7.22 at the Ring!!

[jamie]

I have not had a Viper since 1997. I have a 04 C5 Z06 use as a track only car. And have to agree the C5Z is not nearly as cool or solid as any Viper, more of a driver or fun track car with a few minor adjustments.

I have driven the C6 Z many times. It is a different car if you have not driven one yet, comparing a C5 Z to a C6 Z is very different in the power dept.

I too am tempted to add an ACR to the collection. I am not suggesting it is not a Bad Arse Machine. I am suggesting the ZR1 may have the edge in an apples to apples comparison at the ring or any other track.

As stated 4 seconds is not much in a 7 minute lap. It equates to about 1.2 seconds on most tracks we run here in the US. In a contest like this the driver is the key...."on any given Sunday" comes to mind. For most, the diff in a track tire vs. a great street tire is considered to be 4 seconds on a 2.5 mile track. Or about 10-11 seconds in this comparison.

For the record the ZR1 was wearing PS2's - tread wear 220
The ACR is wearing the PSC a near race compound - tread wear 80

Personally I am not ready to crown the ACR the king. I would not place any wagers on on either car in a heads up run. They are both awesome and too close to call.

Now, If I were buying either I would buy the ACR as I think it will hold it's value better and is a more exotic piece of art.

Its comical how alot of the viper guys get their panties all wet with excitement about going a couple of seconds faster around a 7 minute track than a ZR1. I bought a New ACR and I think its one of the most awesome american cars ever, but the ZR1 is just as awesome except in the looks department IMO and with the same tires and same driver probably would of run better times than the ACR IMO. That is a long track and with 30 mph more top end I don't know how the ZR1 couldn't beat the time on that huge long track with equal traction and the engine advantage? I race fairly often and anyone who races will tell you tires are probably the biggest factor to good performance, and of course a good pilot which I think both cars had. I personally think both cars are awesome and are pretty evenly matched on a race course from which I have seen, but I do think heat soak will be an issue for the ZR1 on any prolonged road course action as it has been for many of the Ford GT's that have posted here.

 

[tpraceman]

I hope someone has some loose cash to save the Viper.

Detroit news:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080828/AUTO01/808280396/1148/rss25:(

 

[Magnus]

For the record the ZR1 was wearing PS2's - tread wear 220
The ACR is wearing the PSC a near race compound - tread wear 80

Wow, thats some good info. On equal tires I'd imagine the ZR1 would pull ahead.

If I had to pick one, the ACR or the ZR1, I don't think I could. I'd just have to get both to satisfy that whole "grass is greener" thing.

 

[Magnus]

An interesting post from the viper forum:

I posted this on a similar thread yesterday, so my apologies for the duplicate language...

The VCA treasurer actually approached SRT a couple months ago after reading the various threads about sending the ACR to The Ring - over and over again. Like many individuals here had already done, we offered to help Chrysler pay to send a car and team over there. Turns out they had already been discussing it internally. Guess what? Our enthusiasm helped finalize that decision. And the cost to the club? Prepare the video footage shot over there. It was SRT that suggested the decal on the dash. Is there anybody that still doubts the group's dedication to the Viper and its owners?

The folks at VOI got to see the finished product when we debuted the extended length, higher definition video just before Motor Trend published the raw footage last night. Goosebumps abounded as the video started with published times of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti Veyron, and that Chevy thingie. The run included telemetry such as the lateral G's and down force. Ever seen a car generate 1200+ pounds of down force? The folks at VOI did and the cheers were deafening. The wrap up at the end with commentary from the driver (Tom Coronel) was awesome, including just a little dig at our Chevy friends across town. The VCA will make that video (suitable for your big screen TV) available very soon. Look for an abbreviated version on You Tube at some point soon.

Our thanks to Brian Paddock of Paddock Productions for the awesome video editing with very little time to do it. This run was done on August 18th and has a few other interesting facts to go with it:

1. Tom had never driven the ACR before.
2. He broke the record on his third lap in the car.
3. He missed two shifts (not just one).
4. He faced a pretty strong headwind on that final straight - so much so that the Viper's stock gearing and enormous down force made it impractical to use 5th gear.
5. The car did NOT bottom out or hit the wheel liners: The Ring is notorious for chewing up splitters on high performance cars and the sounds you hear are the splitter doing exactly as was expected. Indeed, many teams fully expect to have only 10% of the original splitter still intact at the end of a 24 hour race at Nürburgring.

Another interesting thing to note is that both the ZR1 and GT-R were manufacturer claimed with NO media certification. The ACR run was witnessed directly by two independent media sources, one of which was Motor Trend. So for independently witnesssed and verified times the ACR owns the record by a lot more than 4 seconds.

Our thanks to the SRT folks for making so many dreams a reality. We are honored that you allowed the VCA to play a role in such a momentous occasion. Oh, and we will indeed make DVD's available that will show you all kinds of cool stuff, like this:

Watch for more information on how to order that DVD soon!
​

 

[B O N Y]

Hopefully the brand will be sold to someone that can take the car back to the original roots and not what it has become, something to replace the Vette. The original core car was a modern day Cobra, and it was great. The ACR is getting back to the core.

 

[cobrar1339]

And the Viper franchise is worth............?

Includes?

 

[canuck]

Very cool viper and zr1 on track side by side video comparo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08nxInpgTGc

 

[kmillen]

its because the driver kept missing his shift points and kept hitting the rev limiter which caused the trans and the shifter to freak. i bet the viper ACR could turn in a sub 7:20 lap with a better driver......

Editing my post because I posted too quickly...I should have read all the replies before jumping in hahaha.

For only three laps behind the wheel I'd say he did a great job! I still think the driver of the ZR-1 left a lot of time on the table though.

 

[tpraceman]

Anyone have times with a GT

 

[nthfinity]

Editing my post because I posted too quickly...I should have read all the replies before jumping in hahaha.

For only three laps behind the wheel I'd say he did a great job! I still think the driver of the ZR-1 left a lot of time on the table though.

The extra 10-15 mph the ACR might have been able to hold down Dottinger hoe would also have helped in 5th gear...

 

[Magnus]

Anyone have times with a GT

Here is the wiki link for the track:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times

Some noteable times for production vehicles:

7:22 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR
7:26 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
7:29 2009 Nissan GT-R
7:40 Ford GT
7:40 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
7:40 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
7:42 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
7:56 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06
7:59 2009 Cadillac CTS-V <-- this is just cool
7:59 Dodge Viper SRT-10
8:03 Honda NSX-R (NA1)
8:10 Chrysler Viper GTS
8:22 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS <-- again pretty impressive

 

[SYCO GT]

Thanks Magnus. I was curious what the Ford GT production time was after hearing the GT-R, ZR1, and ACR times.

Also, appreciate the "proper" ordering of the 7:40 lap times...

 

[Fast Freddy]

Here is the wiki link for the track:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times

Some noteable times for production vehicles:

7:22 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR
7:26 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
7:29 2009 Nissan GT-R
7:40 Ford GT
7:40 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
7:40 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
7:42 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
7:56 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06
7:59 2009 Cadillac CTS-V <-- this is just cool
7:59 Dodge Viper SRT-10
8:03 Honda NSX-R (NA1)
8:10 Chrysler Viper GTS
8:22 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS <-- again pretty impressive

i like this info here. its very informative. bring all these cars back after they are modified and you will see the order of that list get modified

 

[cobrar1339]

i like this info here. its very informative. bring all these cars back after they are modified and you will see the order of that list get modified

"Holy Hot Wings Batman" How did I miss this. 7:40 on F1's?....could it be true.

Let's see, in 2.2 miles Nitto R2's are worth about 4-5 Seconds vs. F1's, in 7 miles.......:eek

Could that mean our faithful GT may run 7:24-7:25ish with a simple change of shoes? or maybe faster:eek. All that downforce is no help for the ACR in the long straights where we shine, getting out of the corners leading to those straights is where tires earn a huge edge. Every confidence lift is worth about 1 second. For those that don't know the tire lingo. The ACR is wearing sneekers and our cars are wearing Wing Tips.

I say we take up a pool, buy Neilda and Desi some shoes maybe some of Alex's special tuner shocks and an entry fee and see what they can do.:banana....If you don't want to drive yourselves, I'm pretty sure the Matech or SVT guys could be convinced to give it another run.


Some noteable times for production vehicles:

7:22 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR
7:26 2009 Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
7:29 2009 Nissan GT-R
7:40 Ford GT
7:40 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
7:40 Bugatti Veyron 16.4
7:42 Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
7:56 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06
7:59 2009 Cadillac CTS-V <-- this is just cool, yes it is cool
7:59 Dodge Viper SRT-10
8:03 Honda NSX-R (NA1)
8:10 Chrysler Viper GTS
8:22 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS <-- again pretty impressive, hard to believe

 

[FORDGT001]

Dodge did a Great job on the ACR, I just got mine.

 

[Cyclenirvana]

I love that color combination. How would you compare the driving experience of the ACR to your GT? Pros and cons?

 

[FORDGT001]

I love that color combination. How would you compare the driving experience of the ACR to your GT? Pros and cons?

PM Sent