The Car & Driver shootout basically tells the same story - if you look at the results, the ACR topped every track/speed/braking test by a good margin. So how did it come in 3rd you ask? Oh, because half the points were for shit like "interior poshness", "comfort", "colored light-up thingys", "driver aids", etc. But at least they made it easy for me to flip thru it at the newsstand, read the results grid, see the ACR won every category, and then promptly return it to its spot on the stand.
"Everything about the ACR leaves you breathless: the ultra-quick steering, the crushing acceleration, the suspension’s piano-string tautness, cornering transitions that make you feel like you’ve fallen into a pinball machine. The Corvette Z06, for all of its virtues, cannot duplicate the ACR’s electrifying race-car moves (we’ll see if the new ZR1 can defend its little brother’s honor). Nissan GT-R? Forget it: The Viper ACR will leave its solenoids and software bugged out by rubber dust. Porsche GT-2? Getting warmer, but Porsche’s masterpiece (at twice the Dodge’s $98,110 price) plays by Marquis of Queensberry rules. The ACR is strictly UFC. Dare to get in the ring with it, dude, and you’re going to get pummeled.
I haven’t driven another car in recent memory that’s felt so utterly brutal yet so unfailingly honest. You want speed? The ACR delivers it like French roast coffee administered via syringe. True, with its adjustable KW shocks and tunable aero bits, the ACR really is a ringer, a thinly disguised race car. But, hey, the DOT says it can play in the street with everything else, so fair is fair.
I’m keeping a record of my Viper ACR drive in my personal journal. It’ll be under the heading, "Cars I Love That Make Me Feel Like Five Minutes Ago I Said Something Stupid To Mike Tyson."
Yes, the Car & Driver article was a joke. After I saw the viper and corvette receive a '0' rating for 'backseat comfort', I knew who was responsible for judging and how they wanted to twist the results for the overall rating. Throw out the minivan categories and the viper ACR would really stand out at the top!
"Everything about the ACR leaves you breathless: the ultra-quick steering, the crushing acceleration, the suspension’s piano-string tautness, cornering transitions that make you feel like you’ve fallen into a pinball machine. The Corvette Z06, for all of its virtues, cannot duplicate the ACR’s electrifying race-car moves (we’ll see if the new ZR1 can defend its little brother’s honor). Nissan GT-R? Forget it: The Viper ACR will leave its solenoids and software bugged out by rubber dust. Porsche GT-2? Getting warmer, but Porsche’s masterpiece (at twice the Dodge’s $98,110 price) plays by Marquis of Queensberry rules. The ACR is strictly UFC. Dare to get in the ring with it, dude, and you’re going to get pummeled.
I haven’t driven another car in recent memory that’s felt so utterly brutal yet so unfailingly honest. You want speed? The ACR delivers it like French roast coffee administered via syringe. True, with its adjustable KW shocks and tunable aero bits, the ACR really is a ringer, a thinly disguised race car. But, hey, the DOT says it can play in the street with everything else, so fair is fair.
I’m keeping a record of my Viper ACR drive in my personal journal. It’ll be under the heading, "Cars I Love That Make Me Feel Like Five Minutes Ago I Said Something Stupid To Mike Tyson."
Just WoW!
In 2002 I went to WSIR with PMUM in a Porsche GT2 completely stock, he did a 1:32 flat, I don't know what changes were made since then but this was one of the greatest RR drivers driving it.
Mark, the ACR lacked the "auto suck" option which swayed C&D
In 2002 I went to WSIR with PMUM in a Porsche GT2 completely stock, he did a 1:32 flat, I don't know what changes were made since then but this was one of the greatest RR drivers driving it.
Mark, the ACR lacked the "auto suck" option which swayed C&D
.
He had the 996 GT2, right? The 997 is a whole new car and from what I understand, a lot faster.
In 2002 I went to WSIR with PMUM in a Porsche GT2 completely stock, he did a 1:32 flat, I don't know what changes were made since then but this was one of the greatest RR drivers driving it.
Mark, the ACR lacked the "auto suck" option which swayed C&D
.
I cant wait to hear back from you, and Mark's report on the ACR..
Kind of funny this thread popped up. I spotted this beauty at the local Harley-Davidson dealership while out cruising today. The car was driven by an engineer (should be fairly obvious due to the "M" plate) - his laptop was pretty cool as it had a nice 8" Viper emblem affixed to the top. I'd have gotten a pic of it, but all I had was my camera phone and the pics through the windows were blurry...
