The 2008 SRT-10 Viper is faster than the 2008 Z06. That's an established fact -- across the automotive media. Maybe not by much, but it is faster. And importantly, these are the cars that most of us will ever drive on the street, and the Viper wins.
The Chevy folks where counting on reversing that with an apples-to-oranges comparison of a coming 2009 ZR1 to the SRT-10 Viper. But the 2008 SRT-10 is a performance car for the street. The ZR1 will be more expensive, and don't kid yourself, far less durable and practical for the street. Apples vs. Oranges. (And don't rely on the Z06 price/value nonsense -- the Z06 just took a big price hike, and is not much more of a bargain than the Viper -- and the Viper comes in a convertible too!)
So then Dodge gives us the 2008 ACR (and the 2009 ZR1 isn't even here yet). The 2008 ACR, purpose-built for the TRACK -- ready to take on the $100,000 ZR1 (and other similar ultra-high-performance track-day cars such as the $260,000 Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the $190,000 Porsche GT2), also built for the TRACK.
And as far as which car eventually ends up being faster on the track, so what. Really. Even if the 2009 ZR1 runs a second quicker than the 2008 ACR, that would be a comparison of too very rare, expensive, and not-practical-for-daily-street-use, purpose-built track cars. Add the Mopar 'race' mods, and the ACR then beats the ZR1. So then a ZR1 adds some other mods and can beat the ACR. An ACR adds a blower package, etc. and it goes on ... None of that changes the fact the that 2008 SRT-10 Viper beats the 2008 Corvette Z06. For the cars that all of us buy for the street, the Viper is faster ... And my money still thinks the ACR may take the ZR1 on the track too, we'll just have to wait and see.
The Chevy folks where counting on reversing that with an apples-to-oranges comparison of a coming 2009 ZR1 to the SRT-10 Viper. But the 2008 SRT-10 is a performance car for the street. The ZR1 will be more expensive, and don't kid yourself, far less durable and practical for the street. Apples vs. Oranges. (And don't rely on the Z06 price/value nonsense -- the Z06 just took a big price hike, and is not much more of a bargain than the Viper -- and the Viper comes in a convertible too!)
So then Dodge gives us the 2008 ACR (and the 2009 ZR1 isn't even here yet). The 2008 ACR, purpose-built for the TRACK -- ready to take on the $100,000 ZR1 (and other similar ultra-high-performance track-day cars such as the $260,000 Ferrari 430 Scuderia and the $190,000 Porsche GT2), also built for the TRACK.
And as far as which car eventually ends up being faster on the track, so what. Really. Even if the 2009 ZR1 runs a second quicker than the 2008 ACR, that would be a comparison of too very rare, expensive, and not-practical-for-daily-street-use, purpose-built track cars. Add the Mopar 'race' mods, and the ACR then beats the ZR1. So then a ZR1 adds some other mods and can beat the ACR. An ACR adds a blower package, etc. and it goes on ... None of that changes the fact the that 2008 SRT-10 Viper beats the 2008 Corvette Z06. For the cars that all of us buy for the street, the Viper is faster ... And my money still thinks the ACR may take the ZR1 on the track too, we'll just have to wait and see.
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