Beginning with the 2016 model year production, Dodge will offer matte-finish exterior paint across the color palette making the Viper available in more than 50 million unique configurations, made up from the more than 16,000 unique paint color options and more than 48,000 unique stripe combinations.
“The Anodized Carbon Viper was the first-ever use of this unique metallic matte exterior color by FCA and helped further the trend in automotive matte finish exteriors from the factory,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO, Dodge and SRT brands, FCA US. “Now, by adding 8,000 new matte finish options to our high-end, hand-built hand-painted super car, we’re continuing at the forefront of the matte paint trend by offering so many variations, colors and even a metallic finish, all of which give each “1 of 1” Viper an even more unique appearance.”
Orders for the new matte finish equipped Vipers will open at Dodge dealerships in July.
Hand-painted process brings exclusive flexibility
The individuals who hand paint the Dodge Viper are truly specialized artisans.
The Viper’s unique hand-painted process enables the flexibility to deliver industry-first custom paint options that offer unequal personalization while meeting the latest industry durability standards.
Each Viper has an extremely high quality level paint finish that ranks as one of the best in the industry. It takes between 145 to 160 man hours to prep and hand-paint the Viper body panels.
The application of the exterior paint is a detailed and intricate process, taking approximately eight hours to complete. The process starts with a base color coat followed by the application of a clear finish. After paint and clear coat, every Viper body panel is sanded smooth by hand with 1,000 grit paper and polished to a near mirror finish.
To create the new matte finish, each body panel is also sanded for a second time before the matte clear paint is applied.
Each coat application adds depth and accentuates the curvature of the Viper’s exterior design.
As a result of this unique hand-painted process, Viper is able to offer industry-exclusive finishes across its full color palette.
Source: Dodge