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Viper SRT takes Laguna Seca record

Laguna Seca is perhaps America’s most testing track. Dodge’s Viper is America’s least subtle production car. A match made in heaven?
Laguna Seca is perhaps America’s most testing track. Dodge’s Viper is America’s least subtle production car. A match made in heaven?
Chrysler's supercar occupies an uncomfortable position within the company’s product portfolio.

Environmentally friendly it most certainly is not, and considering Fiat now runs the Chrysler show you can hardly excuse the Italians (that own Maserati and Ferrari) for showing little interest in the American supercar.

The oddball supercar hero?

Problem is, nobody seems able (or willing) to buy the Viper brand, so Chrysler is stuck with it (and between a rock and hard place) for the time being.

It remains an indecently rapid car in the correct hands, though.

This was aptly demonstrated by Chris Winkler at Laguna Seca this week. Winkler, a vehicle dynamics engineer at Chrysler, piloted the latest SRT 10 ACR Viper around America’s most fabled racetrack in a record time of 1:33.915.

Ironically, the previous record (bested by a shade over 1.1 sec) was held by the Viper-powered Devon GTX supercar...

Have record, build car

Shortly after posting the new lap record Chrysler announced it would be releasing a SRT10 ACR Laguna Seca limited edition model - rather swift product planning in our book.

Although it’s still powered by an oversized bakkie engine displacing 8.4l and featuring 10 cylinders, the Viper SRT10 ACR boasts 450kW and 760Nm.

For 2010 there is a shortened fifth gear ratio (and short-throw shifter), increased rear wing profile and 36kg reduction in mass.

Adjustable coil-over suspension components courtesy of German damper genius Klaus Wohlfahrt keep the Viper SRT10 ACR’s wheels planted – especially through the notorious Laguna Seca corkscrew  - whilst StopTech brake rotors ensure epic deceleration.

Carbon-fibre aerodynamic bits, including a new front splitter and adjustable rear wing, add 454kg of downforce at 240km/h.

The 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR will make its worldwide show debut on December 2 2009 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Dodge Viper is going into the final year of production for the current-generation model.

Approximately 500 Vipers will be produced in 2010. After then, who knows?



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