The very first 2013 SRT Viper to be offered to the public, an example bearing VIN #1, was sold at auction over the weekend for a staggering $300,000.

The special Viper was sold on behalf of Chrysler by auctioneer Barrett-Jackson in Orange County, CA, with all proceeds from the sale going to the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.

The foundation is the official charity of the American Le Mans Series, which the 2013 SRT Viper will be debuting in later this year in GTS-R trim.

Bidding was fierce on the Saturday auction, with offers quickly escalating past the six-figure mark. Things started to cool off as bids approached a quarter of a million dollars, so to further entice buyers an SRT Track Experience and a trip to this year's Petit Le Mans were thrown in. This saw bids rise quickly to $300,000 before the hammer finally fell.

While still an amazing bid, special Corvettes and Mustangs have reached much higher figures at auction, with the first 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible selling for $600,000 at auction and a custom 2012 Mustang GT fetching $400,000 previously. A custom 2011 Toyota Tundra pickup at this past weekend’s auction also managed to raise $100,000 for charity, with proceeds from this sale going to benefit the Emporia Community Foundation.

The 2013 SRT Viper recently made its world debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The car, which is no longer referred to as a Dodge, is powered by an enhanced version of the previous generation’s 8.4-liter V-10 and is rated at 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Two separate models are now offered, a basic Viper aimed at track enthusiasts and a new Viper GTS with all the plush mod cons you’ll find in most world-class supercars.

SRT hasn’t revealed when the new Viper will be launched for general sale but has stated the cars will be sold through specialist Dodge dealers, just like the previous models. It’s believed that the first cars, excluding this donated example, will be earmarked for loyal and dedicated long-term member of the Viper Club of America.