The next chapter in the history of the ultimate street-legal, track-focused, hand-built American supercar begins with the return of the new 2016 Dodge Viper ACR.
Certified for public roads and engineered to wring every last hundredth of a second out of road course lap times, the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR combines the latest in aerodynamic, braking and tire technology – a recipe designed to carry on the ACR’s lap-time busting reputation that has made it a legend on race tracks around the world.
“The Viper has always been more of a street-legal race car than a track-capable streetcar, and the new 2016 Dodge Viper ACR is the fastest street-legal Viper track car ever,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and Chief Executive Officer – Dodge Brand and SRT Brand, FCA – North America. “Our goal is to arm our enthusiasts with the ultimate Viper track car to dominate road courses around the world.”
The SRT engineering team that developed the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR is well-stocked with members who race their own cars, as well as learning from the factory-based racing Viper GTS-R that competed in the American Le Mans Series and IMSA United SportsCar Championship from 2012-2014, capturing the GTLM class driver and team championships in 2014. For the new Viper ACR, the team focused its efforts on three areas: aerodynamics, chassis and tires to maximize grip, producing never-seen-before handling capabilities and unprecedented lap times.
At the heart of the 2016 Viper ACR is the handcrafted, all-aluminum 8.4-liter V-10 overhead-valve engine, rated at 645 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque – the most torque of any naturally aspirated sports-car engine in the world. Unique exhaust tips have been added to the side-mounted exhaust pipes to provide reduced exhaust pressure. All Vipers are engineered to withstand severe track duty in ambient temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit with a professional driver. Power reaches the pavement through the standard Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual transmission.
The original Dodge Viper ACR was produced for the 1999 model year and was based off of the second generation coupe. This model had suspension and engine enhancements focused on maximizing performance in road racing and autocross environments. Horsepower was bumped from 450 to 460 hp via a unique air filter and smooth air intake hoses. Curb weight was reduced by more than 50 pounds by stripping the audio system and removing other non-essential items such as the fog lamps. The new stiffer, adjustable suspension removed another 14 pounds. This model also had an “ACR” badge and 20-spoke BBS wheels.
