The Dodge Viper, production lap record holder for Laguna Seca and among the best at the Nordschleife, will be no more by 2011. To give it a good farewell, Dodge will be updating it for the last year and releasing some special editions.

The standard Viper SRT-10 will be receiving two new exterior colours: Toxic Orange Pearl Coat and Bright Silver metallic clear coat. The fifth gear ratio has been shortened to improve high speed acceleration. Only 500 2010 Vipers will be produced.

The ACR gets a new short-throw shifter, as well as aerodynamic tweaks to the rear wing to reduce drag while increasing downforce.

So far, Dodge has announced two special editions of the Viper, but they promise to get some more done before we say our final good-bye. One of these is the Viper SRT10 ACR 1:33 Edition. It was made to pay tribute to the record-breaking run at Laguna Seca recently, when the SRT10 ACR broke the production lap record there. It has a reversed version of the ACR’s paintjob, with the large stripe and the very small stripe being black, and everything else being red. Inside, it gets piano black console bezels with red gauge highlights and red stitching on the seats. Only 33 will be made. The second special edition is the Vooodoo-Edition Viper SRT10 ACR. It gets a Black Clear Coat exterior with a Graphite stripe outlined in red.  The unique striping is also on the steering wheel. Only 10 of these will be manufactured.

It’s sad that the Viper will have to go, but maybe it will be replaced by something even better. Guess we’ll have to wait and see. More details on the updated Viper and the special edition can be found in the press release:

Dodge Viper SRT10® Lives On As The Ultimate American Sports Car

• Last model year for current generation Dodge Viper
• More exclusive than ever before with more than 7,600 possible appearance combinations available for limited production run of 500 cars
• Two new exterior colors, including Toxic Orange Pearl Coat and Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat
• New wider, dual racing stripe pattern
• Revised fifth gear ratio
• New wing endplate and revised wing profile on American Club Racer (ACR) model
• Short-throw shifter on ACR model
• Various special, limited-edition models available across 2010 lineup

Auburn Hills, Mich., Dec 2, 2009 –

To celebrate the final production year of the current generation Dodge Viper SRT10, Dodge plans to deliver a vehicle lineup like no other since the introduction of the iconic American sports car in 1992.

At the heart of the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 remains the venerable 8.4-liter (510 cu. in.) V-10 engine that produces 600 (450 kW) horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. (760 N•m) of torque. Benchmark performance numbers, including 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat, and a top speed of 202 mph, continue to prove how the serious, race-inspired, street-legal two-seater performs without apology.

Body style offerings remain unchanged with the availability of Roadster and Coupe models along with the ACR (American Club Racer) package. Approximately 500 vehicles will be built for the 2010 model year.

With the introduction of two new exterior colors–Toxic Orange Pearl Coat and Bright Silver Metallic Clear Coat–Dodge Viper SRT10 is now available in 12 different colors – the most regularly available choices in one model year. And with six stripe options in the new wider configuration, five different interior color combinations, four different wheel choices and three available interior bezels; the 2010 Viper SRT10 will be available in more than 7,600 combinations–the most for any one model year–significantly adding to the exclusivity of each car like never before.

New across the Viper lineup is a shorter fifth gear ratio (changing from 0.74 to 0.80) for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speeds. Acceleration from 0-200 mph has improved by 14 seconds. This improvement is a direct result of the Chrysler Group LLC Street and Racing Technology team’s experience at the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany where during the lap-record run in 2008, it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in higher top gear acceleration and a quicker lap time.

The Viper SRT10 channels its power through a ZF Sachs twin-disc clutch that reduces rotating inertia by 18 percent, reduces clutch-pedal effort and improves engagement feel. Transferring power to the rear wheels is a heavy-duty six-speed manual transmission.

Stopping power is another carefully developed part of the Viper SRT10 equation, with 14-inch brake rotors gripped by Brembo 44/40 dual-opposing piston calipers in the front and Brembo 42/38 dual-opposing calipers in the rear. This system results in world-class braking performance of 60-0 mph in less than 100 feet.

Interior color options for 2010 include: standard black, two-tone black and red with red accent stitching, two-tone black and blue with blue accent stitching, two-tone black and medium slate grey with medium slate grey accent stitching and the two-tone black and natural tan with premium tan Nappa leather seats, tan center console, lower instrument panel and door panels introduced for the 2009 model year. On the Roadster model, the black and tan package includes a matching tan cloth convertible top.

Viper SRT10 ACR

The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR receives a new short-throw shifter in 2010 for enhanced driver experience and better performance. The rear wing profile and end plates are redesigned to further optimize the vehicle aerodynamics and improve rear yaw downforce. These changes combined with the new fifth gear ratio result in an increased top speed of 4 mph (to 184 mph for the ACR model).

The enhanced four-wheel independent suspension features high-performance aluminum control arms and knuckles, KW suspension with two-way adjustable competition coil-over shock absorbers with remote reservoirs.

The aerodynamic package features a carbon fiber “fanged” splitter in front and adjustable carbon-fiber wing with seven-position stanchions that allow up to an amazing 1,000 lbs. of downforce at 150 mph. Lightweight wheels, two-piece slotted StopTech brake rotors and Michelin PS Cup tires round out the Dodge Viper ACR package.

New Special, Limited-edition Models

Numerous special, limited-edition models are planned for the 2010 model year, including the Dodge Viper ACR 1:33 Edition, which will pay tribute to the new production car lap record set on Nov. 24 at Laguna Seca raceway. The unique two-tone Black Clear Coat/Red Clear Coat exterior color scheme on this model is the opposite form of the original Viper ACR. Interior highlights include piano black console bezels with red gauge highlights complemented with red accent stitching in the seats. Only 33 cars will be produced as 1:33 Edition Viper ACR models.

The 2010 Vooodoo-edition Viper ACR will feature an all Black Clear Coat exterior with a Graphite Driver’s Stripe outlined in red. Only 10 cars will be produced with the unique striping on both the exterior, as well as on the steering wheel.

Additional special edition models will be announced closer to their individual introductions. Pricing on the 2010 Dodge Viper lineup also will be announced at a later date.

Source: Autoblog