Autoblog

2013 SRT Viper spends its days living life a quarter mile at a time

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, SRT

There are lots of ways to measure the performance of a car, but there's only one that is quintessentially American: the quarter mile. And while we've already seen a proper comparison test or two that puts the new (and also quintessentially American) SRT Viper on a racetrack, we've yet to see what it can do when put in the hands of a proper drag racer for an entire day of tire-burning performance testing. Now we do.

And so the $64,000 question is, How does it perform? Pretty well indeed, recording a best time of 11.1 seconds at 127.4 miles per hour, wearing street-legal drag radials with the boys from Drag Times behind the wheel. That run included 3.1 seconds for the big Viper to hit 60, and it took just 7.1 seconds to reach 100. Impressive performance, to be sure. But those figures need to be put in context for the full picture... in other words, how does its acceleration compare to such high-horsepower rivals as the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500?

Well, without running all three of these muscle machines down the same track on the same day with the same driver, it's not going to be a fair comparison. Plus, the Corvette in particular has had several models years for drivers to keep plugging away for the best possible results. That said, the Viper's 11.1 seconds at 127.4 mph is well shy of Drag Times' best recorded (and verified) ZR1 time slip of 10.332 seconds at 132.74 mph, and there are a total of seven documented ZR1 runs quicker than the Viper's.

As for the GT500, the best recorded run on file at Drag Times is 11.570 seconds at 124.3 mph. So, it's not as quick as the Viper or ZR1, but we wouldn't really expect it to be. In any case, it's a fun comparison for bragging rights, but it's anything but scientific. In other words, take all this with a healthy spoonful of salt and stay tuned for more in this space from all three of the American automakers.

Check out a video from Drag Times below, and remember, reaction time doesn't matter in this scenario.

Continue reading 2013 SRT Viper spends its days living life a quarter mile at a time

2013 SRT Viper spends its days living life a quarter mile at a time originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Performance, Technology, Videos, Hatchback, Electric, Luxury

It looks as if the Tesla Model S has a new feather to stick in its cap. DragTimes.com took the five-door down to Palm Beach International Raceway for a few sprints down the quarter mile, and the EV managed to run a best time of 12.371 seconds at 110.84 miles per hour with a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. Those numbers were good enough for the Model S to take the crown as the world's quickest production EV according to the National Electric Drag Racing Association. NEDRA was on hand for the organization's Winter EV Nationals, and verified the new world record.

Near as we can tell, the previous record stood at 12.582 at 104.58 mph. That feat was accomplished with a Tesla Roadster owned by Zachary Vex and driven by Stella Kostolna at the Speedworld Dragstrip in Arizona. You can watch the Model S dust a Dodge Viper SRT10 in the video below. Who says you can't have any fun without internal combustion?

Continue reading Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video]

Tesla Model S sets quarter-mile record for quickest production EV [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Chevrolet, GM

We've taken the bone-stock 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 down the quarter-mile drag strip at Bondurant in Arizona several times. The very first pass we made netted us a time slip in the mid-12-second range. That's an impressive performance for a car wearing road-legal radial tires with zero preparation and a driver familiarizing himself with the car.

We instantly knew this car was capable of more, and wondered how long it would take before we saw our first elapsed time in the 11s. Turns out the wait is over.

General Motors itself is the perpetrator of the blazing-fast quarter mile. Chevrolet engineers took two completely stock ZL1 coupes to Milan Dragway in Michigan - one automatic and one manual - and recorded a best pass of 11.93 seconds at 116 miles per hour. That was with the automatic; the row-your-own model managed 11.96 at 117 mph.

Those looking to drag their new Camaro ZL1 ought to be pleased with this news. But even if your race track aspirations lean more toward a curvy strip of asphalt, the baddest production Camaro ever made has you covered. Consider its Nürburgring lap time of seven minutes and 41 seconds as proof of its prowess.

Likely sensing that there would be plenty of ~~Ford fans~~ skeptics demanding proof of its quarter mile performance, Chevrolet has released a video showing off its drag strip exploits at Milan. Scroll down below for the video, along with the related press release... and join us in waiting for a response from Ford.

*UPDATE: We've placed a call to Chevrolet inquiring whether these times were recorded on stock tires, as the press release indicates, or on drag radials. We'll add another update as soon as we hear back.

*UPDATE TWO: The times quoted in the press release - 11.93 for the auto and 11.96 for the manual - were recorded on the stock Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar G:2 tires. According to Chevrolet, the team knocked about a tenth of a second off those numbers with the Mickey Thompson drag tires.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE]

2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 runs quarter mile in 11.93 seconds [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch Hennessey's own CTS-V Sport Wagon pull a sub-11-second quarter mile [UPDATE]

John Neff — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Wagon, Videos, Cadillac

The image above is a perfect example of potential energy. What we have is famed tuner John Hennessey's own personal daily driver, a modified Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon called "Hammer Wagon," about to run down the quarter mile. Its twin-turbo V8 is producing upwards of 1,000 horsepower, but with the Christmas tree still glowing red, it's got nowhere to send that energy.

Watch the video to see the video's subsequent frames in which the Hammer Wagon hooks up its ridiculously meaty rear tires and tears down the tarmac to the tune of 10.69 seconds at 134 miles per hour.

Hennessey is known for pushing his daily driver to its limits. Last month he maxed out its speedometer at 189.7 mph while participating in the annual Texas Mile.

UPDATE: Hennessey wrote us to offer a point of clarification. His Hammer Wagon is not, as we reported, twin turbocharged, but instead features the company's V700 upgrade package plus a 75-hp dry nitrous shot. Together they're good for about 782 horsepower at the engine.

Continue reading Watch Hennessey's own CTS-V Sport Wagon pull a sub-11-second quarter mile [UPDATE]

Watch Hennessey's own CTS-V Sport Wagon pull a sub-11-second quarter mile [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti M35h sets hybrid 1/4-mile Guinness World Record

Autoblog Staff — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Sedan, Infiniti, UK, Luxury

On Tuesday, August 23, a lone 2012 Infiniti M35h ripped down the UK's rain-drenched Santa Pod Raceway and sped into the record books as the world's quickest hybrid vehicle.

Driven by Tim Pollard, associate editor of the UK's Car Magazine, and overseen by Guinness World Records, the 360-horsepower M35h dashed down the quarter-mile track in 13.9031 seconds (average of all runs). The quickest run of the day tripped the clock at 13.8960 seconds. In describing the M35h's record-setting run, Pollard stated, "At Santa Pod you could feel the instant torque of the electric motor away from standstill - the car just leapt off the line."

Lest you think it's only quick for a hybrid, Infiniti points out that, in the hierarchy of quick vehicles, the M35h's time puts it on a par with the following performance icons:

1982 Lamborghini Countach S: 13.9 secs
1998 BMW M3: 13.8 secs
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante: 13.6 secs
2007 Porsche 911 Carrera: 13.6 secs
1966 Shelby Cobra: 13.5 secs
1964 Ferrari 250 GTO: 13.5 secs

The M35h scoots from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds and tops out at 155 mph. On the consumption side, the M35h snagged an official EPA rating of 27/32 mpg city/highway, with a combined rating of 29 mpg. Currently, the M35h is North America's only 350-plus horsepower, 30-plus mpg highway vehicle. Feel free to read all the details in the press release after the break.

Continue reading Infiniti M35h sets hybrid 1/4-mile Guinness World Record

Infiniti M35h sets hybrid 1/4-mile Guinness World Record originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM Futurliner runs quarter mile like a Boss

Chris Shunk — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, GM

General Motors built the Futurliner to promote a traveling show called the "GM Parade of Progress" in the 1940s and '50s. The slippery-lined bus, which was penned by the legendary Harley Earl, is one of 12 that traveled the U.S. to show Americans the future of motoring and technology.

GM Futurliner #10, which was fully restored in 2007, recently made a trip out to the Pontiac Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. The 30-ton, 33-foot-long bus was on display at the event, but that didn't mean that the massive antique wasn't allowed to also take a whack at the quarter mile. The 70-year-old sign of progress didn't exactly light up the tarmac, but it can hold its head up high for even finishing the run. The final time? 48 seconds at 28 mph.

Follow the jump to watch the Futurliner in (slow) motion. And no, your YouTube connection isn't running poorly... the Futurliner is powered a four-cylinder diesel engine (30 tons!) and only has a top speed of 40 miles per hour.

Continue reading GM Futurliner runs quarter mile like a Boss

GM Futurliner runs quarter mile like a Boss originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Nissan

AMS Alpha 10 Nissan GT-R claims a quarter-mile record - Click above to watch the video after the jump

AMS Performance has broken its own quarter-mile record in a Nissan GT-R, this time gussied up with its Alpha 10 package. The most important thing you need to know about the suite of changes is that it takes the car up to 1,100 horsepower. The details include an Alpha 10 turbo system on top of a blueprinted engine, with all that horsepower routed through an Alpha 10 transmission. Naturally, just about everything else from the turbo inlet pipes to the fuel injectors to the downpipes have been upgraded or reworked.

The result was a 9.33-second run at 153 miles per hour. That takes 0.56 seconds off AMS' time from March of this year in its GT-R SR850 at the TX2K10 Supra & GTR Nationals. Video footage of the run (completely with overly dramatic music and buildup) is after the jump, and a few shots of the runner itself are in the gallery of images below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

Gallery: AMS Performance Alpha 10 GT-R

[Source: AMS Performance]

Continue reading Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R

Video: AMS Alpha 10 claims new quarter-mile record for Nissan GT-R originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: OnStar calls Hennessey after tuned CTS-V pulls .99 g

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Cadillac

The 700-hp Hennessy CTS-V meets OnStar -- Click above to watch video

On its way to doing the 1/4-mile in 11.07 seconds at 128 mph, a Hennessy-tuned 700-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V hit .99 longitudinal G as it left the start line. By the end of the run the phone inside the car was ringing, and it was your friendly neighborhood OnStar representative wondering "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ok, not quite... but they did have some questions. Follow the jump to watch the video.

[Source: Hennessy]

Continue reading VIDEO: OnStar calls Hennessey after tuned CTS-V pulls .99 g

VIDEO: OnStar calls Hennessey after tuned CTS-V pulls .99 g originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Safety concerns cause NHRA to limit races to 1,000 feet

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety

The NHRA has acted very quickly in an effort to improve the safety of its Top Fuel and Funny Car races. Due to the tragic death recently of '94 and '95 Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta, the drag strip for these two fastest classes will be shortened from the traditional 1,320 feet to 1,000 feet. Race officials and team managers believe that this compromise will continue to make for an entertaining race as the cars will still be hitting speeds of around 300 mph. This is an interim change as the sanctioning body investigates the crash and its causes, and will stay in effect until more definite changes can be made. The first race which will incorporate the new shorter track length will take place on July 11-13 at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver, Colorado.

[Source: NHRA via AutoWeek]

Safety concerns cause NHRA to limit races to 1,000 feet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: How to move two tons down the quarter-mile in less than ten seconds

Eric Bryant — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos

When the owners of two-ton monsters get together at the annual Southern Super Heavyweight Shootout each November, Sir Issac Newton's laws get put to the test. As evidence, we submit the above video from the 2006 gathering, which pitted Mike Smith's 1995 Impala SS up against Paul Roswell's 1994 Impala SS in the final round of the "Big Dog" bracket.

Both cars run somewhat similar powertrain setups, with each ingesting large amounts of nitrous oxide into LT1-based small-blocks that are punched out to 383 cubic inches. GM's bulletproof Turbo 400 is used to deliver the power out back, where Smith's car hangs a Moser-built Ford 9" rear axle from a custom four-link suspension and Roswell's uses GM 8.5" 10-bolt and aftermarket control arms.

The result, as demonstrated here, is an extremely fast 10.8-second run at nearly 125 MPH for Roswell's 4400lb Impala - and that's the slower of the two. Smith's 4040lb sedan ran the quarter in 9.7 seconds at just over 138 MPH, courtesy of its more extreme engine and suspension setup. More details on these cars -- and several other rather quick gazelles -- are available here.

VIDEO: How to move two tons down the quarter-mile in less than ten seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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13s in the quarter for $1300 - and 30 MPG, too

Eric Bryant — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorsports, Technology

Chrysler's "A Platform" hasn't ever received a whole lot of respect from gearheads, but aside from serving as a useful bridge between the K-car and the cab-forward LH, it also spawned the Dodge Spirit R/T. Acceleration came courtesy of the ubiquitous 2.2 L inline four, but topped with a DOHC 16-valve head, and turbocharged and intercooled for good measure. 224 hp was the result, which matched most domestic V8s of the day.

Positioned in the marketplace against other early-90s four-door rocketships such as the Ford Taurus SHO, Chevrolet Lumina Z34, and Nissan Maxima, it was capable of blasting to 60 MPH from a standing start in less than six seconds. Chrysler called it the "fastest sedan built in America", and even today it'd hold its own against any number of other performance sedans in straight line acceleration.

Less than 1,500 of the R/T models were built in '91 and '92, and so the odds of coming across one are slim. The son of Mopar Action's Rich Ehrenberg managed to score one for $1000, though, and threw another $300 at it to run flat 13s at 103 MPH. Oh, yea, and the head gasket wasn't fixed, either. The details here are sketchy - it appears as if we'll have to wait for an upcoming issue of Mopar Action to learn more - but being that the Spirit R/T is a turbocharged car, we're guessing that turning up the wick was a simple matter of wastegate manipulation to increase the boost, and then it became an issue of finding some tires to hook up that power.

[Source: Mopar Action]

13s in the quarter for $1300 - and 30 MPG, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Aug 2006 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ultima GTR goes for quarter-mile record and gets it

John Neff — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Europe, Supercars

Not long ago the Ultima GTR broke its own record (again) as the fastest car to achieve 0-100mph-0 for the third year in a row. On that same day it also set new records for 0-60 (2.6 seconds), 0-100 (5.3 seconds) and braking from 100 (3.6 seconds).

Mere weeks later it has smashed yet another record. This time it captured the world record for a standing quarter-mile by sprinting 402 meters, 440 yards, and 1,320 feet (all at the same time!) in a mere 9.9 seconds at 143 mph. The record run was achieved in the U.K. at Santa Pod Raceway in the same car that was used a few weeks back to break the 0-100mph-0 record. It was fitted with a 720-bhp Chevrolet V8 engine from the company's OE engine supplier American Speed, a five-speed G50 transmission and regular old road tires.

Here are some comparison figures to put the Ultima GTR's accomplishment in perspective.
Ultima GTR: 9.9secs @143mph
Ferrari Enzo: 11.1secs@133mph
Porsche Carrera GT: 11.3secs@131mph
McLaren F1: 11.6secs@125mph
Saleen S7: 11.8secs@119mph

Follow the link to Ultima's website to witness the three record runs via streaming video.

[Source: Ultima via PistonHeads]

Ultima GTR goes for quarter-mile record and gets it originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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