The day we all feared has arrived – the last of Dodge’s 2010 Viper SRT10′s – in ACR, Coupe and convertible editions. As recent history will tell you, the Viper was supposed to be killed off several times – going as far back as 2008. But fans and admiration for the sports car by this Chrysler-Fiat owned brand kept it coming back.

According to Dodge: “The company has announced that it will build 50 of the Final Edition Viper SRT10s, oddly broken down as 20 coupes, 18 convertibles, and 12 ACRs. The Final Editions will follow the other special-edition 2010s (1:33, the Voodoo, and the ACR-X) out of the Conner Avenue plant, marking the end of second-gen Viper production.”

The Final Edition cars all wear graphite paint with red-trimmed black center stripes. Standard coupes and convertibles get anthracite six-spoke wheels while the ACR coupes roll on black five-spokes. Inside is black leather trimmed with red stitching. There are bright stainless screws poking out of the center-console bezel, red-ringed gauges, Final Edition floor mats (woo!), and each car gets a numbered plaque. (Recent-history lesson: In 2002—when the original Viper RT/10, GTS coupe, and first-gen ACRs made way for the SRT10s—Dodge built a total of 360 Final Edition coupes and ACRs. Those cars were all red with white stripes.)

The Source: Car & Driver

From Chrysler LLC Blog:

Chrysler Group LLC announced today that production will continue for the legendary Dodge Viper SRT10.

Originally slated to cease production in December 2009, the Chrysler Group Connor Avenue Assembly Plant — the exclusive home of Dodge Viper production since 1995 — will continue to build the V-10 powered sports car. Chrysler Group is no longer pursuing a sale of the Viper business assets.

“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.“

Introduced as a concept car in 1989 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Dodge Viper was designed and engineered to test public reaction to the concept of a back-to-basics, high-performance, limited production sports car.

The reaction was so overwhelming that customer orders began to flow in even before the auto show was over. Chrysler Corporation immediately decided to determine the production feasibility on transforming the crowd-pleasing Dodge Viper show car into a limited-production sports car in no more than three years.

In May 1990, after months of intensive study and testing, Chrysler Corporation announced that the Dodge Viper, powered by an aluminum V-10 was a “go.”

Dodge Viper production began in May 1992 at the New Mack Assembly Plant and was moved to Conner Avenue in October 1995. Viper V-10 engine production transferred from Mound Road Engine to Conner Avenue Assembly in May 2001. In 2008, Dodge introduced the all-new, fourth generation Dodge Viper SRT10. With more horsepower, more torque and more than 30 exterior and interior color combinations, the latest Viper gives enthusiasts the performance they expect on the track and off, with more factory customization options than before.

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