10 Of The Coolest Special Edition Dodge Vipers Ever Built
The Dodge Viper may no longer be with us, but it lives on in the surprisingly vast range of special editions that were built during its nearly 25 years of production. Always sold in smaller numbers than contemporaries like the Chevrolet Corvette and the Shelby Mustang, the Viper was a supercar with exclusivity, which is something Detroit had never before seen. It was also offered one of the most raw and visceral driving experiences ever to grace a showroom, no matter the manufacturer.
Which ultra-rare versions of the Viper were our favorites? Here's a look at the 10 coolest special edition Dodge Vipers ever built.
1. 1998 Dodge Viper GT2 Championship Edition
The Viper wasn't just a phenomenon on the street, but it also found major success in road racing. In 1997 the race-only Viper GTS-R had swept up the FIA GT2 championship, making it a no-brainer for Chrysler to build the 1998 Dodge Viper GT2 Championship Edition coupe.
Finished in white with a double-blue stripe to match the Team Oreca car that had dominated the podium, and featuring a number of decals meant to evoke the race model (as well as a full set of five-point harnesses), only 100 examples of this car were built. The engine offered a 10 horsepower bump over the stock 450 (with an extra 10 lb-ft of torque also on offer), but far more interesting was the full aero package that came with the car.
The enormous wing and ground effects gave it a GT2 feel that inspired future special editions of the Viper, all the way to the end of its production.
2. 1999 Dodge Viper ACR
The similarities between the very first Viper ACR and the GT2 Championship Edition are not coincidence. Sensing an opportunity to milk its racing success a little while longer while also encouraging Viper owners to take their own vehicles to road courses across the country, Dodge created a package that borrowed elements from its on-track program and civilized them for street use.
The American Club Racer edition of the Viper included a full GTS-R suspension setup, BBS wheels, and the power bump from the GT2 model. It also stripped out 60 lbs of weight by removing unneeded gear like a stereo, air conditioning and fog lights (although you could add the compressor and the entertainment system back in as options, if desired). The big wing and exaggerated aero gear weren't included, but it was still a formidable version of the coupe that served as a strong basis for amateur racers to build on.
3. 2003 Dodge Viper Competition Coupe
What if those same drivers wanted to take the next step towards checkered flag glory? Enter the 2003 Dodge Viper Competition Coupe, which heralded the Gen III version of the car with a fire-breathing, track-only model intended to offer a full turn-key racing solution.
To say that the Competition Coupe was comprehensive is an understatement. Featuring a body built out of composite materials (including carbon fiber), 520 horsepower and 540 lb-ft of torque (decent upgrades over the street car), and a score of cooling improvements to go with its strengthened drivetrain, upgraded braking, a fire-suppression and a full roll cage, this Viper rolled out of the dealership on slicks and a fully-adjustable suspension system.
It also included an equally-configurable aero package with a massive front splitter to complement its rear splitter and towering wing.
4. 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR
After a long absence the ACR model returned for 2008. The Gen III version of the package was far more aggressive than the original, as it drew from the Competition Coupe in terms of appearance and downforce, but it made weight reduction (up to 40 lbs) a core attribute, while leaving the 600 horsepower version of the Viper's V10 untouched.
Suspension details are also an improvement over the standard car, with KW adjustable coilovers and stiffer springs and roll bars outfitted to the ACR. Don't look for harnesses inside the American Club Racer, but it did feature an integrated lap timer.
5. 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 Voodoo Edition
By 2010 the Viper's fate was looking grim, as Dodge had no concrete plans to bring out a replacement for the Gen IV. Already a low production year (with 500 models built), the Dodge Viper Voodoo Edition added to its significance with a less-than-20-example run.
The Voodoo Edition was basically a carbon copy of the car that Fiat-Chrysler's head of design Ralph Gilles parked in his own garage. That mean black paint, grey stripes with red piping, and a bunch of gear lifted from the ACR (including Brembo/StopTech brakes, carbon fiber aero, suspension upgrades, and a short shifter).
6. 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X
If your desire to commemorate the purported final year for Dodge's supercar tended more towards the extreme side of things, then the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X was the way to go. Like the Competition Coupe, this was a track-only edition of the Viper that gutted the interior (shaving off 120 lbs), installed a roll cage, and went whole-hog when it came to downforce. It also featured a 40 horsepower boost over the street legal car thanks to a revised exhaust system.
Dodge gave ACR-X buyers a place to play with their new fire-breathing toy in the form of the Viper Cup. Put together in partnership with the Viper Racing League, the 10-event race allowed the handful of ACR-X owners out there to complement their no doubt busy schedule of road racing. Less than 50 of these cars were built, and surprisingly came in at only $10,000 over the cost of the original Competition Coupe (and just a $2k boost over the price of the road-going ACR).
7. 2014-2017 Dodge SRT Viper TA 1.0 / 2.0
By 2013 the Viper was back, and the following year the special editions started to flow. First up was the TA, or Time Attack, a car that was on some ways ACR-lite: it featured modest but effective aero improvements, an adaptive suspension system (more aggressive damping, stiffer springs, a carbon fiber chassis brace) as well as Brembo brakes.
Dodge offered a second package called TA 2.0 for 2015, which incorporated more visually striking, and downforce-doubling gear such as a big wing and a carbon fiber splitter, along with further suspension refinements.
The TA 1.0 remained on the order sheet, however, which meant both cars could be found sharing showroom space at the same time.
8. 2016 Dodge SRT Viper ACR Extreme
If Dodge's revised Gen V ACR wasn't "Mountain Dew" enough for you when it first came out, then don't worry—the ACR Extreme was waiting right around the corner.
The ACR Extreme took the already-capable American Club Racer version of the coupe and added the Extreme Aero Package, which provided 1,700 lbs of downforce with the car traveling at its 177 mph terminal velocity.
It translated into a whopping 21 percent more downforce in high speed corners than the standard ACR, and three times the TA 2.0's stickiness. Best of all, it was completely adjustable, from the removable hood louvers to the front splitter to the imposing rear wing.
9. 2017 Dodge SRT Viper TA/ACR-E
What if a customer wanted the menace of the ACR Extreme, but the visual impact of the TA 2.0? Dodge was there for them with the TA/ACR-E.
Photo courtesy Woodhouse Motorsports Division.
All of the track-slaying stuff found in the ACR-E (the aero package, the carbon ceramic brakes, the chassis updates) is included here, with the twist that the car also offers a bright orange TA 2.0 paint job as well as the special interior that came with that car.
Photo courtesy Woodhouse Motorsports Division.
They only built 10 of these unique hybrids in what was to be the last year for the Viper.
10. 2017 Dodge SRT Viper 1:28 Edition ACR
After having set so many road course records, both official and unofficial, Dodge elected to commemorate its mastery of the Laguna Seca Raceway with the 1:28 Edition ACR. The number referred to the lap time laid down by the car in 2015 during its initial development, but the same vehicle also claimed a dozen other titles at tracks ranging from Texas to Michigan to Ohio (the vast majority of them having been set by engineer and SCCA champion hotshoe Chris Winkler).
The 1:28 Edition ACR featured everything found in the ACR Extreme, only with its own set of plaques, decals, and striping (thick red over a black exterior). In keeping with the racing theme, each of the 28 customers who bought the car also had their name painted over the driver's door.
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