Hot laps in a 2016 Viper ACR in Dubai
At the Dodge driving day at the Dubai Autodrome, we got to experience the brutal 2016 Viper ACR
By Shahzad Sheikh
Click below to watch our video of the Viper 2016 ACR on track at the Dubai Autodrome.
The Dodge Viper ACR is no ordinary car, it’s a very special beast indeed, one that actually holds 13 production car lap records at 13 tracks across America! And as the cherry on top, it completed this incredible feat by setting a lap time of 1:28.65 at Laguna Seca at the hands of professional racer Randy Pobst (who you may know from the Motor Trend videos) which was 1.24seconds faster than a Porsche 918 Spyder.
So just how is it so damn quick, considering it doesn’t really have any more power from its 8.4-litre V10 than its ‘regular’ siblings. Well just look at it, for a start it just looks flipping fast!
Well in all seriousness the looks have actually got a lot to do with it because all those aero-add-ons can generate up to 900kg of downforce at 285kph – three times more than the TA (Time Attack) Viper. There are 10 different aerodynamic components most of which are adjustable or removable including that massive rear wing, rear diffuser, SRT bonnet with removable vents, dive planes, front splitter extensions and so on.
Then there’s the tyres – the bespoke 19-inch Kumho Ecsta V720 295/25 front boots and 355/30 rears provide enough grip to generate up to 1.5g in cornering forces. You need body control too, and this thing has springs twice as stiff as on the Viper TA with 10 settings for the suspension and up to 3-inches of ride-height adjustability.
Stopping power? Sure – Carbon ceramic Brembos with six-piston callipers up front and four at the back.
And whilst this is street legal – inside it feels like a race car with light carpeting and if you really must have a stereo – you only get three speakers. There’s a manual transmission too – a six-speeder from Tremec.
And this is what caused a bit of a problem for me – because whilst I was due to drive this car, by the time it got to my turn, enough drivers had been abusing the transmission and clutch for the instructors to restrict the day’s remaining laps to passenger rides only – Bugger!
Oh well, it was still quite an experience to get some hot laps with a racer as you can see from the video above. I doubt I would have gone anywhere near as fast – and he was taking it easy! One thing I did note was that not only did this car feel more racecar than road car on the track, but somehow I sense it was actually not a very difficult car to pedal hard.
It’s no pussy though – this one’s definitely a real snake and it’s all about sound and fury with this car. And don’t forget it’s quicker than that four-million dirham Porsche!
By the way, yes I did get to drive some Hellcats on track, but we’ve covered those on track before at Yas Marina Circuit – please click here to read that story and watch the video.
2016 Dodge Viper ACR – The Specs
Price: AED650,000 Approx ($180k)
Engine: 8.4-litre V10, 645bhp @ 6200rpm, 600lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, Rear-wheel drive
Performance: 0-100kph 3.4secs, Top Speed 285kph, 15.7L/100km
Weight: 1549kg
