Corvette VS. The World (Including The Viper)

[ACRucrazy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6mW-UxCf6cE

 

[Bobpantax]

Thanks for posting. He seemed very fair with his comments. At the end I was left with the question of what the new Z06 or ZR1 will do on a road course. The statement regarding the 6 tenths of a second difference with 180 HP less is noteworthy. Your thoughts?

 

[Paul Hawker]

Glad to see our Viper come out on top. Sounded like the most fun and exciting to drive too. ViperNation should be proud.

Was surprised to see the BMW M3 so far down the list.

 

[Lespauldude]

So we beat the Vette by six tenths of a second. This driver/reviewer really seemed enamored with the 2 Porsches.

 

[v10enomous]

So the base boulevard version of the base Viper beat everything and there's still a Track Pack and TA version available and an ACR coming for guys with the balls and ability to drive... Yawn.

 

[Bobpantax]

The reviewer commented on the BMW and said it was due to the heat.

Glad to see our Viper come out on top. Sounded like the most fun and exciting to drive too. ViperNation should be proud.

Was surprised to see the BMW M3 so far down the list.

 

[v10enomous]

Viper wins at Edmunds... Emergency meeting at Motor Trend in progress

 

[Steve M]

In case you don't want to watch the whole video to see the times:

SRT Viper - 01:23.9
Corvette Stingray - 01:24.6
Nissan GT-R - 01:25.2
Porsche 911 Carrera S - 01:25.6
Porsche Cayman S - 01:27.0
Shelby GT500 - 01:27.3
BMW M3 Coupe - 01:29.0

 

[v10enomous]

The guy is is like... Well yes even the cheapest non performance Viper won even though I'm afraid to drive it but it's a big mean bully and nobody likes a bully

 

[Steve M]

Thanks for posting. He seemed very fair with his comments. At the end I was left with the question of what the new Z06 or ZR1 will do on a road course. The statement regarding the 6 tenths of a second difference with 180 HP less is noteworthy. Your thoughts?

My thoughts: a longer, faster track will make HP a bigger factor in lap times. If you can't use all of the available power because you run out of room, then it does you no good.

If anything, I think it is a testament to how well-rounded a Viper is that it can do better than a Corvette on a short(er) course, especially with how driver-friendly the previous Vettes have been (I'd assume the C7 is no different in this aspect).

 

[JAY]

Thanks for posting ! A Base Gen 5 , still has what it takes !!!

 

[slysnake]

So.... He admits the Viper is the top car in the field but he is AFRAID of it and thus doesn't drive it to it's limits. Although it beat every car tested, he declares the Vette winner because "it wasn't that far back".

I think the real problem is SRT is not willing to "grease the wheels". If you know what I mean.

 

[Nine Ball]

After having tracked my "base" Gen V this past weekend, the car definitely has more power than it can use on a road course. I was mostly in 3rd gear, and couldn't even floor it when doing my exits. If I tried flooring it while in any sort of turn, the rear would step out and the inside tire would haze. So, it was part-throttle until the car got mostly pointed straight. If the car made 150 hp less, it would likely still turn the same track time on a smaller technical track.

 

[BigDawg]

In case you don't want to watch the whole video to see the times:

SRT Viper - 01:23.9
Corvette Stingray - 01:24.6
Nissan GT-R - 01:25.2
Porsche 911 Carrera S - 01:25.6
Porsche Cayman S - 01:27.0
Shelby GT500 - 01:27.3
BMW M3 Coupe - 01:29.0

Seeing these times confirms that the Viper has a lot more in it. The driver(s) is afraid to push the car to its limits.

 

[TrackAire]

My thoughts: a longer, faster track will make HP a bigger factor in lap times. If you can't use all of the available power because you run out of room, then it does you no good.

If anything, I think it is a testament to how well-rounded a Viper is that it can do better than a Corvette on a short(er) course, especially with how driver-friendly the previous Vettes have been (I'd assume the C7 is no different in this aspect).

I'm not familiar with Willow Springs and which course they actually used at that facility. (I think there is a Big Willows and a Steets of Willows) But I do know that on a 2 minute plus lap race track the Viper would then be 1 to 1.5 seconds faster than the Vette per lap....which is eternity in "Track Years".

What surprised me was how far back the other cars were during this test. I understand heat soak, but the Bimmer wasn't even in the same league and the M3 is a nice and fast car I don't look at the BMW forums, but I'm guessing that the response is similar to what the first Motor Trend test made the Viper Nation scream about. Might be worth a look, lol.

Cheers,
George

 

[CEJ]

Thought his comment about the Shelby was pretty funny. Fun car to get sideways and eat tires.

GM has a nice car with the Vette, so it will be interesting to see what SRT does to counter Chevy's performance gains.

Love the color of that Lime Rock edition M3.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

Thanks for posting. He seemed very fair with his comments. At the end I was left with the question of what the new Z06 or ZR1 will do on a road course. The statement regarding the 6 tenths of a second difference with 180 HP less is noteworthy. Your thoughts?

Good points and very noteworthy indicating the new ZO6 or ZR1 btw a better match for the Viper will be the King and make well over the 6 tenths lost.

 

[jsd512]

Do they not always seem that way when driving anything but American?

 

[phavyarden]

Well done for the Viper. I still was expecting even more difference with the Vette.
Still, the lap times are not impressive.
Randy has done a 1:19.5 with the GT-R 2013, and Z07 Package has done a 1:20.43

 

[madninjaskillz]

Well done for the Viper. I still was expecting even more difference with the Vette.
Still, the lap times are not impressive.
Randy has done a 1:19.5 with the GT-R 2013, and Z07 Package has done a 1:20.43

Exactly this. The guy couldn't drive that well and was afraid of the Viper because it takes another level of skill he clearly doesn't have.

 

[phavyarden]

Not to mention that the srt Viper has already done a 1:23.0 at C&D

 

[Nine Ball]

You guys are missing the point. He clearly stated that this test would be objective, and based on the same driver, same track, same day. The results are relative. They shouldn't be compared to record-setting runs by pro drivers. That wouldn't be relative, in a comparison test. If Probst is better, and did the same series of tests, then his times would likely also be relative, just with all the times being quicker. The net results would likely stack up, just as this guy's did. Arguing semantics is a waste of time, the video is for your entertainment.

 

[v10enomous]

I hear you but the other cars are more suitable for average drivers so while you are correct, this type of comparison favors the more average cars.

You guys are missing the point. He clearly stated that this test would be objective, and based on the same driver, same track, same day. The results are relative. They shouldn't be compared to record-setting runs by pro drivers. That wouldn't be relative, in a comparison test. If Probst is better, and did the same series of tests, then his times would likely also be relative, just with all the times being quicker. The net results would likely stack up, just as this guy's did. Arguing semantics is a waste of time, the video is for your entertainment.

 

[Nine Ball]

Few people here could drive any Viper to its limit ( I can't ), so maybe this comparison is actually more valid to the readers/audience. The pro drivers don't purchase their cars based on what magazine drivers tell them, nor do I.

 

[DrumrBoy]

Surprised that the GTR properly driven didn't win.....those AWD things match up well with almost anything on street tires. Glad the Viper came out on top.

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

After having tracked my "base" Gen V this past weekend, the car definitely has more power than it can use on a road course. I was mostly in 3rd gear, and couldn't even floor it when doing my exits. If I tried flooring it while in any sort of turn, the rear would step out and the inside tire would haze. So, it was part-throttle until the car got mostly pointed straight. If the car made 150 hp less, it would likely still turn the same track time on a smaller technical track.

Tony,

A Giken diff would totally eliminate this issue although it would probably mess with the stability systems :-(

 

[v10enomous]

deleted...

 

[mnc2886]

Tony,

A Giken diff would totally eliminate this issue although it would probably mess with the stability systems :-(

Another product you should convince SRT to use as a standard along with MCS....

 

[chorps]

Few people here could drive any Viper to its limit ( I can't ), so maybe this comparison is actually more valid to the readers/audience. The pro drivers don't purchase their cars based on what magazine drivers tell them, nor do I.

This is true, the Corvette's limits may be more approachable because it communicates better. The Viper might have a lot more in it but it can be more difficult to achieve. Does that mean the driver isn't brave or skilled enough? Or is the vehicle not giving the driver enough information about what is really going on?

http://jalopnik.com/5969087/ralph-gilles-calls-out-motor-trend-driver-for-being-afraid-of-the-viper

Hard to say, but I'm thinking that there's more suspension tuning that can be done for the Viper to be even more communicative with the driver about where the limits lay. Having only a single year and a limited budget to get the entire Viper program resurrected probably means a lot of refinement and tweaks can be done to make the vehicle's suspension communicate clearly. The C7 development mules were out and about since 2010, and Michelin took 3 years to get the C7 tire program going, so there's a lot of homework that Chevy got to do to make the new Stingray handle as good as it does.

 

[v10enomous]

I haven't driven a GenV or any other car close to it's real limits in a long time but the fact that most automotive journalists and test drivers still believe that the most important thing to check before driving a Viper is your life insurance doesn't help the car's image and sales are 95% about image with a sport's car.

This is true, the Corvette's limits may be more approachable because it communicates better. The Viper might have a lot more in it but it can be more difficult to achieve. Does that mean the driver isn't brave or skilled enough? Or is the vehicle not giving the driver enough information about what is really going on?

http://jalopnik.com/5969087/ralph-gilles-calls-out-motor-trend-driver-for-being-afraid-of-the-viper

Hard to say, but I'm thinking that there's more suspension tuning that can be done for the Viper to be even more communicative with the driver about where the limits lay. Having only a single year and a limited budget to get the entire Viper program resurrected probably means a lot of refinement and tweaks can be done to make the vehicle's suspension communicate clearly. The C7 development mules were out and about since 2010, and Michelin took 3 years to get the C7 tire program going, so there's a lot of homework that Chevy got to do to make the new Stingray handle as good as it does.