Dodge Viper 2013

The first production car of the new generation carried serial number 001. Chrysler connected it with a charity auction held by Barrett-Jackson in 2012, before regular customer deliveries began. The 2013 Viper also brought production back to Conner Avenue, a Detroit facility closely associated with the nameplate since 1995. Its central hood emblem, known as Stryker, was named with input from the Viper owner community.

The 2013 Viper was hand-built at Detroit’s Conner Avenue facility, which had been refurbished for the model’s return. Production remained very limited, consistent with the car’s specialist positioning. Hemmings reported that 591 Vipers left the plant during 2013, covering all configurations. That figure does not establish how many were Base cars rather than GTS models or cars equipped with optional packages. The combination of low production, hand assembly and the short lifespan of the fifth-generation Viper has made the 2013 cars increasingly interesting to collectors. However, no clearly documented official breakdown for the Base version alone was identified in the sources consulted.

Automotive reviewers generally credited the 2013 Viper with meaningful improvements in structural rigidity, cabin quality and everyday usability. Motor Trend described it as more polished and easier to drive on the road than earlier generations, while still emphasizing the violence of its acceleration, braking and cornering performance. Reviews also noted that the Viper remained loud, demanding and less forgiving than more electronically sophisticated rivals. In an instrumented test, Motor Trend recorded 0-to-60-mph acceleration of 3.5 seconds for the SRT Viper it tested. The overall reception was therefore positive regarding the engineering progress, but qualified by criticism of the driving position, interior refinement and the concentration required to exploit such a powerful rear-wheel-drive car.