Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Will Fiat cap performance of 2014 SRT Viper ACR out of fear for Ferrari?

Motor Trend has got word that an SRT Viper ACR – the acronym for American Club Racing – is headed for a reveal in 2014. However, at the same time as SRT is working to maximize the model's performance, the report says there's an internally imposed performance ceiling on at least one aspect of the super coupe that will keep it from being all the Viper it could be.

Having watched other super sports cars go super fast on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires – MT cites the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 as the prime example – SRT is looking to Pirelli for a set of rubber that improves on the Viper's P-Zero Corsas. Where the Viper ACR will be restrained is its power-to-weight ratio; rumor is that bosses at parent company Fiat have decreed that the Viper cannot outdo the 5.2-pounds-per-horsepower of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. It's also rumored that Ferrari doesn't want the Viper to have more power than the 731 horsepower of the F12, even though SRT has said it would be "relatively easy" to increase output from the current 640 hp.

The last Viper ACR didn't get more oomph under the hood, so there should be plenty of ways to navigate Ferrari sensitivities. However, the last Viper club racer did offer a Hardcore Package that dropped weight by 40 pounds. If the specific power-to-weight number really is a bright line for the coupe's development, it will be interesting to see if such a package is offered again and how SRT manages it.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/25/w...t-of-fear-for/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Read this in my issue of MT last night. Agreed that out of 8.4 liters more power could easily be had than the 640hp it currently has.

UNLEASH THE BEAST!!

mmarshall

I won't comment on the HP/torque war itself, except to say that a number of today's high-level sports cars (and sports-sedans), IMO, are already overpowered to the point of being ludicrous. But, as far as the power levels between the two cars possibly being an impediment to each other's sales (or overlap), I don't think so. The typical Viper-shopper, on average, is not going to be the same person looking for (or cross-shopping) a Ferrari. They also have two basically different driving styles. Viper jocks typically want (or are used to) drag-strip performance starting at low RPM's, while Ferrari jocks are used to a more nimble and sophisticated sports car that carves corners more smoothly, but also has a higher-winding engine (and higher exhaust-tone) to achieve max power.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

^^^ exactly, that's what I thought too, Mike.

I don't know why Ferrari worrys about Viper having more power or better ratio, buyers don't really cross shop these too.

Vladi

This sounds more like a hype-up rumor to promote upcoming ACR and tie Viper brand to Ferrari somehow.

Aron9000

This. Sounds more like hype than anything.

Nothing wrong with a little bit of inter-divisional rivalry and possible competition in such a small, limited volume segment. Even if the Viper ACR does challenge the Ferrari in the numbers game, both will sell out their allotted production runs before they are even officially announced to be on sale.

With such small numbers of these car being sold, each camp has their fans that will buy them. Its not like Oldsmobile vs Buick or Mercury vs Ford in the 80's/90's, where each brand sold pretty much the damn same car and what you really bought was the one you could get the best deal on.