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The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is a racing machine, that's what the three letter suffix denotes (American Club Racer), of course. You don't even have to be within 100 feet of the Viper ACR to know what it is, that wing on the back clues you in. Somewhere, a 737 is missing an elevator flap. If you were to somehow miss the gigantic horizontal stabilizer, the ACR's paint scheme with its wicked-looking asymmetrical stripes announce what it is from a mile away.
The current Viper enjoys a reputation as a natural at the track, though it needs to be handled with a steady, heavy hand. The ACR strips a lot of equipment away in the name of weight savings, and some componentry is swapped out to bring unsprung mass down, as well. The result is a car with even sharper responses than the already born-to-run "regular" Viper. PentastarVideo has supplied us with a very entertaining video, apparently from Chrysler Design Veep Ralph Gilles, of some ACRs ripping it up at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana. Here we sit, using a corporate high-speed internet connection to live vicariously through a heavily compressed piece of video media. Oh cruel world, why can't we just have a Viper and a road course at our disposal?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Jenkins @ Feb 1st 2008 11:54AM
Damn those are sweet! Are they street legal?
Hank @ Feb 1st 2008 12:01PM
absolutely.bad.ass.
Franz @ Feb 1st 2008 12:34PM
Nice car, but not much "ripping it up" in this video. I'm disappointed.
Trent @ Feb 1st 2008 1:02PM
sick! @ mike, yes AFAIK they are street legal. i'm pretty sure the old ACR was.
Jake @ Feb 1st 2008 1:04PM
Only two moments of oversteer? I expected better. I'm with Franz. And I'd expect better sound quality from a professional production company. But still entertaining.
MajorGeek @ Feb 1st 2008 1:34PM
Often forgotten... all these new cars this year announced with 450, 500 horsepower, which Dodge has been doing with the Viper since 92, with the concept dating back to 1989! I would like to see them break from tradition and computerize it as the newer Vettes are done, but I think a lot of die hard fans would disagree with me :) Mine can be a bit of a challenge to drive, these guys make it look easy.
MK @ Feb 1st 2008 1:34PM
I'll take one, black & blue with the red stripe please.
MK @ Feb 1st 2008 1:37PM
You need to check your facts, Geek. The '08 Vipers have 600HP via new heads, injection, cam, etc.
Sean Flanagan @ Feb 1st 2008 1:39PM
"The current Viper enjoys a reputation as a natural at the track"
The current Viper enjoys a reputation for having lots of grip, but being unforgiving and violent at the limit with understeer abruptly turning to snap oversteer. That's not exactly a reputation for being a natural at the track...
MK @ Feb 1st 2008 1:39PM
You say you own one, yet know nothing about it. I call B.S.
naggs @ Feb 1st 2008 1:50PM
completely bad ass
im pretty sure that is the fastest street car ever (not counting cars like radicals and such)
the review in automobile said that the suspension was surprisingly gentle "nearly as submissive and coddling as your grandmothers buick"
the engine is unchanged from the base car including the stock exhaust, so nice and quiet.
the main changes are to the suspension and aerodynamics, apparently the thing generates like 1000 lbs of downforce at speed
you could totally daily drive this thing
Galley @ Feb 1st 2008 2:02PM
Man, that rear wing would look bitchin' on my PT Cruiser!
Golferal @ Feb 1st 2008 2:18PM
A simple in car cam shot would have been nice. The editing left much to be desired, what with changing cameras every 4 seconds or so.
Kareem Sultan @ Feb 1st 2008 4:04PM
Well done! These guys could use some tips on recording better sound though.
Some brave camera men standing by the track!
cwcentral @ Feb 2nd 2008 1:02PM
Also, I thought the '08's have the new cam-in-cam adj. timing--so they're pretty computerized.