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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » New Viper ACR-X is freaking incredible

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June 4, 2010 10:08 p.m. Tim Suddard Publisher

I know this might shock you, but knocking nearly 200 pounds out of a Viper and putting race tires on it and a better aero package and more horsepower is a good thing.

I have driven a lot of really fast cars, including the McLaren F1, and driving that Viper ACR-X yesterday at GingerMan Raceway, might be the coolest thing I have ever done. Literally accelerated so fast I nearly passed out. Brakes and handling to match. Oh, my f-ing god, what a car.

Full report next issue (probably Oct) and Tom Heath will have the video and in car stuff up in a day or so on the site.
June 4, 2010 10:16 p.m. NYG95GA UltraDork

Yeah, but it's not a Neon.

Or a Miata
June 4, 2010 10:18 p.m. jrg77 New Reader

And it doesn't have an LSx in it.
June 4, 2010 10:21 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker UltraDork

Sweet. Not a lot of journalists in this genre use berkeley-like expressions enough.

I'll add this to my "Cars I'll acquire after the apocalypse" list.
June 4, 2010 10:31 p.m. TJ Dork

So, I'm guessing you liked it? It's a little hard to tell from your ambivalent post.

I bet it sounds good too, I'll be on the lookout for the video and the story.
June 4, 2010 10:33 p.m. Kia_racer HalfDork

Sweet! Now if they would just price it where us mere mortals can afford it.
June 4, 2010 10:36 p.m. Feedyurhed HalfDork

That's nice to hear. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come from Fiat. I have a friend that works for Chrysler and he states that good things are coming for the Challenger also in the way of improvements and updates. Lets hope it goes on a diet too as it's overall a good car but a giant porker.
June 4, 2010 10:40 p.m. pete240z Dork

yeah, tell us how you really feel.
June 4, 2010 11:46 p.m. maroon92 PowerDork

on another note, how was Gingerman? I love that place.
June 5, 2010 12:15 a.m. Appleseed SuperDork

Uh...E 30? No, uh...P71!
June 5, 2010 6:26 a.m. DrBoost Dork

jrg77 wrote:

And it doesn't have an LSx in it.

Yeah, that's a good thing.
June 5, 2010 7:41 a.m. Tim Suddard Publisher

GingerMan was a lot of fun. It is a very busy, technical track. Especially in a fast car like the Viper, you never get a break. The grounds are well kept and the Schnittas that own the place seem very nice.
June 5, 2010 5:03 p.m. fornetti14 Reader

I was there that afternoon for the nightly test and tune.

I will add that the Viper motor sounds super bad ass.
June 5, 2010 5:56 p.m. cwh UltraDork

What is the displacement for the ACR-X? Same as the regular Viper, or did they have to shrink it for competition?
June 6, 2010 12:04 a.m. wearymicrobe Reader

cwh wrote:

What is the displacement for the ACR-X? Same as the regular Viper, or did they have to shrink it for competition?

8.4 liter's same as the gen IV. The ACR-X only has headers, straight exhaust and I think a retune for race gas in terms of more power.

Vipers make a ton of power on simple bolt-on parts.

The race series is supposed to be only ACR-X's and the purses are pretty big. Though they qualify for other stuff.
June 6, 2010 6:26 a.m. Tim Suddard Publisher

There is over $200,000 in contingency and they have five double race weekends. Yes, 8.4 liters and 640 hp
June 6, 2010 10:36 a.m. DirtyBird222 Dork

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Sweet. Not a lot of journalists in this genre use berkeley-like expressions enough.

I'll add this to my "Cars I'll acquire after the apocalypse" list.

that's because none are as awesome as Tim
June 6, 2010 10:44 a.m. z31maniac Dork

Tim Suddard wrote:

Yes, 8.4 liters and 640 hp

And I'm sure oodles of creamy torque. And it seems even at that not inconsequential amount of HP, they could wring alot more out of it.
June 6, 2010 4:22 p.m. Tom Heath Webmaster

Did someone say video?

Click here!

Also available on our YouTube channel. Post it to your facebook page so we can be famous...

Tim also spent some time with Ralph Gilles, and asked many of the questions from this thread. I like the answers, but more importantly I like where Mr. Gilles is coming from. Like a lot of us, he started as an autocrosser and has been building his driving experience from there. I like CEOs that have cone-chasing experience.

The interview is pretty long, but definitely worth watching. There's a specific part that Ralph wasn't allowed to talk about that has me all giggly inside.
June 6, 2010 6:04 p.m. Spinout007 Dork

Thanks I needed that, more incentive to stay at the school work. I especially enjoyed watching the accelerometer needles go off the scale. FREAKING AWESOME, and like you said, you weren't even pushing it hard.

Ok back to school work.
June 6, 2010 6:10 p.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader

I drove GingerMan in my mostly stock Saturn SL2 during the 2001 Saturn Performance Club Rally. I have in-car video from that. This video makes me look like I had the car in reverse the whole time. Though I think my lines were a little neater. I'm sure you had your hands full just keeping this beast of a car on the track!
June 6, 2010 7:18 p.m. dean1484 Dork

Shocked???? Naaaa anything with that kind of hp / weight will make you giggle like a school girl!!!!
June 7, 2010 12:16 p.m. WilberM3 Reader

watching that speedo did make me giggle a little... wow.
June 7, 2010 12:23 p.m. z31maniac Dork

WOW. Insane the way taht thing accelerated down the long straight.
June 7, 2010 12:32 p.m. oldsaw Dork

Tom Heath wrote:

The interview is pretty long, but definitely worth watching. There's a specific part that Ralph wasn't allowed to talk about that has me all giggly inside.

That interview was very interesting and revealing. We'll just have to wait and see if the end results match-up to the intent; certainly hope so for Chrysler and the domestic industry's sake.

A bit of judicious editing seemed to erase (the well-spoken) Gilles' quick departure, but it sure looked like he was launching out of that chair when the interviewed concluded. Mother Nature or a packed media schedule?

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