SUPERCAR challenge: 'BEST' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

[LTHL VPR]

SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

Just noticed that Car and Driver posted each car's best results on the Car and Driver website!! They really did a great job with animation, graphics, and results!! There are several different links, so it may be slightly confusing. Here are the 2 main links:
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2002/september/supercars/0209_sc_challenge_course_map.xml
http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2002/september/supercars/0209_sc_challenge_opener.xml

This provides some valuable information that is DIFFERENT than it appeared in the magazine. It posts each car's BEST overall times for 0-60, 0-100, 1/4 mile, 150-0, etc...

As you will see, the APEX LETHAL 750 earned the following honors of the cars that finished the event:
0-60= 3.62 sec (2nd)
0-100= 7.34 sec (2nd)
1/4 mile= [email protected] (3rd)
150-0= 670 ft (4th)

Hope this clarifies some earlier questions...
P.S. If you are wondering about our 100-150 time, we did confirm that the driver shifted around 5200rpms; hence the final 20mph was pulled in 5th gear, compared to the other Vipers that shifted into 5th around 145 mph and only pulled 5mph in 5th. Accounts for a significantly slower time (probably lost a couple of seconds here..thought this might clarify some questions as well)
Regards,
Wayne (LTHL VPR)

 

[USAF BAD ASP]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

what am I missing about the 1/4 mile times? We have board members who claim faster times in stock vipers than they put down with 700-800hp vipers.

 

[LTHL VPR]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

The times were not achieved at a dragtstrip, but a straightaway on an oval racetrack (MIS). The instruments used to measure times were not the same as those used at a dragstrip. There are many factors that would make it near impossible to compare these times to times achieved at a dragstrip.
(The more power you put down, the harder it is to hook up, the more tirespin that occurs, the slower the times.)

HOWEVER, even with the stock ACR, which is, comparatively, MUCH EASIER to hook up than any other of the tuner Vipers at this event, Car and Driver was only able to manage a 12.6 sec.(with the same driver that drove our car), a Porsche Turbo only 12.9sec, and a Z06 12.8 sec. 1/4 mile time. These times are at least .5 sec - 1 sec. slower than most published mag. tests for these cars. This gives you a great comparison of the conditions, track, testing,etc....
-W

 

[Mike Brunton]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by USAF BAD ASP:
what am I missing about the 1/4 mile times? We have board members who claim faster times in stock vipers than they put down with 700-800hp vipers. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Untrue.

Nobody has gone faster in a stock Viper than these cars went. Some have gone QUICKER, but that is an entirely different thing.

At the drag strip, your MPH is averaged over the last 60'. If you took ACTUAL terminal velocity into account, it would probably be more like 123mph for a stock car. On the other hand, the drag strip does not start counting until you LEAVE the beam, so ET's at the strip will be a bit better than they will be in this test.

Furthermore, Apex has noted that they let the C&D guys drive the car. C&D has a pretty "methodical" approach to testing where they attempt to drive each car the same way (i.e. if they don't speed shift one, they won't speed shift any of them). They do this so that THEIR times are comparable to one another. If the C&D guys drove the Apex car and pro drivers were driving the other cars, it could explain some of the discrepancy. On the other hand, I don't know why they wouldn't bring a pro driver, because maybe the C&D guy was a BETTER driver? It sounds like he wasn't, but people aren't going to look deep into the story before they buy, they're just going to check the numbers and go from there.

My .02.

 

[USAF BAD ASP]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mike Brunton:
Untrue.

Nobody has gone faster in a stock Viper than these cars went. Some have gone QUICKER, but that is an entirely different thing.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I understand that, but that's not what I said. I said "faster TIMES" not "faster speeds" not "faster traps" etc etc.

"Faster times" refers to the seconds it took, not MPH.

 

[Guibo]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

Congrats, Wayne and Bob. Great results. But I have a couple of questions:

1) Does the Lethal 750 retain the stock ABS system?

2) Is it true (as stated in the magazine) that it ran with the stock Viper ACR suspension? If invited back next year, do you plan on making any changes to that part of the car?

3) Any chance you'd hire a professional driver next year?


BTW, for anyone interested, here's a column on Hennessey's recent problems: http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/columns/2002/september/200209_columns_steering.xml

 

[LTHL VPR]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

They also have DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS,COST, etc.. on each car on the website; much more detailed than the magazine. Gives you a chance to see how many upgrades, parts, and the cost of each all the cars came with.

For example our LETHAL 750's price included all the features the car had at the test. We had non performance items like the stereo/entertainment system, full leather interior, and front fascia that tacked on another $16k to the overall price of the car (in case you were wondering).

APEX LETHAL 750 specs: http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2002/september/supercars/0209_sc_challenge_6th_specs.xml

LPE specs: http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caranddriver/comparisontests/2002/september/supercars/0209_sc_challenge_1st_specs.xml

-Wayne

 

[LTHL VPR]

Re: SUPERCAR challenge: \'BEST\' results for each car posted on Car and Driver website!!

steelgts-
I do not agree with you that all the tests were pointless. This event and testing was not done so you could compare the times and performance to cars outside of the competition; meaning don't compare the 1/4 mile time at the event to another from a dragstrip with different conditions. I believe the main purpose of this test and event was to compare all of the cars present which are reflections of the tuners. Same day, same conditions, same track, same measurements. This was a competition between the tuners and the cars they brought. However, I do agree with you that it might have yielded more realistic and valuable results if they had the acceleration tests done at a dragstrip; so one could compare the numbers to some degree.

Guibo- Here are the answers to your questions...
1) Does the Lethal 750 retain the stock ABS system?
Yes, it does. However, we have added the StopTech 4-wheel brake kit to the system. It provides a great comparision because they also tested a stock ACR with the stock ABS system; the LETHAL 750 with the StopTech stopped over 105ft shorter than the stock ABS system.
2) Is it true (as stated in the magazine) that it ran with the stock Viper ACR suspension? If invited back next year, do you plan on making any changes to that part of the car?
Yes, it ran with the stock ACR suspension. It took some time to prepare the car; had we had more, we may have gone with a custom Penske setup.
3) Any chance you'd hire a professional driver next year?
We'll see....It's quite a ways off at this point.

-Wayne (LTHL VPR)