Provided the Viper badge lives on - and lets hope it does - DC will build a Super Viper incorporating many of the things we've talked about on this forum - including intelligent AWD and much more power per weight to take advantage of the traction.
The question is - will this be a pioneering (for the USA) legend?
or will it simply be the forced response to what the others are already doing or now planning and will do?
That is the question my friends. The old technology is full of nostalgia but it aint the future and the rest of the world are a decade ahead already. The Viper is only where it is because it has a huge engine. I'm not knocking the Viper in any way - its one of the most desireable cars currently available and for the money in the USA - the best buy! I'm simply saying that if DC stays on the same track there are other trains coming that will knock it off. If DC lacks the political will to pioneer extreme, Lutz at GM does not. The ONLY thing limiting GM's chief right now are the American unions or I could tell you a range of things you could buy at a GM dealership over the next 18 months in the USA that you won't see there because of union issues. The new Pontiac GTO coming out is 100% Australian, but that is only one of a number of GM products that would sell like hotcakes in the USA made there - like a 400hp 4 door sedan, and the new upcoming AWD 4 door sports sedan with liftback for carrying 4-5 adults, or huge luggage, low to ground for good handling, hi output alloy Vette engine, 6 speed or auto etc etc.
Its coming. But you won't see it there until someone in the USA decides to build them, because the rest of the world are already doing it, but your regulations don't allow too much import competition. The question once again is - will DC build a legend, or will it be GM or Ford. Someone will, or the entire Amercian auto industry will become redundant in the eyes of the rest of the world, and the days are already here when the global market place is more important than the national one.
The RWD limitations are already being stretched, with public safety a huge public issue. A few Cobra owners never lived to make their first monthly instalment. Those wild hey days are gone forever. Safety is important now as much as brute power. AWD will be seen in Amercian hi perf auto's - mark my words.
It seems to me that a Super Viper would be an ideal first platform.
re working with what we've got in the meantime:
Recast the block and heads in titanium/aluminum alloy - with enough bracing for 2000hp. It'll save quite a few pounds and be stiffer. It won't cost as much as 100% titanium. Same basic alloy for rods. Magnesium intakes, trans casing and diff casings, carbon fibre suspension components. No steel panels at all - all carbon fibre from floor to roof (stronger than steel anyway). Lightweight alloy tubing and cage filled with super light but strong hardened foam. A Coupe will be stiffer than a ******* for the same weight. These things will take off a significant amount of weight combined with the traditional things that would be done anyway. The crank needs updating to a top fuel quality CNC forged cross-drilled and knife edged unit that will handle 9000rpm, because anything less is going to be a weak link in a serious racing effort. With a stiff block and breathing heads and a strong crank, you can make serious hp/cube and get more rpms - which do matter in racing.
Last but not least - power per weight is only one of many factors to making a race winner. By far the most important is being able to use 100% of what you have. Here's a good lesson:
In Australia and NZ there are two classes of race cars that are very popular and that use V8's. One class is called the V8 Supercars. It is essentially a two horse race between Aussie Ford Falcons and Aussie GM Holden Commodores. Both are 4 doors, restricted to 5 litre engines and 7500rpm and this limits them to about 630hp. They must weight 2970lbs and are limited to 10" wide slicks. They typically cost around $300,000AUD per car plus a annual race budget of WELL over $1million to run a car to be competitive.
The other class runs under different names but is essentially your space framed lightweight race car with a carbon body fitted over it to look loosely like a Vette, Jag, Mustang etc with full house 6 litre injected 750hp NASCAR type engine massive slicks and brakes and a weight somewhere around 2500lbs -some more some less. Many of these cars are built by small private workshops from many imported parts - most from USA.
The 3000lb car on 10" rubber should be no match for the 750hp lightweight monsters on big rubber.... but guess what? They are.... on a tight track they'd spank their butt on any day of the week. On a faster track they'll be within the same second.
WHY? How could this be possible?
Its called chassis set up and suspension. The Supercar teams are run like the F1 and Indy teams. They are pros. They will fine tune the cars to each track and with big budgets and super tunable chassis/suspensions, they can get the best out of their cars quite quickly. Their experience makes the learning curve at new tracks fast. It means that when we turn up in one of our suped up race cars that should blow their doors off we'd get creamed. They easily top 2.5g on 10" rubber and will do it all day as they do in endurance races. They have a big range in tire choice, and a privateer will have no chance to match their joint expertise.
LESSON: Weight is only one factor, Mercedes have raced their heavy weights quite successfully as have Jaguar with their old V12's. The Viper does not HAVE to be lighter than a super Lutz Vette...just close. What it needs is the best chassis/suspension tunability and the best teams and enough power to bring home the trophy. GM's 5 litre has been a good 25hp down on the Ford for a while - but the GM wins consistently... better chassis, suspension and setup for the track in this class.
Crank 700+hp out of the Viper V10, get it around or under 3000lbs road legal then find a way to keep those tire patches firmly on the road at all vibrations... with brakes to match, and you'll have a winner. Ultra hard spring rates are not the answer - that's 1970's - you need suppleness with resistance rising to meet demand... learn from the rally cars.... those 2 litre babies will annoy the snot out of you on a road course.
my further 2 cents... must go. Have a great day y'all
