Breaking: Dodge Viper Production to Continue

Despite announcing a while ago that the Dodge Viper was getting the axe, the Chrysler Group LLC just announced it has decided to reverse that earlier decision and will continue with production of the Viper. The Viper was scheduled to cease production in December 2009, but it appears that production of the V-10 powered monster will continue.

Here’s the key bit from the Chrysler news release: “[The] Chrysler Group is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper business assets.”

Here’s more from the announcement: (Read the full text of the release here.)

“The Dodge Viper has successfully 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. “

For 2009, the Dodge Viper SRT10 offers outrageous power, with an 8.4-liter, 600-horsepower (450 kW) V-10 engine contributing to blistering acceleration (0-60 mph in less than four seconds, 0-100-0 mph in the low 12-second range), setting an American sports car benchmark.

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

(Photo: Chrysler Group LLC)