Dodge Viper ACR on dyno: More power than advertised
Click above for a gallery of the Dodge Viper ACR
There's really only one way to get an accurate measure of a car's horsepower, and that's by strapping it on a proper dyno. Even then, not all dyno's produce the same results, but in our numbers-driven society, we'll take what we can get. Two of the fiercest 'Ring competitors are the new Corvette ZR1 and the Dodge Viper ACR, which currently holds the unofficial fastest lap record with a blistering time of 7:22.1. Wondering how they stack up power-wise? According to reports on DragTimes, the duo are pretty darn close with the naturally-aspirated Dodge posting an impressive 546 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque compared to the supercharged ZR1's 549.9 horsepower and 500 lb-ft.
Considering that both vehicles use a six-speed stick and power the rear wheels, drivetrain losses should be similar, so these figures are relatively comparable and they prove once again that the horsepower wars are alive and well. For what it's worth, Dodge officially (under) rates the ACR at 600 horsepower, and an estimated 15% loss through the drivetrain would put this beast at an actual 642 horses. Thanks for the tip, FikseGTS!
Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Dodge Viper ACR
[Source: DragTimes.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Carlos 10:05AM (1/21/2009)
Dodge has always underrated their performance cars. The Neon SRT4 is a perfect example. It was rated at 230 hp and 250ftlbs yet it made 220ish whp.
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Don 9:45PM (1/21/2009)
Underrated and under appreciated. I'm sick of all the Corvette boys yelling and screaming about their car; the ACR is king!
Chad 10:10AM (1/21/2009)
Not a popular view but I would take this over the Vette.
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Eddie 10:32AM (1/21/2009)
Agreed, I like the Vettes, especially the Z06. But I'd rather have a Viper. You don't see Vipers every day.
LMBVette 10:45AM (1/21/2009)
I've ridden in a friend's Viper (which I thought was badass) but I own a Vette as a daily driver.
After comparing the two side-by-side within minutes of each other....Performance is pretty close depending on the year and model of the cars.....the Viper wins on looks.....but the Vette destroys the Viper in comfort.
I'm convinced that you can cook eggs on the floor in the Viper because of the way the exhaust is set up. It also rides like a truck.
The Viper is a racecar that you can drive on the street........where the Vette is a streetcar that you can drive on the track.
...on a side-note.....the #8 piston on his Viper just broke....and he babies this car with a whopping 7,000 miles on it......it's in the shop for a few weeks. I told my buddy he should have bought a Vette. ;-)
Chad 11:02AM (1/21/2009)
A bunch of wealth guys I worked with had a little bet as to which car I'd like the most. So they each gave me a ride. One was a BMW Z, the other a Porsche 911, and the last a Viper. I rode with them in that order and on the last car I walked back into the office and the guys said, "Oh that it, the Viper won." I said, "How do you know?" They said, Because you look like you just had sex."
Hike15 3:06PM (1/21/2009)
for an everyday car id take a corvette but for something exotic and unique the iper wins everytime
ive seen so many covettes in my area but only about 3 vipers
its much more special to see one of those
Allen 10:14AM (1/21/2009)
I love the styling of the Viper, especially in ACR form. It just screams, "Don't mess with me!" The ZR1 is nice too, between the two of them America should be proud.
On a side note, I remember when MotorTrend dyno'd a Z06, a 2006 Viper, and a Ford GT. The Vette and Viper both dyno'd more than advertised, but the GT dyno'd at a sick 535hp at the wheels! It's nice to see that all of the D3 provide more than they advertise when building these super high performance cars.
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Cort 10:32AM (1/21/2009)
how is it possible that this car beat cars that cost 10 times what it costs on the 'ring? somebody explain that to me
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BLS 10:34AM (1/21/2009)
Comfort.
nadnarb 12:56PM (1/21/2009)
Interior design. It's that simple. I'd take the go fast car with a less expensive interior myself, but that's just me.
tenfifteen 10:39AM (1/21/2009)
"Comfort."
QFT. Ever ride in one, Cort? It's an exhilarating (and not-mildly terrifying) experience. I haven't ridden in this generation, but a good friend had a GTS ACR ('00, I believe) and it rattled, shook, got hot, etc.
As close to a real race-car as you're going to get for the streets, with all the associated negatives. I love 'em, but this could only *ever* be a weekend/track car. DD'ing a Viper would be painful.
Serge 10:50AM (1/21/2009)
@ Cort
Dude the Viper is pretty much a street legal race car, the ZR1 'Vette is much more of a GT car. This has a stiff race car suspension, tires, aerodynamics and a 8.4L V10 making close to 650hp and 600ft-lb torque... plus the car is like 3,200lbs. All numbers point towards it being the fastest around the track, and it is.
Franz 12:23PM (1/21/2009)
That's easy: less (than standard) weight, loads of power & torque, adjustable suspension properly dialed in, adjustable aero properly dialed in and R Compound tires. Dodge weren't messing around when they developed the ACR. It really is basically a race car you can drive on the street. I think it's pure bad-ass.
Avinash machado 10:45AM (1/21/2009)
Great car. Prefer it to the GT-R which is also a great car.
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pmiddle5 2:00AM (1/22/2009)
I'd take the GTR for more of a "daily" but if I wanted a car that just f'n fun, GTR would be nowhere on the list. IDK if I'd get the ACR but I'm sure it sounds like sex and I respect it immensely
Galley 10:52AM (1/21/2009)
My choice is obvious.
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Joe K. 11:04AM (1/21/2009)
It was cool to see this at the NAIAS with the spoiler autographed with the Ring time of 7:22.XX right there. I had to explain to my wife the significance of the number, but for the car buff it was a nice touch.
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Illegal Machine 11:22AM (1/21/2009)
The car just looks evil.
You gotta love a car that beat the ZR-1 twice. It didn't even need to show up a second time to do it.
I wish they could take it out there and get the sub 7:20 pass it's capable of.
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Ligor 11:57AM (1/21/2009)
i think this is what the Devil drives
all I want to do is step on the pedal
with this car, you don't even need curves to get scares $hittle$$