2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS

This car, Lot 120, sold for $141,750, including buyer’s premium, in Sotheby’s Motorsport’s online auction on September 1, 2023.

Introduced as a roadster in 1992, the Dodge Viper’s main event was a torque-heavy 8.0-L V10 and manual transmission with rear-wheel drive. The cars were raw and brutal to drive, with no anti-lock brakes or traction control, but their acceleration and handling were addictive. Early models also offered hot cabins, parts-bin dashboards, water leaks and side exhausts that could burn your legs. However, the power and styling came cheap at the $52,000 price. Dodge also sponsored an owner’s club, which fueled sales.

Chrysler Corporation made numerous updates to the Viper over the years, including introducing a second generation with the GTS coupe in 1996 and the first ACR special edition in 1999. The car’s hairy-chested reputation made it a badge of honor among enthusiasts, and Viper owners often acquired multiple examples. The cars were extensively raced, with lightly modified GTS-R race cars taking Le Mans class championships in 1997 through 1999.

A major redesign debuted in 2003 as a convertible at first, with displacement growing to 8.3 liters and even more improvements to this third generation. A new coupe followed three years later, and the car received a thorough mechanical overhaul for 2008. This fourth-generation Viper boasted the ultimate V10 powerplant, now making 600 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque.

Although the hand-built Viper had become somewhat more civilized over the years, at the time of Chrysler’s bankruptcy in 2009 it was still an outlier among sports cars for its singular focus on performance above even the most basic of contemporary creature comforts. The company announced that it would be ending production with a run of 500 special editions, but promised that a revival of the Viper was planned. When the Connor Avenue Assembly line in Detroit shut down in 2010, total Viper production stood at 28,061.

Dodging the bullet

True to its word, Chrysler (by then a part of Fiat) introduced an all-new fifth-generation Viper for the 2013 model year. Initially doing away with the Dodge brand (it would be back by 2015), the car was launched as the SRT Viper, with added luxury and convenience features and a $10k-higher MSRP. Sticker price for the base car was $101,990, and the even-more-luxurious GTS started at $124,990.

The often-imperfect plastic body panels were replaced by carbon fiber and aluminum, improving fit and finish. Base versions were more luxurious than past Vipers, even cars with cloth and vinyl trim, and the GTS had Sabelt six-way power seats. In addition to interior upgrades, cars gained stability control, LED headlamps and screens to show performance metrics. The new Viper also had more power, its V10 now making 640 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The steering was better and the car was more balanced, improving high speed and wet-weather traction.

Yet for all this, initial production for 2013 was well under the 2,500 target, and many cars languished at dealerships. The Viper TA (Time Attack), with major aero and suspension changes, debuted; it set a track record at Laguna Seca. A Grand Touring trim with performance and comfort gear was added. Prices were raised for 2014, with options and features juggled around, and then cut by $15,000, when Dodge stopped sponsoring race Vipers in 2015. A new GTC model let buyers create a one-of-a-kind car with many color, wheel, trim, stripe and aero choices. Despite all this, sales continued to be elusive.

At the start of the 2016 model year, it was announced that in 2017 the Viper would again go out of production. Dodge ended things with a bang: A new street-legal Viper ACR was unveiled, with track-tuned aero, brakes, tires and suspension; its Extreme Aero option created up to 2,000 pounds of downforce. The ACR set records at 13 tracks and beat all the supercars in Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap testing, including the Ferrari 488 GTB and Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The final-model-year 2017 Vipers included six special editions with performance and appearance features to celebrate the car’s history.

Survive and advance

While many longtime Viper owners groused about the price of the fifth-generation Viper and its much higher level of luxury, the 2013–17 cars did deliver better performance than previous generations, even before adding any of the optional track-focused equipment. Although stability control, safety gear and more rain-tolerant tires likely increased the survival rate of owners, they didn’t help sales much.

Our subject car was a nicely equipped GTS, the more-expensive of the two 2013 Viper models. It did not have the GTS Launch Package (blue paint and stripes) but did have $14,350 in options including Laguna leather, stripes and upgraded audio. Its original list price of $136,740 was very close to its final sale price here.

With documented low miles, it was in like-new condition, with the only flaws being the leather dashboard wrapping and a door handle, possibly original. A one-owner car according to CARFAX, it even came with the sales book. It did have one serious issue in having only one key, which seems like it should have been addressed prior to the sale. Regardless, the price paid here seems a bit low for a pristine car with a clear history in this condition.

These cars have yet to see heavy depreciation, with many still selling near sticker. While that points to a clear demand for this final series of Vipers, I do not expect them to be particularly good investments, especially cars that are not ACR models or other special editions. Newer high-performance cars — particularly high-tech, high-torque EVs that appeal to the younger generation — may soon affect the market for these final Vipers. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of Sotheby’s Motorsport.)