Riz

Just curious about the comparison on the street between ACR and GT3. I know it is an animal on the track.

jumper5836

Production numbers are very low, I don't think there are that many out there to get a response.

LastMezger

I haven't driven the ACR but I have driven the '10 GT3 and the Viper SRT-10 Coupe.

The GT3 is quite a bit more refined (smoother ride, lower noise levels, roomier) than even the regular Viper Coupe. The ACR is nearly a pure track beast.

Even the regular Viper Coupe requires MASSIVE respect. This is a car where you really need to sount to 10 as you depress the acclerator. In the hands of a pro though (which I'm not) it's an insane car on the track.

On the street the Viper is fun because it's raw. The engine vibrates at idle and the sound is fierce.

Some people complain about the interior but I always liked the styling and the white guages are cool (Indiglow at night). The plastics are absolute crap though.

Bottom line is that a GT3 is a finely made machine that will give you decades of enjoyment and can be driven 20,000 miles a year or more. The Viper, in my experience, is a lot of fun but it's a toy and not very robust.

flash1034

I have an 08 Viper Coupe. What would you like to know?

Flash

FLM911

Friend of mine (who has an ACR) and I go to VIR on a regular basis - he has added a few go faster mods to his (headers etc) and it is totally insane for a street legal car, and is as others have said an excellent track machine. Quite a bit faster than a GT3 imho. Does deserve massive respect to drive, you have to think carefull about getting the power down and about any technical sections of the track as it is so easy to overcook it.

MY 0.02c. Awesome machine but you really need to be on top of your game to get the most out of it without an incident.

tcsracing1

the new ACR is awesome. I dig the styling, brutally fast at the track and in final year of production a collector too.
These things are tight fit in the cockpit though, i would not enjoy doing my banking day to day etc. when compared to my porsche. Crawling in and out is taxing. Long drives also tax the body.
Think mixing a 1965 shelby cobra with a big block 1967 corvette coupe. other than fuel injection these thing are just as raw. A "mans" car if there was ever one.

they also make an X package now with full roll cage for true track ******......

roberga

Fast car but just not for me. When I was between 996GT3 and the 997 I looked at everything from Lotus,360CS, the list goes on. Viper was one that I drove, it was like I was driving from the rear bumper. I figured that there is always a faster car and stayed with the Porsche.

NJ-GT

I have been at California Speedway (ROVAL) twice with a Viper ACR running in my same run group (open passing).

The first time I was driving my 2007 GT3 RS on fresh Michelin slicks. The Viper ACR would get on the speedway from the infield and blow me away by a football field, the difference in acceleration was disgusting.

The second time I was driving the Scuderia, when we exit the infield onto the speedway, it is an even race, the Viper accelerates a little faster from the infield (exit speed 75 mph) up to 125mph, then the two cars run about the same pace, then at 140mph the Scuderia is passing the Viper around the start/finish line at CalSpeedway. The Viper is hurt by the long 5th gear and the massive downforce.

Indeed, Road and Track tested several cars at the same racetrack (California Speedway) but they ran the full NASCAR Oval, so entry speed on the front straight is much higher than the 75 mph I get out of the infield course. In this contest, the 997 GT2 reached 169.10 mph, and the Viper ACR just 162.27 mph both driven by Pro Indy car driver Roger Yasukawa.

Check on-line for the Road and Track article, they ran the ACR, GTR, LP560, GT2, R8 at WSIR, Streets, an autoX and the CalSpeedway NASCAR configuration. Lots of interesting data.

NJ-GT

If your friend name Steve? If so, he has a GT3 RS and laps VIR at 2:12, he also has a Scuderia and he thinks the car is capable of 2:00-2:02, and he has the ACR with mopar ecu and headers. He says the Viper is a track car, where you need to drive hard to get the downforce to work to make the ACR stick.

930man

the ARC can be driven very very fast at VIR... the RS stock should be 2:05

FLM911

Not Steve.

Friends name is Stuart. He has two vipers (ACR and a full-on viper racecar), and is well known in the viper racing league etc. He laps with ease (it seems) around VIR full course at 2:07. Know he is faster than that, but not sure just how much lower.

NITEALB

own a gt2, acr and v10 r8. had a 997 gt3. acr is way faster than a gt3. however, its suspension is twice as stiff (subjective) and awful for any kind of road use - front tires are very wide and tramline. i've had oil starvation issues that chrysler wouldn't warrantee that resulting in a spun rod bearing. i'm not the first person to have this issue. the engine shares many components from the lesser lights of the chrysler group. i'd recommend that u buy the car and take it arrow race engines in michigan and have them build the motor properly (add dry sump and quality pistons at the very least). hope that helps.

tiger 6

Couple of observations. On the street, the stock RS is more enjoyable to drive than an ACR. It has a roomier feel internally and much better foward visibility. The ACR has a somewhat cramped driver position and lacks the ergonomics inherent in the RS.
Now, take the RS, knock some weight off with different seats etc, re-work the suspension, install one of Sharkey's exhaust. get the camber, toe, sway bars etc set right, Toyo R888's, and take it to the track with an ACR with headers, exhaust, and MOPAR PCM and a track set up on the suspension. The RS gets spanked. At VIR and the long straight tracks, the RS just does not have enough hp to stay with the ACR. It will do ok in the corners, but it just cannot make up the time it will loose on the straights. ACR's with a Bellanger header/exhuast and PCM dyno around 600 hp at the rear wheels.
The two cars have several major differences on the track. The ACR drives "Big" while the RS drives "Small." After a track session, one feels much more relaxed after driving the RS than the ACR. The steering feedback, IMHO, with the RS is better than the ACR. The ACR gear box is much better and smoother than the RS. The ACR's brakes are better than the RS' steel rotor brakes. If the ACR's suspension is set correctly for the track it is running, body roll is about the same for both cars. The ACR will "dive" more under hard braking than the RS as would be expected with a front engine car. The most significant difference is that the ACR has to be driven hard to get the downforce to work. And it DOES work. As has been mentioned, throttle application with the ACR is critical, especially on slow corner exit. The car will snap oversteer very quickly if one gets on the gas too aggressively.
For anyone who may be interested in checking out my thoughts, the North American Road Racing Assoc.[former Viper Days] will be coming to VIR July 10-11. They run excellent programs with both DE and full out racing. NARRA will also be running the first race of the spec ACR-X Series at VIR which will be televised. Don't need to have a Viper to participate in either the DE or racing-bring whatever you want. I think all the Track Rats would enjoy it.

mkozink

Not intending to jack the thread but I wanted to emphasize how compatible Viper and Porsche people/cars are on the track. Tiger 6 makes accurate points re: the ACR and GT3RS. I have driven in both ViperDays and NARRA events. They are well run and the participants are by and large enthusiasts and track junkies; just like P-car people. The VIR event you mention is being co-sponsored with the Porsche/BMW Owners Club (PBOC)

http://www.pbocflorida.com/mainmenu.html

I participated in the Jan 2010 PBOC Winterfest at Sebring that also included NARRA. The racing was excellent and the HPDE events were equally good. If I wasn't such a lazy slug I would have posted video of the '10 Winterfest by now. I believe RLer "Trakcar" has already posted some video of this year's Winterfest.

I am looking forward to the July 2010 VIR event because it will be my first visit to VIR which has been high on my must drive list for years. Vipers and Porsches together on the track makes for some very entertaining and fun driving. And lots of good natured ribbing when the day is done

DFW01TT

Experienced, knowledgeable and informed opinions like those in this thread are why I like reading this board.
Thanks guys.