2010 Dodge Viper ACR Coming to 2009 LA Auto Display
After its track day at Laguna Seca, the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR will be put on a truck and delivered to the 2009 LA Auto Show, where itmakes its official debut.
Dodge released product details on the 2010 Viper ACR today. To start, the car'ssix-speed manual transmissionhas a shortened 5th gear ratio — it goes from0.74 in 2009 to 0.80 in 2010. “This improvement is a direct result of SRT's experience at the 12.9-mileNurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, where it was found that a revised gear ratio would have resulted in a higher speed capability and potentially a shorter elapsed time,” says Dodge .
The height of the shifter is alsoreduced by 35mm. The rear wing profile and end plateshave beenredesigned to improve lateral stability at speed on the track. And the wing's Gurney flap is revised. Together, these changes raise top speed 4 mph to 184 mph. The Viper's 8.4-liter V10 continues on with 600 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque.
Finally, the red wheels. The ACR running around Laguna Seca was wearing them for a time today, but they're actually for a Viper ACR special-edition model that Dodge will offer in 2010.
The name of this model is pending and will be decided at the end of the track day. If the Viper ACR manages a 1:32 lap time, Dodge will call it the 2010 Dodge Viper ACR 1:32 and build 32 examples. If today's fastest lap(1:33:915) so farstands, it will be called the Viper ACR 1:33 and 33 will be built. It's, uh, cool, yes? Wenow have confirmation that the special-edition Viper will be called theViper 1:33 andthere will be a production run of 33.
Also, we should tell you that with that 1:33.915 lap, Dodge 's Chris Winkler, a vehicle engineer and today's hot shoe,has officially taken back the fastest production-car lap “record” from the Viper-basedDevon GTX (1:35.075). The Viper was on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, size 295/30ZR18 front and 345/30ZR19 rear.
The problem is that no records can actually be set hereunless they're set during a race with an official sanctioning body on-site to confirm timing and scoring. So Helio Castroneves' 1.07.722 set in CART in 2000 remains the official track record.
More photos after the jump.
