Since production of the Viper ended in July of 2010, the gnarly sports car has been missed. So, when we heard that the model was set to make its triumphant return, we were ecstatic. But the Viper’s return doesn’t come without a few surprises. According to a December 13^th Chrysler Group press release we found on Autoblog, the ‘13 Viper’s production will reopen the Connor Avenue Assembly Plant in the Motor City and may also mean a shedding of the Dodge brand for the model.

The Connor Assembly Plant has been closed since the Viper model was taken out of production in mid-2010. As the home of the Viper from 1995 to 2010, it is only fitting that the Viper once again be produced there. The reopening of the plant not only brings back the Viper, but also brings back 150 jobs to the Detroit area.

Previous hourly employees of the Connor Assembly plant have all been offered the opportunity to work at the plant once again. Production of the Viper won’t start until late 2012, but employees already started reporting this fall for training.

Although the Viper is coming back, it seems that Dodge is no longer in the picture. Just like the Ram truck brand became its own entity in 2010, it looks like the Viper will be marketed under the SRT brand rather than Dodge with no mention of the later in the press release.

Aside from nixing the name, we don’t know what the Viper’s separation from Dodge will bring, although we’re hoping it’ll mean the most powerful and performance-oriented Viper to date. After this announcement, we’ll definitely be keeping a keen eye out for more information on the future SRT Viper generation.