treynor
Enthusiast
That's right - he's done it again. With the "fast" pulley, it pegs the 30PSI boost gauge and lights up 345-width Pilot Sports through 160 MPH. You can hear the blower whine for blocks, and when it finally pulls up, people crowd around to gawk 4-deep. Insane power, insane looks, insane sounds -- you could expect nothing less from DLM.
That said, I'm finally ready to admit it: there IS such a thing as too much horsepower for a streetable Viper. In my case, that threshold occurs at 1100 RWHP -- about what you get when you take a built, cammed 8 liter V10 and push over 26 PSI of intercooled boost into it. At that power level, even on the widest street tires available, the horsepower ceases to be fun, and instead becomes a white-knuckle exercise in restraint. Lighting up both rear tires at 150 mph in 4th gear may sound entertaining, but it's a good way to end up dead, and that's not on my personal agenda any time soon. Also, the combo of the procharger and cog drive is loud. Exciting? Hell yes. Bragging rights? You bet! Something I'd want to drive on a daily basis? Well, no...
When we tried throttling the boost down to more modest levels, it became apparent that my previous setup was a better choice. So, although it pains me to say it, I told Doug to bring The Beast back to a mere 850 RWHP and a quieter blower. At that power level I feel in control (more or less), the RT's streetable, and I can occasionally hear the stereo. It's less impressive on paper, but it's a hell of a lot more enjoyable in person. It's still a blast to drive, to accelerate, and to show off. It's still faster than anything I run into on the street. And it'll still run 145 in the 1/4 without spray
For the record, here's a pic of the beast in pure form -- procharger, cog drive, >30lbs of boost in 90F temps, and around 1300 BHP. I didn't really enjoy it, but I will miss it.
That said, I'm finally ready to admit it: there IS such a thing as too much horsepower for a streetable Viper. In my case, that threshold occurs at 1100 RWHP -- about what you get when you take a built, cammed 8 liter V10 and push over 26 PSI of intercooled boost into it. At that power level, even on the widest street tires available, the horsepower ceases to be fun, and instead becomes a white-knuckle exercise in restraint. Lighting up both rear tires at 150 mph in 4th gear may sound entertaining, but it's a good way to end up dead, and that's not on my personal agenda any time soon. Also, the combo of the procharger and cog drive is loud. Exciting? Hell yes. Bragging rights? You bet! Something I'd want to drive on a daily basis? Well, no...
When we tried throttling the boost down to more modest levels, it became apparent that my previous setup was a better choice. So, although it pains me to say it, I told Doug to bring The Beast back to a mere 850 RWHP and a quieter blower. At that power level I feel in control (more or less), the RT's streetable, and I can occasionally hear the stereo. It's less impressive on paper, but it's a hell of a lot more enjoyable in person. It's still a blast to drive, to accelerate, and to show off. It's still faster than anything I run into on the street. And it'll still run 145 in the 1/4 without spray
For the record, here's a pic of the beast in pure form -- procharger, cog drive, >30lbs of boost in 90F temps, and around 1300 BHP. I didn't really enjoy it, but I will miss it.
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