DODGE VIPER LIVES ON

Category: Chronicle Archives Published on Monday, 03 August 2009 20:00 Written by Michigan Chronicle

Diehard American muscle car fans are still raving over news that the Chrysler Group has nixed previous plans to stop building the Dodge Viper.

Originally slated to cease production in December 2009, the Chrysler Group Conner Avenue Assembly Plant — the exclusive home of Dodge Viper production since 1995 — will continue to build the V-10 powered sports car.

The Chrysler Group reported that it is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper business assets.

“The Dodge Viper has captured the hearts and imagination of performance enthusiasts around the globe,” said Mike Accavitti, president and chief executive officer, Dodge brand. “We’re extremely proud that the ultimate American-built sports car with its world class performance will live on as the iconic image leader for the Dodge brand.”

Introduced as a concept car in 1989 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Dodge Viper was designed and engineered to test public reaction to the concept of a back-to-basics, high-performance, limited production sports car.

The reaction was so overwhelming that customer orders began to flow in even before the auto show was over. Chrysler Corporation immediately decided to determine the production feasibility on transforming the crowd-pleasing Dodge Viper show car into a limited-production sports car in no more than three years.

In May 1990, after months of intensive study and testing, Chrysler Corporation announced that the Dodge Viper, powered by an aluminum system V-10 was a go.

Dodge Viper production began in May 1992 at the New Mack Assembly Plant and was moved to Conner Avenue in October 1995. Viper V-10 engine production transferred from Mound Road Engine to Conner Avenue Assembly in May 2001. In 2008, Dodge introduced the all-new, fourth generation Dodge Viper SRT10. With more horsepower, more torque and more than 30 exterior and interior color combinations, the latest Viper gives enthusiasts the performance they expect on the track and off, with more factory customization options than before.

For 2009, the Dodge Viper SRT10 features an 8.4-liter, 600-horsepower V-10 engine, a 0-60 mph time of less than four seconds, and a 0-100-0 mph in the low 12-second range.

To date, more than 25,000 Dodge Vipers have been built.