Automotive

Dodge Viper ACR couples massive downforce with V10 power

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The Dodge Viper ACR's aero package creates 1 ton of downforce at top speed
The Viper ACR is powered by the same V10 as the standard Viper
The ACR's stripe kit was previewed at SEMA
While practicality isn't the Viper's primary focus, it still has a usable boot
Inside, Alcantara has been used extensively
The Viper's stereo has been cut back to a 3-speaker system
While it's a stripped-back track car, the ACR still has some creature comforts inside
The Viper ACR's interior is fitted with lightweight carpet
Manually adjustable seats also help keep weight down
The steering wheel has been trimmed in Alcantara
The straight-ahead mark on the wheel can be white or black
The Dodge Viper ACR's aero package creates 1 ton of downforce at top speed
Small dive planes are just on aero touch
There are a number of removable and adjustable aero elements on the ACR's body
The 8.4 V10 produces the most torque of any naturally aspirated motor
The ACR's new dampers are two-way adjustable
Springs are more than twice as stiff on the ACR
On the track, the ACR has been designed to tackle corners at up to 1.5g
The ACR's wheels have extra negative camber on them
Brembo provides the car's carbon ceramic brakes
The ACR's rear wing is adjustable
The wing is 1.87 meters wide
The ACR's bonnet louvres can be removed
Special stickers help to distinguish the ACR from lesser Vipers
There's not much clearance on the ACR's arches
Dive planes are a part of the ACR's aero package
The ACR is also fitted with a removable front splitter
The ACR has been designed to tackle tough track work all day without fading
The ACR's splitter can be removed if owners want to tweak the aero setup
The car's aero package is heavily inspired by those on racecars
The ACR's design can be tweaked one-on-one with Dodge
New exhaust tips help to reduce back pressure
The V10 produces over 600 hp
Dodge's Viper ACR was teased at SEMA this year
The ACR is at home on the track
Massive rear tires help give the Viper the largest contact patch of any production car
Expect to see plenty of this if you're on the same track as an ACR
Dodge has retuned the ACR's safety systems to deal with the extra downforce and grip produced
The rear wing has been moved back compared to the SEMA concept's
The ACR hits the track
The ACR hits the track
The ACR hits the track
The Dodge Viper ACR
The Dodge Viper ACR
The Viper's slick styling is carried over from the standard car
Although it's very focused, the ACR is still road legal
The ACR can be customised by owners who want their track car to stand out
Dodge hasn't unveiled prices for the Viper
View gallery - 47 images

Dodge is keen for a sliver of the high-end trackday pie with the upcoming release of the new Viper ACR, which combines the standard Viper's prodigious power with a race-inspired aerodynamics kit.

In the process of turning a standard Viper into the more focused ACR model, Dodge has stripped back the car's interior, swapping in a lightweight, three speaker stereo and dropping electric adjustment in favor of a simpler manual system. Alcantara replaces much of the leather around the ACR's cabin and the footwells are filled with carpets made up of a lightweight weave to cut back on precious, time sapping grams.

The steering wheel has been trimmed in Alcantara

Dodge says that the car's aerodynamics kit – previewed at SEMA – will produce almost one ton of downforce at its 177 mph (285 km/h) top speed. While the most prominent feature of the ACR aero package is the 1.87 m wide rear wing, there are a number of smaller touches around the car designed to fine-tune its balance, including small dive planes and a removable front splitter.

Dodge has also extended the carbon fiber diffuser so it now starts in front of the rear axle, and owners can customise their setup through six removable strakes in the diffuser unit. Similarly, the ACR's bonnet louvres are removable, allowing owners' to tweak the setup for the track they're on.

The ACR's wheels have extra negative camber on them

Backing up the extensive aerodynamic changes is a brand new set of Bilstein shocks that can be adjusted for rebound and compression. Their aluminum construction also helps to reduce weight and the ACR's springs are more than twice as stiff as the standard model.

Lightning-quick laptimes require strong brakes, so Dodge has fitted the ACR with 390 mm (15.4 in) front and 360 mm (14.2 in) rear carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes, clamped on by six and four piston calipers respectively. These bigger brakes are backed up by rear tires measuring up at 11-inches wide (355/30), which combined with the 295/25 front tires provide the car with the largest contact patch of any production car. Dodge claims all of these upgrades, along with an extra 1.4 degrees of negative camber, mean the ACR can generate up to 1.5 g in the corners. Because of the extra grip provided by the ACR's upgraded chassis, Dodge has recalibrated its ABS and five-mode stability control.

The Dodge Viper ACR

Powering the ACR is the same 8.4-liter V10 engine that lies under the standard Viper's shapely hood, producing the same 645 hp (481 kW) and 813 Nm (600 lb.ft), which Dodge claims is enough to make it the torquiest naturally aspirated engine in the world. While power is the same, the ACR is fitted with new exhaust tips that are designed to cut down on back pressure.

The SRT "is not a 1-3 lap track special," according to Tim Kuniskis, Dodge President and CEO. "You can run the car at the track all day, and the performance doesn't fall off."

Pricing for the Dodge Viper ACR will start at US$117,895 (that's well over $30K more than the ST) and orders are now being taken ahead of a Q3 release.

Source: Dodge

View gallery - 47 images
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3 comments
charizzardd
I've always loved vipers, such power!
Keith Reeder
Wonder how much (more) power European engineers could get out of a 8.4 litre V10.
A LOT more, I imagine...
Michael Wilson
The viper v10 is ohv, rather than ohc. OHV engines, while displacing more, tend to take up less space, use substantially less parts, weigh less and arguably sip less fuel. Its the same tired argument time and time again with the corvette and its OHV design vs OHC. While the power per liter is lower, most newer OHV designs weigh less, use less fuel and have fewer parts an OHC v8 or v10 engine of comparable actual size and weight. So in the end, which one is actually more efficient?