Will the 2009 Viper get a HP boost to Head off the ZR-1?

[Ron W.]

I just picked up the winning 2008 Viper ACR VCA raffle car last thursday and car screams. I can't believe how much quicker it is than my 2006 SRT/ 10. The car feels light and the new tires hook up great. Now I know why the new ACR spanked the 911 and lambo around the track - it's awesome. The ZR1 better be something outstanding to run with the new ACR.
I'm going to check into getting rid of my 2006 SRT/ 10 run flats and put a set of the new ACR tires on it. The rim sizes are the same diameter and width.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Wow, I had no idea how many folks on this forum keep the blinders on. GM puts out a monster MODEL that I'm willing to bet will reset the bar, and folks on here want to turn a blind eye and dismiss it as nothing. I suppose if you don't see the ZR1 pass you up, it didn't happen right? LOL Ok, I'm just poking fun at this point.

Bottom line, I just wanted to throw out there that GM has put out an amazing new MODEL with lots of innovative engineering whose performance is something to be reckoned with. I recommend as a CAR/MODEL guy that folks read and educate yourself on it before making snap judgments.

I'm not making a snap judgment. My unopened motor 97 GTS has 10 years of track duty and is still as solid as the day it was built. I haven't seen any Vettes that can match a resume like that. And I'm willing to bet there won't be many ZR1s surviving a year of track duty let alone ten years of it.

 

[bluestreak]

I somewhat agree, the corvette is not the ideal model of durability at the track, but it's cheap and user friendly to fix. And when you're at the track, stuff will break, although on some cars more than others.

But there will be plenty of vettes (as always) competiting and circulating tracks around the country, so hoping the competition wont make it through the weekend so you'll have a chance is not the way to go.

With that being said, the ACR will whoop the ZR-1 on the circuit, period. But the ZR-1 will whoop any viper (stock) less than the ACR. And with some substantial aero mods would be right there contending again.

I dont like the Supercharger idea, but we'll see if GM has done their homework and it works (I have my doubts), but make no bones about it, short of the ACR which should be one of the fastest production vehicles if not the fastest to ever grace a circuit, the ZR-1 isnt far behind.

 

[SylvanSRT]

my guess is that ZR-1's will hardly if ever see much track duty, except for, maybe, the rare track/HPDE day. Contrary to that i think quite a few ACR's will burn up lots of tires and brake pads on road courses around the country and poss the world.

 

[jay01m]

I'm not making a snap judgment. My unopened motor 97 GTS has 10 years of track duty and is still as solid as the day it was built. I haven't seen any Vettes that can match a resume like that. And I'm willing to bet there won't be many ZR1s surviving a year of track duty let alone ten years of it.

Take a look at the C4 ZR1s resume. The Lotus designed LT5 ran the 24-hr high speed endurance race, averaging 174.xx MPH over a 24-hr period, bone stock besides tires and safety gear. for more than 15-years, nobody was able to break that world record until this past year. There were 6-more world records the C4 ZR1 set back around 1990. All were held for more than 15-years, and done with the same makeup as what was sold to the public. The LT5 is also the only small block V8 ever to reach 900HP normally aspirated without nitrous, done by Lane Goldstein and his 8-second ZR1. Not to mention, never in the history of the ZR1 has anyone blown the bottom end of the motor. IMHO, that is a good reputation in any book.

I'm not saying the new ZR1 is preceeded by that reputation, because it still needs to come out and prove something, so have to wait and see. In my opinion, if I owned a new ZR1, I wouldn't track it anyways. It's no doubt a street machine and a high speed ORR car. While the Viper is also a street machine, the ACR is definately a track car. Those comparing the new ACR to the new ZR1 in anything other than track racing should reconsider though. After reading an article on test runs of the new ACR at the proving grounds, it's acually slower than the SRT due to downforce caused by the aerodynamics, and only topped out at 177MPH. Lutz has already pushed the ZR1 mules to over 200MPH. That said, I'm of the belief now that the ACR will likely be the superior car on the track, whereas the ZR1 will be superior on the street and high speed ORRing against either the 08 SRT or the ACR.

Bottom line, the C4 ZR1 has a proven reputation as a very solid race car. The new ZR1 remains to be seen, if it even gets sent to the race tracks.

Just my $.02.

 

[kdaviper]

I don't think that people consider that 60 lbs of unsprung mass removed is equivalent to approx. 360-480lbs of sprung mass.

I wish that instead of using the Tremek trans., that Chrysler would have slipped in the 7 speed DSG that Was developed for the ME-4/12 (which, btw, the nazis from Daimler axed out of jealousy).

And what if the viper came with a kit of "OEM Replacement Parts" to include some of the things that MOPAR offers?

 

[kdaviper]

I'm not making a snap judgment. My unopened motor 97 GTS has 10 years of track duty and is still as solid as the day it was built. I haven't seen any Vettes that can match a resume like that. And I'm willing to bet there won't be many ZR1s surviving a year of track duty let alone ten years of it.

yay for LA series engines!

 

[black mamba1]

There are C6 vettes out there right now w/ Twin Turbos and other lingenfelter mods that make it a beast....but it is still a Vette and you will see 50 of them on Any Given Sunday.

About 80% of the Vipers out there are modded, and of that 80, about 50% of those have Paxtons or TT. Serious Viper drivers will always kick the serious Vette-owners ass. I personally think this is a totally moot argument, most Gen 4 owners will mod. W/ headers, cam, and exhaust the Gen 4 is pushing over 700 hp, n/a w/ no heat soak (I dont care what kind of intercooling system Chevy put on the ZR1, you cant escape physics).

So this is all about rag bragging rights. But that has nothing to do w/ what will happen on the street. The rags (who only got high 11's for the Gen 4) will give the nod to the ZR1 in straightline performance.

But if a Zr1 owner has the balls to line up to any Viper on the street, I strongly think he will get his pride put in his ass.

 

[RTTTTed]

Yup, me and my 850hp(rated) agree, we'll still be spankin'. And it's only a full bottle or a bigger boost to 1,000hp.

I gave a Z06 2 cars head start, passed him when I got traction in second and fishtailed away from him when I put it into 3rd. He'll need a lot more than an extra 115hp before he starts to get close.

Ted

 

[jay01m]

Why are we comparing apples to oranges? I'm not trying to compare someone's Twin Turbo GTS with a 800ci stroker motor and 24-lbs of boost to the ZR1, it isn't fair. I'm talking about the 2008 Viper, or ACR, and the ZR1, stock. Performance, not looks. I've already said the Viper's look better, which is why I bought one.

Sure, some of you may have a heavily modded Viper, but if your car were brand new, do you think Dodge would have honored your warranty? Since when has a boosted car been produced with over 600-HP and a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty? Until now, none.

No offense to anyone on here, but if you can't sincerely say the new ZR1 isn't an amazing machine with lots of cool perks, well then you're not a car guy, you're just a Viper guy.

 

[RTTTTed]

Yah, it's all apples to Oranges. If you like the 'soon to be' ZR1 there are vette forums. If it's the GTR that you think is the 'best' there are Nissan forums. They all have their advantages,especially since most people don't like our/Viper level of performance.

I like more ... and don't mind modify to get what I consider to be perfect. So I buy the biggest best perfoming car/engine and apply forced induction. So much for all the little, already FI'd stockers. Starting with argueably the best and adding Forced Induction (just to amke things equal) show the unequality of the Viper. It IS the best.

And that's what I've got to say on the VIPER forums.

Yah, if there was no Viper I would be tempted to look at both the Z06 and the ZR1, but there is a Viper. $10,000 adds a supercharger, since that's what I want.

Looking for a daily driver, I need AWD so I looked and researched and bought a Stealth R/T TT, then a modified Stealth R/T TT, not interested in a GTR or Supra.

Sure there are tons of cool cars, that's why there's so many Forums.

BUT, Viper is the greatest!!!

To me stock *****, maybe not to you. But we know who's faster.

Warranty? They cancelled mine because they're "trying to discourage cross-border shopping"? It's not worth the paper it's written on sometimes.

Ted