As I recently discovered, the revised 2008 Dodge Viper, with its brand new 600 horsepower V10, is not the heart-stopping, snap-oversteering experience I thought it would be. It wasn’t the sheer excess of power that made it a better drive either, but rather the sense of control its suspension and extra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 2s delivered. These changes worked cohesively to create a more responsive car, while adding in a bit of forgiveness, something previous Vipers weren’t known for. Though the new Viper is a wholly better machine, leave it to Dodge’s track demons (also known as their SRT division) to figure out a way to make it even more enticing.
Its collective efforts have amounted to this, the Viper SRT10 ACR, which is being pitched as a real racing car that just so happens to be street legal. If you’re unfamiliar with the ACR name, it stands for American Club Racer, and is something that Dodge takes particularly seriously. The ACR treatment is applied only to vehicles with the highest motorsport potential, such as the SCCA autocross-friendly Neons, SRT4s and first-generation Viper. In the case of the bigger Viper, it was also a way of bringing some of the excitement of motorsport victories to the customer. After all, the first generation Viper was a tremendously successful race car, capturing the FIA GT2 championship title three times during the late ‘90s, winning overall (yes, beating all of the prototypes by attrition) at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and winning its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.
The important thing about the ACR package is that it does not produce more power than the standard SRT10 Viper. With its more technologically advanced 8.4-liter V10, Dodge deemed that the 600 horsepower it produces is more than plenty, even for track use. Nevertheless, the ACR feels significantly faster than its plain clothes sibling, and on the track it’ll run faster lap times as well.
As sinister as the Viper looks, I imagine that it probably spent more time in the engine shop than in the wind tunnel. This is definitely not true for ACR, which uses dynamic properties of the wind to help it stick to the ground and go faster. Dodge spent time and resources tweaking the body kit and underside to reduce drag and increase downforce. The prominent carbon fibe front splitter is actually comprised of two pieces, a lower lip and a pair of winglets which use wind force to keep thre Viper’s nose glued solidly to the ground. And if that weren’t enough, there’s also that ridiculously large rear wing that does its part to keep the Viper’s backside pressed down on the tarmac. As unbelievable as it may seem, this setup adds an additional 1,000 lbs of downforce when traveling at 150 mph.
Downforce is pretty important, but it isn’t the only high-value card in the ACR’s hand. It also has a thoroughly reworked suspension system. The regular SRT10’s standard components were replaced by a set of adjustable KW dampers that can be modulated 14 different ways, ensuring that the Viper is perfectly set up for any condition. They’re also lighter than the standard components. In addition, the ride height can also be lowered by up to three inches for a truly ground-hugging stance. Finally, with the Viper’s newfound neutrality in its handling characteristics, Dodge’s engineers also fitted springs with significantly higher spring rates, as well as fatter anti-roll bars that keep the car perfectly flat, no matter how aggressively it’s tossed into corners.
Not that the Viper’s Brembo brakes are insufficient, but Dodge knows that Viper ACR owners are going to take their mean machines on the track. Therefore the SRT team has upgraded the brake package to include new two-piece lightweight StopTech rotors that are slotted for better heat dissipation. The Brembo calipers and the same great brake feel are still present.
Last but not least are the tires. Both the SRT10 Roadster and Coupe feature Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires, some of the best rubber in the industry and part of the reason why the revised Viper is a much less twitchy vehicle to drive. The ACR goes one step further with the fitment of semi-slick Pilot Cup tires that might just be the grippiest rubber available on a street car today. Wrapped around forged lightweight “Sidewinder” wheels painted in black, this package also reduces the overall weight of the car by 60 lbs.
Though I wasn’t able to feel the difference that 1,000 lbs of air pushing down on the Viper’s muscular body had, due to the twisty autocross section that Chrysler had set up for testing the vehicle, there’s a distinct difference between the ACR and non-ACR Viper. What little body roll there once was has been completely eradicated by the uprated suspension, while the semi-slick Michelin Cup tires super-glue the car to the road. Short of a true racer on slicks, there aren’t many cars that can match it. Driven back to back with the SRT10 Coupe, the ACR’s steering feels sharper, and the nose bites harder in each and every turn. Even with liberal applications of throttle, the rear tires have less of a tendency to liquefy themselves as well… though, not by much. Want to look like a driving hero? Get yourself one of these.
Mind you, the ACR is not what you’d call a relaxing vehicle to drive. Being that it offers that much more grip, when you finally lose control you’re bound to be going that much faster. And despite being more forgiving than the original and the early models of the second generation car, this isn’t a car to toy with unless you’re in a closed circuit with lots of run-off space. Short of the powerful brakes, ABS and airbags, there’s no safety net to fall back on. It’s just your hands, your feet and your gut instinct.
If you’re really serious about your track days, Dodge can fit the car with a roll cage and a five point harness. If you don’t mind sweating it out, there’s the Hard Core package which also strips out the air conditioning, the stereo system and a few dozen pounds of sound insulation, reducing the weight by a further 40 pounds; as if the roll cage and the semi-slick tires weren’t hard core enough.
The ACR package (or Competition Package, as the option box says on the window sticker) retails for $12,050, which is a little more than 10-percent of the Viper SRT10 Coupe’s base price. Though there’s no extra carbon fibre on the dashboard or any other noteworthy changes to the interior or to the drivetrain, the package offers a lot to the enthusiast driver, turning the already dominating Viper into a bona fide monster. But with that in mind, its day-to-day usability is diminished - the ride is harsher, the visibility reduced and let’s not forget about getting in and out over those heavily bolstered seats; and on that note remember to keep your pant legs away from the hot exhaust pipes, which are conveniently located by your ankles upon exiting.
Like most track-tweaked beasts, the ACR makes the most sense when its driver is wearing a helmet and is racing against a stop watch. You can bet that under these conditions, it’ll be one of the most competitive vehicles around, no matter the circuit or race type.
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