After two months Chrysler SRT  restarts Viper Production

A few months ago, Chrysler announced that the SRT Viper will halt production for two months due to very poor demand, having moved only 91 units in the first two months of 2014. However, the manufacturer's Conner Avenue Assembly plant in Detroit has resumed production of the 2014 SRT Viper on June 23rd.

Even though SRT boss Ralph Gilles declared last November that production "could be increased starting next spring," Chrysler stated that some 756 unsold Vipers were sitting quietly in stock on March 1st, which translates to a whopping 412-day supply. The two-month halt also took its toll on the Conner Avenue Assembly, with no less than 91 hourly workers laid off.

Multiple factors contributed to the fall of the Viper nameplate, chief among which is the ridiculous $102,485 base sticker price, the absence of an automatic transmission and the appearance of the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which packs 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque and is expected to cost somewhere around $75,000 – $80,000. At the Fiat-Chrysler Investor Day in May it has been confirmed that a more powerful Viper is slated for the 2015 model year and will once again bear the Dodge name.

However, the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the Hellcat won't be propelling the upcoming 2015 Dodge SRT Viper as its too wide to fit under the bonnet of the V10 supercar. Whatever the future holds for the latest iteration of the Viper, you can bet you'll find a more powerful ten-cylinder engine under the hood and there are slim chances for the heavy-duty TorqueFlite eight-speed auto to be offered as an optional extra to raise the new model's appeal.

If you were wondering how many 2014 SRT Viper vehicles have been sold through June, the manufacturer reports that only 354 units have been moved in the United States, while Canada saw the purchase of just 70 cars.mar