We could argue til we are blue in the face, nothing is going to change my opinion that the Viper is the superior track car. So take what I say with a grain of salt. The Viper IMO is a better car than the Z06. Its not conicidence that every article written comparing the 2 has the viper the pick of which car performs better around a race track. Sure the nurburgring is a good measuring stick, but even the C6 Vette gets a better time than the Viper around the ring. Not to mention the times around the ring cannot be fairly compared due to track times, temps, conditions etc...

End of the day, the Viper is still the pick by most professionals. Regardless of your ring times.

 

Well the C5R team finished in the top 2 spots in all the races but one(that is 19 out of 20) in the 2004 American Lemans Series.

Wait they did this again in 05.

So 95% of the time one of these cars hits the track in that series it either wins or comes in second place.


The same thing is happening in 06 with the C6.R

Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Best lap time 1:32.75
Best lap average speed (mph) 73.0
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 4.1/12.0
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 149
Cornering l/r (g) 1.10/1.09
Weight (lb) 3147
Distribution f/r (%) 50.9/49.1
Top speed (mph) 198

Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe
Best lap time 1:33.95
Best lap average speed (mph) 72.0
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 4.3/12.4
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 150
Cornering l/r (g) 1.04/1.02
Weight (lb) 3454
Distribution f/r (%) 48.8/51.2
Top speed (mph) 190



Ford GT
Best lap time 1:32.45
Best lap average speed (mph) 73.2
0-60 mph/quarter-mile (sec) 3.8/12.2
Braking 70-0 mph (ft) 156
Cornering l/r (g) 1.03/1.01
Weight (lb) 3489
Distribution f/r (%) 43.4/56.6
Top speed (mph) 205

^ Motor Trend.

I threw the GT40 in there for ****s and giggles.

Look I am not saying the Viper is junk, I am not saying the Viper is not fast and bad *** cause it is. What I am saying is that allthough the Viper is fast and a damn fine looking car it got out done buy a car with less engine and less of a price tag. Dont feel all that bad though, the C6 Z06 is doing it to more than the Viper, hell think if you bought a $100K+ 911 GT2 or a $125k+ Lambo or a $175k+ GT40 and had this happening to you with the Z06 beating you. That would really make you feel bad. In conclusion I say the Vette will hold it's own on a track, it will hold it's own on a strip, it will get more aftermarket support, and this model Z06 stock vs stock with both drivers having the same ability will beat a Viper of the same year.

 

We should probably keep in mind the success of many viper teams, such as Team Oreca...Im far too lazy to hunt down stats, but the viper has had more than its share of success in "road racing". You also need to look at it in terms of potential...as much as people will make comments about "volumetric efficiency" and how "boost is the replacement for displacement", a bigger engine has more potential to make power. It might cost more, but in the end, the more engine volume that youre working with, the more that you can squeeze out of it.

SVS got somewhere around 2000bhp out of their GTS coupe, and that same car broke a salt flats record AND ran in the 8s. imagine if they would have installed a gear set better for the dragstrip...but they were able to hit something like 250mph and run in the 8s.

Sadly, the viper has become more of a luxury coupe and less of a performance car, but that is what today's viper-buying yuppie demands. A few years ago, while working for Dodge, I had the chance to buy a 93 viper for around 20 grand. It was obviously a roadster, and back then, it was a very bare-bones model. No A/C, no CD player, no external door locks, no windows,etc...the car was about as inconvinient as possible...and thats the way that the car was meant to be. For those of you wondering why Im not driving it today...i was seriously considering it, and I could have easily afford it, but in checking "the little things" i found that it would not clear the slight grade into my driveway, or into my garage...so i would have had my driveway changed, and the entry to the garage...i think about passing up that chance just about every day.

but now the viper is packed full of crap like navigation and power everything...for todays modern yuppie (the only people who can afford them now)...and this modern yuppie in most cases wont ever take it to the track...wont ever REALLY see what it will do...he just wants people to look at him and say "wow, a viper"...and thats what it does...