Dodge Viper Production to End in 2017 with 5 Special Models

Yesterday our friends at Allpar broke the news that 2017 would mark the end of production for the Dodge Viper and this morning, the Chrysler Group issued a press release officially confirming that the mighty Viper is indeed slithering off into extinction – or at least into another period of hibernation like the one that followed the 2010 model year. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise after the news that the Viper’s Connor Avenue production facility would be closing after 2017 coupled with plenty of insider information that suggested that there would be no 2018 Viper.

Even with the news of the plant closing and the insider information, some enthusiasts continued to reject the idea that the Dodge Viper was being discontinued once again, but today’s announcement makes it official. Fortunately, the automaker isn’t going to let the Viper disappear quietly, as they will offer up five limited edition packages to commemorate the historic life of America’s greatest supercar in its 25th and final year.

“The Dodge Viper has had a great run, and 25 years after it was first introduced, it leaves the supercar world reaching for the records it continues to set,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Cars, Dodge, SRT, Chrysler, and Fiat – FCA, North America. “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, the car that has set the benchmark for all that follows in its tracks.”

The 2017 Dodge Viper Special Edition Models
To bid a proper farewell to the Dodge Viper, the Chrysler Group has cooked up five limited edition packages that pay homage to significant achievements of the Viper over the past 25 years. These will be offered in addition to the “normal” Viper production run for 2017, which will include the base SRT, the GTS, the GT, the fully customizable GTC, the TA 2.0 and the American Club Racer (ACR).

Viper 1:28 Edition ACR
To celebrate the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR track record of Laguna Seca, Chrysler will offer 28 examples of the 2017 Viper 1:28 Edition ACR. Like the ACR that stormed around Laguna Seca in just a minute and 28 seconds, this supercar will have the Extreme Aero Package and Carbon Ceramic brakes, along with black exterior paint with red ACR stripes, 1:28 Edition badges inside and out, production ACR interior and a unique matching car cover with the owner’s name above the driver’s door.

Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR
To commemorate the success of the Viper racing program starting back in the 1990s, the company will offer 100 examples of the 2017 Dodge Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR. Unlike the GTS-R race cars, this limited edition package will be fully street legal yet fully track capable, including the Extreme Aero Package, the Carbon Ceramic brakes and the Exterior Carbon Package. Dodge then adds a pearl white exterior paint with Blue Pearl GTS stripes, American flags on the pillars, red seat belts, production ACR interior, a serialized dash plaque with the GTS-R logo and a matching car cover with the owner’s name over the driver’s door.

Viper VooDoo II Edition ACR
The 3rd limited package for the 2017 Dodge Viper isn’t based on a historic racing achievement – but rather one of the more popular special edition packages from the Viper’s past. The 2017 Dodge Viper VooDoo II Edition ACR is modeled after the 2010 Viper ACR VooDoo edition, with 31 examples slated for production. The new VooDoo II Viper will sport black exterior paint with a graphite driver’s stripe, the Extreme Aero Package, the Carbon Ceramic brakes, production ACR interior, unique exterior decals, a serialized dash plaque and another car cover with the owner’s name.

Viper Snakeskin Edition GTC
While this package is based on the 2010 Snakeskin Edition ACR, this is the only 2017 Viper limited edition package that is not built on the modern ACR. Instead, Dodge will build 25 examples of the 2017 Viper Snakeskin Edition on the GTC model, adding the Advanced Aerodynamics package, the production GT interior, a serialized dash plaque and a custom car cover – but the most significant aspect of this car is the exterior paint. The 2017 Viper Snakeskin Edition will feature Snakeskin Green exterior paint with a unique snakeskin patterned stripe package.

Dodge Dealer Edition ACR
Finally, the last limited edition package for the final year of the current Dodge Viper is the Dodge Dealer Edition ACR. This package is being offered specifically at the two leading Viper dealerships in the country - Tomball Dodge of Tomball, Texas, and Roanoke Dodge of Roanoke, Illinois – and production is limited to 33 units. The Dodge Dealer Edition ACR will feature Viper White exterior paint with a Competition Blue center stripe and an Adrenaline Red driver’s stripe, the Extreme Aero Package, the Carbon Ceramic brakes, the production ACR interior and a custom car cover with the owner’s name over the door.

Unfortunately, there is no mention of pricing for any of these 5 special edition 2017 Dodge Viper packages, but those Viper fans with deep pockets might want to start talking to their local dealership about purchasing one of these models as soon as possible. Even with the sluggish Viper sales of late, these limited edition versions of the final Dodge Viper are bound to sell out in a hurry.

For those wondering, the image at the top of this piece was the only image offered of the 2017 Viper special edition models, but should more images become available, we will feature them here on TorqueNews.com.