Viper Vs. Viper article in Automobile Mag.

[Paul Hawker]

Really nice article in Automobile Magazine the month about the Viper Vs. Viper drag race held in conjunction with the Western Zone Rendezvous in Phoenix. I had the honor to sit next to Mark Gillies, the author, and driver of the Comp Coupe at the awards banquet.

In testing the Comp Coupe was clocked at 0-60 in 3.2 sec. and 0-199 in 6.3 seconds.

In all 4 races the Viper Car beat the $20 Million Viper F-16 in the 1/4 mile, while the Fighter Jet won in the 1/2 mile event. The article goes into some detail about how the cars were prepared, and the trouble with communications from the race officials.

The sidebar went on to tell about some historical car V. plane racing, including a 1910 race between a Mercedes and a Curtis bi-plane, an Aston Martin ****** V. ****** aircraft over a standing kilometer, Gilles Villeneuve successful Ferrari F1 against a F-104 Starfighere in 1981, and the less successful Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari V. Eurofighter matchup.. These races go into the record books, and enhance the prowess of succesful cars against top of the line military fury.

My favorite part is the last paragraph. where the author surmises "One suspects that the cars will come more heavily armed the next time this race takes place." From his lips to Gods ears.

 

[doctorbob]

No disrespect but Dodge is not getting my money until I see a "more heavily armed" (as in horsepower) SRT10 coupe.

 

[Herc]

I like both of my Vipers, but the one I go to work in will be at 500+ by the
end of the runway. Not as fast 0 to 60 though.

Herc

 

[GR8_ASP]

In testing the Comp Coupe was clocked at 0-60 in 3.2 sec. and 0-199 in 6.3 seconds.

I assume the 0-199 in 6.3 seconds is a typo. If not maybe it should be in Pro Stock class.

 

[1TONY1]

In testing the Comp Coupe was clocked at 0-60 in 3.2 sec. and 0-199 in 6.3 seconds.

I assume the 0-199 in 6.3 seconds is a typo. If not maybe it should be in Pro Stock class.

You beat me to it.

 

[Paul Hawker]

Oops.

Should be "0-100 in 6.3 seconds." Good eyes.

 

[Greg 99ACR Red and Silver]

0-100 in 6.3 is cooking.

Any real data around to back that up? Seems too good for a 520HP Car, even a light weight one.

Also seems if it was that fast the plane would have lost.

 

[ZX12]

I like both of my Vipers, but the one I go to work in will be at 500+ by the
end of the runway. Not as fast 0 to 60 though.

Herc

One of my friends is a retired F16 pilot, and he also said that under the right conditions, he could get to 500 mph in 10,000 feet, and get to 1300 mph in less than a minute. That's 50,000 horsepower at work! He said these car vs jet races are a little silly, since these jets were not purposely built for quarter mile short distance drag racing, but for combat. They can accelerate quickly enough to take off from essentially any runway though. He also said that in these short races, the plane is barely entering into it's intended performance "envelope", which is high altitude and high speed while handling high g forces during turns. He says a nice roll-on race would be who could get from mach 0.9 to 2! He'll be impressed when a piston-engined car can do this (although he doesn't fly this particular plane):

Boom

 

[Herc]

I will try to post an FCF video with 0 to 100/200/300/400/500 and deck to
30,000 ft in a clean jet. Did max burner takeoff in a combat config the other
day with 0 to 100 in about 9 to 10 sec, 0 to 200 in about 19 sec. Clean jet
is about 8 to 9,000 lbs less on weight.

Herc

 

[Vic]

I will try to post an FCF video with 0 to 100/200/300/400/500 and deck to
30,000 ft in a clean jet. Did max burner takeoff in a combat config the other
day with 0 to 100 in about 9 to 10 sec, 0 to 200 in about 19 sec. Clean jet
is about 8 to 9,000 lbs less on weight.

Herc

Bragger!

heh heh, just kidding, thats some fantastic experience there, Top Gun! Wish I had been a pilot, instead of fixing the avionics.