CARS.COM - The last model year of Dodge's fire-breathing Viper supercar as we know it today will be 2017. Dodge is sunsetting the 645-horsepower sports coupe with five special editions to commemorate 25 years of production.
Related: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Photo Gallery (20 Photos)
Like the fictional Hydra organization of the Marvel universe, cut off one of the Viper's heads and more shall take its place - five more in the Viper's case. The limited-edition quintet is a throwback to Viper's history, featuring commemorative paint schemes mirroring some of the most recognizable Vipers from motor sports and former special editions. That's right: The Viper is going out with special editions of its own prior special editions.
All limited editions wear unique door sill decals and have a serialized instrument panel, customer name above the door and car cover that matches the exterior paint. Let's run through what makes the five packages unique:
2017 Dodge Viper; Manufacturer image
Viper 1:28 Edition ACR (American Club Racer)
The ACR is the epitome of the Viper's street-legal racecar status with a massive wing and numerous aerodynamic enhancements holding it to the road at high speeds. The ACR set a number of single-lap records at various racetracks, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calif., where it took 1 minute and 28 seconds to lap. As many as 28 of the black-and-red ACR will be produced.
Viper GTS-R Commemorative Edition ACR
The GTS-R wears perhaps the most iconic Viper motorsports paint scheme of white with blue stripes, paying tribute to the winning Viper team that took home the 1997 FIA GT2 Championship. In 1998, Dodge produced 100 street-going versions called the Viper GTS-R GT2 Championship Edition, and there will be as many as 100 of the 2017 version produced as well.
Viper VoooDoo II Edition ACR
Sticking with the ACR base like the 1:28 and GTS-R, the VoooDoo II wears black exterior paint and a graphite metallic stripe with a red outline, mimicking the 2010 special edition of the same name. As many as 31 units are planned for production, matching the production number of the 2010 model.
Viper Snakeskin Edition GTC
Unlike the original Snakeskin edition that was an ACR, its rebirth for the Viper's 2017 death is as the tamer GTC (a customized GT) with signature bright green exterior and snakeskin-patterned stripe. As many as 25 will be produced; 31 of the original were made in 2010.
Commemorative dealer editions
Dodge's highest-volume Viper dealers get their own special editions, available exclusively through Tomball Dodge of Tomball, Texas, and Roanoke Dodge of Roanoke, Ill. The ACR models will be clad in red, white and blue with a white body, blue center stripe and red driver stripe. The automaker will produce as many as 33.
2017 Dodge Viper; Manufacturer image
Dodge wasn't commenting on why the Viper is being discontinued, but knocking $15,000 off its asking price for 2015 and sales each month numbering in the 10s haven't been good signs for the hand-built supercar and the small team in Detroit who assemble it. The Viper's quarter-century run has produced some 30,000 cars since 1992, and customers can order the final five special editions starting Friday.
Pricing for the 2017 Viper starts at $92,990 for the base SRT model and $123,890 for the ACR, including a $2,495 destination charge and $2,600 gas guzzler tax - so these special editions aren't coming cheap, as most of them are based on the ACR. Dodge provided four of the five special-edition Vipers' pricing and at the top of the list is the GTS-R at $145,340, followed by the 1:28 at $143,890, VoooDoo II at $141,190 and non-ACR-based Snakeskin GTC at $118,890.
Editor's note: This story was updated on June 22 to include pricing figures for the 2017 Viper and special editions.
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