Chrysler couldn't sell Viper assets so it planned to kill the sport car but then reversed itself.
In an attempt to wring out some final sales from the old Viper, Dodge is building a limited production run of 50 2010 Viper SRT10 “Final Edition” models.
They will be part of 500 2010 model year Viper coupe and roadster models, which went into production two weeks ago in Detroit at the Connor Avenue Assembly Plant, where they have been built since 1995.
A limited number of ACRX – or racing – models are also in the mix. After 2010, there will be about a one-year hiatus in Viper production as Chrysler readies an update of the sports car with help from Fiat, which also owns Ferrari.
In a bankruptcy court filing back in May Chrysler Group LLC said there was no taker for the sale of the Viper sports car, its V10 engine, the intellectual property rights and its entire Conner Avenue plant for only $10 million. It then listed Viper as an asset to be disposed of by the old company. Apparently, a bid of some $5 million did not have financing behind it. Ultimately, the company changed its mind and decided to keep Viper as a brand when it emerged from bankruptcy last summer.
Available in Coupe, Roadster and American Club Racer versions, each Final Edition Viper exterior features a Graphite Clear Coat body with a painted black center stripe traced in red. Viper Coupe and ACR Final Edition models include a black windshield surround. All Final Edition models carry unique side sill badges.
Inside, a black interior has red accent stitching, red painted edges on the gauge cluster and bright stainless steel screws in the center stack bezel. A numbered dash plaque will be placed on the shifter bezel. There are also Viper Final Edition floor mats.
All Viper Final Edition Coupe and Roadster models have six-spoke wheels painted in Anthracite, while ACR models will come with five-spoke Sidewinder wheels in black. Pricing has not yet been released. Current 2010 models range from $86,140 to $86,890.
The 2010 Viper SRT10 is powered by the what was originally a truck engine, an 8.4 liter V10.
An 8.4-liter V10 engine, as always, powers the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10. With 600 (450 kW) horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. (760 Nm) of torque, performance numbers include 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds, quarter-mile times in the mid 11-second range, 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph – all street legal or, more precisely, legally licensed to be driven on the street. How you retain your license is your responsibility.
This build of 50 Final Edition 2010 Dodge Vipers includes all three model configurations for the first time – 20 Coupes, 18 Roadsters and 12 ACRs. In 2002, a total of 360 Viper Final Edition Coupes (326) and ACRs (34) were built with Viper Red Clear Coat exterior and white stripes.
Production of the 2010 Dodge Viper Final Edition models is scheduled to begin in early summer.