-to-weight ratio of 425 hp per tonne, the Viper ACR had 13 track records, more than any production car in the world at the time.
According to Engine Authoritythe 2017 Dodge Viper was available in the following models and special editions:
- Viper SRT
- Viper GTC
- Viper GTS
- Viper ACR
- Viper 1:28 Edition ACR
- Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR
- Viper Snakeskin Edition GTC
- Viper Snakeskin Edition ACR
- Viper Voodoo II Edition ACR
- Viper Dodge Dealer Edition ACR
What killed the Dodge Viper?
The Dodge Viper stirred the souls of car enthusiasts when the concept was released at the North American International Auto Show in 1989. It even caused a stir before the 1991 Indy 500, when the United Auto Workers Union caused enough of a stir for its quick replacement, a RT/10 piloted by Carroll Shelby.
The union was angry that the Japanese-built Dodge Stealth was chosen as the pace car. After the Indy debut, orders went through the roof. Until now, the team has focused on pumping out undeniably dull “Kei” cars, and minivans have rejoiced in designing and building an action thriller on wheels.
No more than 1,000 Vipers sold per year after 2008 shows Carsalesbase.com. When sales plummeted and the company released the best-performing model in the fifth-generation VX, it wasn’t the well-publicized poor sales that made it out in the Mopar supercar. Future safety requirements played an essential role. According to AllPar, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) #266 required all new cars to have side curtain airbags to reduce ejection, which the Viper’s architecture did not support.
Either way, the Viper’s ergonomically sleek cockpit, lack of plush interior and impracticality could be why buyers haven’t stormed FCA in Auburn Hills to demand a new design for the longevity of the Viper. Plus, in a country where “fast” isn’t measured in corners, but from stoplight to stoplight, the Charger and Challenger’s retro manifestations with curb-rattling V8s and functional rear seats have proven to be a much better money-maker for the company. .
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