The 'Ring doubters are already starting to come out of the woodwork :)

[Martin]

I hope this isn't a re-post - sorry if it is... Also, sorry to Bruce for hijacking another thread with this - once I posted it, I couldn't figure out how to delete it...

Anyhow, Autoweek came out with a "Not so fast, Dodge" article yesterday. It's a funny read. Aside from overstating the obvious about the other 'production' cars that were faster (Radical and Apollo), they question the ACR's tires, fifth gear and adjustable aerodynamics as being non-stock. Didn't the author do any homework, and is he really a car-person?

http://www.autoweek.com/article/201..._Not_so_fast,_Dodge&utm_campaign=awdailydrive

 

[Nine Ball]

***** writer. As expected.

 

[PDCjonny]

Funny there wasn't nearly the backlash when the ZR1 grabbed the title momentarily.
Guess Dodge isn't advertsing enough in Autoweek.

 

[MTGTS]

retard.....

 

[Slithr]

Guess Dodge isn't advertsing enough in Autoweek.

Ding Ding Ding

 

[BlknBlu]

I am a Ring doubter. I doubt my 09 ACR will beat a 2010.

Bruce

 

[eucharistos]

that's a shame, autoweek

autoweek used to be the ron paul of auto rags, looks like it has become the john mccain (just like motor trend, only a little less so)

 

[Martin]

I thought most of it was at least amusing - but when they mentioned doubts about the street legal tires, the revised fifth gear, and the adjustable aero components, I discounted the whole article as being stupid. Those were 100% stock, off the showroom floor, cars... It's funny that the writer didn't mention how the cars were almost two model years old when they broke the record...

 

[kennyhemi]

My definition of a ring doubter is staying single!!

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Dear Autoweek,

Well since you doubt that the Viper ACR has the true production car record at the Nurburgring, we have taken the liberty of using your skewed logic to state, " We are not sure you are actually a true magazine, cuz using your intelligent response, Charmin is paper fluff too !"

 

[v10enomous]

Most folks acknowledge that the Production car record applies to cars from major manufacturers and they discount cars like the Radical.

 

[plumcrazy]

Funny there wasn't nearly the backlash when the ZR1 grabbed the title momentarily.
Guess Dodge isn't advertsing enough in Autoweek.

THIS !!!!!!!!!

 

[Jay M]

Did they consider the $450,000 Nurburg edition LFA with a roll cage to be more or less stock than the ACR? I know where to buy an ACR that is identical to the one that got the record... at a Dodge dealer with tires and wings factory installed. Where do I go to get an LFA Nurburg edition? , where do I even find a Gumpert or Radical dealer?

That is a major hit on Autoweek's credibility.

With the ZR-1, Corvette chose to make it more comfortable than a Z06 while still being faster. They succeeded. With the ACR Dodge decided they wanted a track ready Viper. They more than succeeded!

It sure is a great time to be alive

~Jay

 

[TowDawg]

I had to leave a few comments under that article.

Are you really a writer for an automobile publication? When the ZR-1, then the GT-2, then the LFA hit their times, they were considered the fastest "production" cars around the Ring. Now that the Viper has beat the LFA, people start throwing out names of cars that could hardly be considered "production" cars. Are there faster cars around the Ring than the Viper? Heck yes. I (and most rational people) just don't consider them "production" cars.
As for the ACR that just ran 7:12, it was straight off a dealer's showroom floor!
Tires? Pilot Sport Cups. The same DOT tires that come STOCK on EVERY ACR.
Modified 5th gear? This was a STOCK change made on EVERY 2010 ACR.
Adjustable aerodynamics? The same STOCK ones on EVERY ACR.
... Official Timer? This can be vague, but most everyone (exepct Porsche) uses the same start/stop points. Video also shows this.
One thing you didn't mention is that the car was set up by a race team close to the Ring. Does this count against it? No. The suspension was set up by them, but that suspension is the STOCK, ADJUSTABLE suspension on EVERY ACR.

Anything else I need to clear up for you?

This record may fall to someone else before the Gen V ACR hits the road, but it will come back to Team Viper when that day comes. You might want to start thinking of other excuses for when it happens.

 

[Makara]

It is pretty clear that the article was written by someone that has no idea what he is talking about. What I don't understand and very few people have even noticed is that while the car that ran the 7:12 was said to be a non ******** packaged ACR and had a radio, it clearly didn't in the video. What was going on and why the discrepancy?

 

[Slithr]

Are you really a writer for an automobile publication? When the ZR-1, then the GT-2, then the LFA hit their times, they were considered the fastest "production" cars around the Ring. Now that the Viper has beat the LFA, people start throwing out names of cars that could hardly be considered "production" cars. Are there faster cars around the Ring than the Viper? Heck yes. I (and most rational people) just don't consider them "production" cars.
As for the ACR that just ran 7:12, it was straight off a dealer's showroom floor!
Tires? Pilot Sport Cups. The same DOT tires that come STOCK on EVERY ACR.
Modified 5th gear? This was a STOCK change made on EVERY 2010 ACR.
Adjustable aerodynamics? The same STOCK ones on EVERY ACR.
... Official Timer? This can be vague, but most everyone (exepct Porsche) uses the same start/stop points. Video also shows this.
One thing you didn't mention is that the car was set up by a race team close to the Ring. Does this count against it? No. The suspension was set up by them, but that suspension is the STOCK, ADJUSTABLE suspension on EVERY ACR.

Anything else I need to clear up for you?

This record may fall to someone else before the Gen V ACR hits the road, but it will come back to Team Viper when that day comes. You might want to start thinking of other excuses for when it happens.

Thanks TowDawg, do you like apples .... How bout them apples BOY!

It is pretty clear that the article was written by someone that has no idea what he is talking about. What I don't understand and very few people have even noticed is that while the car that ran the 7:12 was said to be a non ******** packaged ACR and had a radio, it clearly didn't in the video. What was going on and why the discrepancy?

I noticed this also, does the ******** come with A/C ... The car in the video had A/C

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

All Gen IV Vipers , regardless of model come with A/C . There is no A/C delete on any Gen IV Viper with a Vin number ---in other words, yes, an ACR-X is without A/C but that is it!

 

[PDCjonny]

It is pretty clear that the article was written by someone that has no idea what he is talking about. What I don't understand and very few people have even noticed is that while the car that ran the 7:12 was said to be a non ******** packaged ACR and had a radio, it clearly didn't in the video. What was going on and why the discrepancy?

It clearly had a viper exchange sticker where the radio spot is, whether it was on top of a radio cannot be ascertained by the video.

 

[Martin]

Maybe Autoweek has a point... It looks like the car possibly had the radio removed from it, so it's technically not stock. It also had cameras mounted on it, which clearly aren't stock. I'm sure that made all the difference in the world - I'm surprised the author didn't catch those things since he's obviously such a good investigative reporter.

 

[eucharistos]

it also had a driver, which is not stock either

 

[George Farris]

Am sure the writer finished the article, got in his base vette, drove to his local malt shop and NOBODY noticed.

 

[-nighthawk-]

It's ok guys, I left a harsh comment for the ***** editor

 

[Vic]

Can someone post this for me? I don't have any of the methods for sign-in available.

The author discredits himself, with shallow research and inaccurate reporting. A journalist is supossed to collect the facts which are readily available, but he has chosen to mis-characterise what he is unfamiliar with. Poor journalism. The ACR that did 7:12 is a stock 2010 car, right off the showroom floor. It comes STOCK, with PILOT SPORT CUPS, comes STOCK with ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION, (which any owner can adjust, just like the Gumpert has) comes STOCK with ADJUSTABLE wing, and STOCK with front splitter. (albeit center section not street legal in the USA). The gearing was a change for the 2010 model year, and is on every 2010 ACR. Lemme 'splain. See, it works like this- You walk into a Dodge dealer, buy an ACR, adjust its' STOCK features to your liking, then you go out and slay giants, worldwide. Simple as that. The Radical, while street legal in the UK and eslewhere, is neither globally street legal, nor remotely pratical. The Gumpert is made on a per-order basis, which doesn't qualify as a production car even under the most liberal homogolation standards. The Viper ACR is simply the fastest street legal, regular production car in the world, on the Nordshleife.

 

[shooter_t1]

Vic, show me where it says not street legal in the USA in the ACR manual. I see where it says "CAUTION: The track extension should only be used during closed circuit track events. The track extension can cause premature damage to your vehicle if used on public roads." No where does it say not street legal.

 

[bluestreak]

This guy is pretty bad.

He questions the validity of the Vipers time based on the gears, tires and aero. Well he obviously knows nothing about the gear revisions to the Viper for 2010, so that's moot. He uses the Gumpert as an example but he obviously doesn't know anything about the Gumpert either because it has:

Adjustable aero (wing)
Michelin Sport cup Tires


He could have looked this stuff up in 5 minutes on the internet. Poor journalism at it's worst.

 

[v10enomous]

I did a little googling and it seems that the David Arnouts guy may be a bit of a GT-R fan boy.

 

[PDCjonny]

It's starting to border on insanity.
I actually got into it with a guy on a Vette forum his reasoning the Viper record was invalid was "I live in a well off area and I have never even seen an ACR".
Therefore its not really a production vehicle.
You can't argue with that logic.

 

[v10enomous]

You know how these Doubters are...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMqXfn7NBRw

 

[Moundir]

It's starting to border on insanity.
I actually got into it with a guy on a Vette forum his reasoning the Viper record was invalid was "I live in a well off area and I have never even seen an ACR".
Therefore its not really a production vehicle.
You can't argue with that logic.

I wonder how many lfas he's seen though this has gotten beyond absurd! It's one thing for us having to deal with ignorant half wits but adding the press into it is just beyond incomprehensible

 

[RichB]

I post on corvette forum as "fallen" so you guys have also seen my posts.

Some people are just thick and cannot open their small minds.

Just think of the reaction Columbus received when he attempted to circumnavigate the globe. How many people on CF still believe the earth is flat?