Report: Dodge Viper Will Come To An End in 2017

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, Dodge will end production of its supercar Viper in 2017 when the current generation has finished its run, Allpar reported.

(OK, so the Viper wasn’t exactly perfect.)

The website reported that United Auto Workers proposed contract with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles doesn’t include a product at the Viper’s Conner Avenue plant when Viper finishes in 2017. Viper has languished since its introduction in 2013, suffering from a high price and increased competition from the Chevrolet Corvette. Last year, Dodge sold 760 coupes, which was the best year for the current generation so far, but far from the nameplate’s zenith in 2003 when it sold 2,103 examples.

This year, Dodge rolled out the Viper ACR, a track-focused version of the Viper, to spur further sales of the highly specialized V-10 supercar. ( Read Jack Baruth’s excellent review here.)

But the Viper never overcame the significant blow of Chevrolet’s C7 Corvette. At roughly the same time as the ACR, FCA rolled out the Charger and Challenger Hellcat models, of which sales have exploded. Production on Viper halted for two months for the company to sell what cars it had on lots.

The Viper was discontinued once before, for three years, and became somewhat of a football for FCA executives during negotiations to either keep shelved or sell to another specialized automaker.

It seems with the Conner Avenue facility’s uncertain future, Viper’s future is equally in doubt.

A spokeswoman for FCA didn’t immediately comment on the report.


Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Raph Raph on Oct 14, 2015

    Great car but it was just killed by the vettes dollar/performance advantage not to mention the widowmaker image. I know,people in the blue oval camp want a vette competitor beyond the GT350 and R variant but I,think it would be folly just like the Viper. Better they are going for the high end market and had better hope GM doesn't come out with the mid-engine car everybody keeps talking about as the General will surely look to set the bar and undrcut the GT in price. Then again the Z06 with Z07 option is damn near running over the 918 with a decent driver at the wheel which says a lot about the front engine vette in any event.

    • Hubcap Hubcap on Oct 14, 2015

      Last I heard the GT will be priced around 400 large. If that pricing is correct or even somewhere in the neighborhood, I'm pretty sure that whatever GM builds, won't come in nearly that high.

  • JEFFSHADOW JEFFSHADOW on Oct 14, 2015

    Our dealership has one Shelby Series 1 roadster with 64 miles on it. It looks better all the time and that Aurora V8 engine is so fine. I just believe that Carroll Shelby should have selected a better "Snake" name, like the Viper has. Maybe not Mongoose, but Anaconda comes to mind...The Series 1 was awarded to Karen McDougal, the Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1998. We delivered a non-engined version to the Playboy Mansion.

  • PentastarPride PentastarPride on Oct 15, 2015

    Will I miss the Viper? Not so much, though it's nice to have a supercar built right here in the good ol' USA. I am more saddened over the fact that the LH is no more...eleven years after the fact. Never had a chance to get RWD, never had the opportunity to get the 3.6L Pentastar V6, never had the potential to see how it would have evolved past the second generation. That's tough to get over.

  • Spartan Spartan on Oct 15, 2015

    Had they put the Hemi 6.4L V8 and lowered the price, it at least would have had a chance. What they really needed to do is the unthinkable, put the ZF 8AT with the Hemi 6.4L. Either way, I won't miss it. I'd rather have a Corvette anyway for what they're charging for it.

    • Danio3834 Danio3834 on Oct 16, 2015

      I logged in just to say this. If there was a wussier version with less power and an automatic, they'd sell a lot more. I'm glad that car doesn't exist, no matter what happens.

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