Don’t expect the snake to “slither away,” says Dodge Division General Manager Ralph Gilles. Despite the failed attempt to sell the sport car brand – and the decision to take the Viper out of production, at the end of next year, Gilles promises the storied 2-seater will be back.
For the moment, production will continue through the coming model-year with the introduction of the latest, track-ready version, the 2010 Dodge Viper Viper SRT10, the automaker will formally announce at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. And another version, based on an Italian sports car design, seems likely to follow soon afterwards, Gilles, who also serves as Chrysler’s design director, hints.
A version of the Viper ACR just set a lap record at the challenging Laguna Seca raceway, on California’s Monterey Peninsula, tearing up the 2.238-mile track in just 1:33.915, about 1.1 seconds faster than the previous lap record.