2008 ACR runs 1:29.33 at Willow Springs

[black08]

Here's a link to Road and Track article comparing 2008 Viper SRT10 vs. 2008 Viper SRT10 ACR and other sports cars and their "evil twins" as they call them.

Interesting to note that on the same day, same driver, ACR was almost 3 sec. faster than standard 2008. Also, the ACR smoked the Porsches and Lambos.

ROADandTRACK.com -- Comparison Tests - Evil Twins: Dodge Viper SRT10 vs. SRT10 ACR (4/2008)

 

[rcl4668]

Nice find. Thanks!

/Rich

 

[ROCKET62]

So for us non-track rats nearly 3 seconds seems like a lot. How much of this would have been expected from just the tire differences? PS2's are good, but certainly not near the race tire of the sport cup.

 

[Vipermann]

So for us non-track rats nearly 3 seconds seems like a lot. How much of this would have been expected from just the tire differences? PS2's are good, but certainly not near the race tire of the sport cup.

It's quite possible that a change to the sport cups alone would yield only very little benefit. A suspension and tire work best together when the suspension is designed and set up to handle a given tire's characteristics.

From the article:

In Turn 9, Millen comments that the stock Viper "has quite a bit of commotion over the bumps and undulations on the track." In contrast, the ACR "has less jiggle in the steering wheel because it drives smoother and you don't have to adjust as much. After the apex coming onto the straight, it feels neutral. And as soon as you get on the throttle, it just drives off, while drifting off the exit."

Overall, Millen says the ACR "works like a race car. It is balanced and well-planted through fast corners. The steering has terrific feedback. Once you get it turned, you know exactly where it is and where it is going to go and what it is going to do." Referring to the SRT10, Millen notes that you have to adjust the steering more and it takes longer to find the car's limit. Through fast corners "you are modulating the throttle more to make sure you know the rear is gonna come with you."

... If the stock Viper is hard to handle on the road, then the ACR notches up the impracticality rating at least 10 times. It doesn't help that our ACR is a durability test car from Dodge. It has a racing seat installed for testing (production versions will have standard SRT10 seats) and a welded-in rollcage for track exercises. And there is some rear jitter under hard braking — Dodge tells us that the pads are due for replacement after extended testing just a few days before.

 

[fastmd]

Great article, notice how it smokes everything. Can't wait for my orange ACR.

 

[SSSSE YA]

Thanks for the link, it is always nice to read something positive about the Viper.

 

[Vipermann]

Willow Springs Lap Time Results (same day / driver):

SRT10 ACR 1:29.3
SRT10 1:32.2
Lambo Superleggera 1:32.5
Porsche GT3 RS 1:33.1
Lambo Spyder 1:34.3
Porsche Carrera S 1:37.1

... Wow!!! (and funny how, even though the ZR1 is not yet ready, that Chevy kept the Z06 out of the test ... bawk, bawk)

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

29 sounds pretty good. Is there anybody from Kali that can give us a reference point? I looked on ViperDays.com and saw Greenberg ran 26 in the unlimited class back in 2006.

 

[REDSLED]

Chuck, 1:29 is respectable for a street car, afterall that is what it is. Greenberg ran a 1:26 in his Factory GTSR on Michelin Slicks. Factory GTSR has run 1:18's on the same track. I do believe 1:29 has already been run by a stock 2008 (no aero) a month ago by a very good local Viper driver driving someone elses car (so I'm sure leaving time on the table)

 

[SnakeBitten]

Heres a list from WSIR record list. ACR is about 3 secs faster then the reg Viper on just a 2.5 mile track. Im thinking at VIR it will be more like 5-6secs a lap faster on that 4.2 mile track. The ACR has got to be at least an easy 7:30 car at the famed Ring. This car is the real deal. Hell of a swan song for the Viper.

::::Willow Springs Raceway::::

 

[REDSLED]

Heres a list from WSIR record list. ACR is about 3 secs faster then the reg Viper on just a 2.5 mile track.
::::Willow Springs Raceway::::

So the ACR should be runing 1:26's at WSIR?
R compound tires and Aero are helpful but.........nevermind.

 

[sween]

hmm if you look at the comparison spec sheet they got the SRT-10 at 3445 pounds and the ACR at 3430 pounds.. They said though that the ACR test car had a different seat and a roll cage so I think if it was with the ******** package (weighing like 3360 pounds) I think it would do slightly better. I can't wait to see a comparison test with this against the ZR-1, also would be nice to see it at the ring.

BTW the 0-60 time at 3.4 sounds great!

 

[SnakeBitten]

So the ACR should be runing 1:26's at WSIR?
R compound tires and Aero are helpful but.........nevermind.

The ACR ran 1:29.33 at WSIR which is almost 3 sec faster than the regular Viper. I guess I worded it wrong. Was thinking out loud about what the ACR would do to the regular Viper on VIR's 4.2 mile course if it was about 3 secs faster on WSIR 2.5 miler. My appologies on the confusion.

 

[black08]

So the ACR should be runing 1:26's at WSIR?
R compound tires and Aero are helpful but.........nevermind.

Well, I think what's interesting is that you have a professional racecar driver, Steve Millen, who runs the standard 2008 and the ACR on the same day and the same track. Presumably, he's trying equally hard with each car. If he can run the ACR almost 3 sec. faster than the standard 2008, I wonder what the local Viper owner who ran 1:29 in the standard 2008 could do with the ACR?

 

[j-rho]

1:29 isn't all that great, so I guess we have to look at the relative times as a better comparison. 3 seconds seems about right but I figured it'd be more like 1:26 for the ACR and 1:29 for the 2008.

Galati ran a 1:30 at Willow in a bone stock C5 Z06 a few years back. Conditions at Willow vary greatly from day to day though, could be it was damp or really hot or something on their test day.

 

[black mamba1]

1:29 isn't all that great, so I guess we have to look at the relative times as a better comparison. 3 seconds seems about right but I figured it'd be more like 1:26 for the ACR and 1:29 for the 2008.

Galati ran a 1:30 at Willow in a bone stock C5 Z06 a few years back. Conditions at Willow vary greatly from day to day though, could be it was damp or really hot or something on their test day.

Individual numbers dont mean much w/out having a reference to other cars on the same day and same conditions. Needless to say, a car running on a cool dry day will have better times than if it ran on an warm moist day. So its the 1:29 relative to the other sports cars that really matters.

Vipers rule. I love that ACR, not really crazy about surrendering 25 mph off the top end though.

 

[Russ M]

Paul Mumford(may he rest in peace) ran a 1:29 in his stock 99(not sure if it was ACR or not), someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[sun diego]

Terry R. ran the 1:29 in my bone stock '08 about one month ago. He went out for one session, no practice in the car and had traffic for much of the session on not a particularly fast day at the track. He has run a 1:29 in a stock Gen 3 and a stock Gen 2 with an agressive alignment. He feels with a similar alignment the 08 should drop a second or 2.

I put in a fair bit of track time, but I don't feel I have enough experience to project the ACR's time. Redsled is far faster, and has experience with aero/non aero, different tires, etc. His opinion is one of the few I would listen to.

 

[j-rho]

Keep in mind too, Millen is a big Nissan lapdog. By driving 3-4 seconds under the car's potential, he'll be able to beat that time when they ask him to run the GTR later in an upcoming issue, thus completing the prophecy of it being the fastest production car EVAR!!!!

Would be nice to get somebody like Gigliotti or Heinricy in a C6 Z06, Erik Messley or Scotty White in an ACR, and Millen in a GTR all out at Willow. Until then we're at the mercy of a complex multi-layered maelstrom of bias.

 

[Vipermann]

So the ACR should be runing 1:26's at WSIR?
R compound tires and Aero are helpful but.........nevermind.

For me, it was all about the same day /driver comparisons to the other cars ... 4 secs faster than a Porsche GT3 RS (even the regular '08 SRT10 was a second faster) ... Maybe that driver isn't the best on that track, I dunno, but the ACR was clearly better than anything else on the track that day.

 

[black mamba1]

I am a little surprised that the ACR only had .1 second on the regular Viper in the 1/4 mile w/ the much stickier (************) tires and suspension upgrade.

 

[black08]

I am a little surprised that the ACR only had .1 second on the regular Viper in the 1/4 mile w/ the much stickier (************) tires and suspension upgrade.

Yes, but don't forget, the drag created by the aerodynamics on the ACR is probably a factor as well.

 

[black mamba1]

Yes, but don't forget, the drag created by the aerodynamics on the ACR is probably a factor as well.

Very true, which ***** for 1/4 mile racing and roll ons. Gotta boost that ***** to overcome all that 1200+ lbs of drag!

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

One thing you have to take from this is how it compared to the other cars in the test. Weather conditions, track conditions, etc. can affect times more than many realize. The difference, when compared to what one driver did with all the different cars, is the true measure for the day.

 

[SCLSSRT10]

According to the engineers at CTC the on a given 3-4 mile track with the same driver on the same day, the ACR will be 1-2 seconds slower than a VRL Comp Coup on it's stock street tires (Pilot Sport Cup series), put the stock VRL Hoosier tires on it and the ACR will be 1-2 seconds faster than a Comp Coup. When you think about it in those terms the ACR is one fansastic piece of automotive engineering.

The problem that I see is these cars are going to be tracked by more than a few people that have no comprehenison of how to handle that kind of preformance and there are going to be people hurt. I just hope that everyone that brings these cars to the track will get some instruction before they become a statistic. To that end this is a shamless plug for Viper Days. When drivers attend Viper Days they learn how to drive these amazing cars in a safe controlable environment. The instructors at Viper Days teach proper car control and what not to do with 600 HP. Check out the Viper Days website @ Viper Days Driving School *** www.ViperDays.com *** - Home : Chicago Commercial for more information.

There is no doubt the ACR is going to be a monster track car, just learn how to drive it before you go crazy.

Buttonwillow this past weekend was way too much and some of the best racing action we have had in a long time.

See you on a race track near you,

#007

 

[black mamba1]

I dont think there is any street legal car anywhere that can match the ACR. This is an incedible machine, and kicks the ass of $150,000 sports cars in every cateragory.

 

[black08]

I dont think there is any street legal car anywhere that can match the ACR. This is an incedible machine, and kicks the ass of $150,000 sports cars in every cateragory.

Absolutely!! Now if we could just get that 75 horsepower Mopar upgrade...we'd be all set.