Fiat Chrysler to end Dodge Viper production in 2017?

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Although officially unconfirmed, it will be a sad, sad day for fans of the legendary beast of a car that is the Dodge ViperFiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) could be looking to pull the plug on production of the Viper as early as 2017, according to details highlighted in a new contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.

Automotive News has reported that FCA’s US$5.3 billion product plan states that no replacement vehicle for the iconic Viper has been lined-up following the model’s final year of production in 2017. Furthermore, the contract also highlights the potential closing of FCA’s Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit – said facility is where the Dodge Viper has been built since 1995.

While the Dodge Viper itself has been a motoring icon since its birth, sales figures for the car have painted a more grim picture, especially over the last few years. The car itself was terminated in 2010 when Dodge revealed a send-off variant of the Viper but was resuscitated in 2013.

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Since then, sales of the Dodge Viper have been relatively disappointing. All in all, only a total of 760 units were sold in 2014. Up to September this year, Dodge has only been able to move a total of 503 units. Earlier this year, the 2015 Dodge Viper was revealed with additional handling-enhancement upgrades as well as several key features to boost comfort levels.

Under the bonnet, the Viper is powered by a naturally-aspirated 8.4 litre V10 engine with 645 hp and 867 Nm of torque. All that grunt gets channelled to the rear wheels via a Tremec six-speed manual transmission. Elsewhere, all Vipers are equipped as standard with Brembo brakes, HID xenon lights with LED daytime running lights and an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment platform with a Harman Kardon sound system.

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Gregory Sze

An “actor” by training, Gregory Sze realised that he has had enough of drama in his life. Following his number one passion (acting was actually number two), he decided to make the jump into the realm of automotive journalism. He appreciates the simple things in life – a simple car with nothing but back-to-basics mechanical engineering and minimal electronics on board.

 

Comments

  • flipper2uman (Member) on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:51 pm

    Another American Icon bites the dust. This is indeed sad

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
    • Syukurlah kita di Malaysia ada Proton. Lagi power daripada junk Viper ini. Syukur !

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 15
 

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