2008 Dodge Viper

...the Viper ACR is in all fairness a race car you can drive on the street.

But it's brutal. It's like riding a bull. It's tremendous fun, and I love that there aren't any electronic stability controls, but if you're going to drive the Viper anywhere near its limit, you had better know what you're doing. It's not a finesse car. It's enjoyable but crude.

The Viper's race-car handling is counterweighted by a race-car ride.

It's still an OHV aluminum V-10-now at 8.4 liters by virtue of a 1mm bore increase-yet no area of the engine's makeup or ancillary systems has gone untouched. McLaren Performance Technologies, Ricardo, and others consulted on the engine project. The fortified V-10's major tech coup is the addition of variable valve timing. SRT claims this to be the first use of VVT in a high-performance cam-in-block engine. The goal of varying the cam overlap is the ability to optimize it over a wider rpm range; the result, claims SRT, is a wider powerband with improved idle characteristics yet bigger power up the rpm range. The cam profile has higher lift and longer duration than the previous V-10s.

Big changes for the intake system: It's now a two-piece manifold/plenum design, with smoother intake passages and surfaces throughout. Dual electronic throttle bodies replace the previous single unit. The cold-air intake has been revised for higher flow, lighter weight, and better NVH. The previous Viper's electrical architecture and engine-management system have been scrapped in favor of new hardware. Each cylinder gets its own coil pack mounted to the valve cover.

The 2008's pipe job does away with the previous X-pipe setup, curing the heat problem and sounding exotic at the same time.

The Viper is still a demanding and somewhat intimidating car to drive hard. Do something wrong -- attack a corner too aggressively or dial in too much correction at speed -- and the laws of physics can mete out some serious punishment. But that's why they called it Viper, not Koala, and why we referred to it as a Weapon right at the top: a gigantic mortar round that's landed squarely in the Corvette camp, apparently wounding the Z06.

Powering the ACR is the same aluminum, 8.4-liter V-10 found in the 2008 Viper that pumps out a sick 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, mated to a Tremec six-speed manual. It's safe to assume with all the improvements to the ACR that our base 2008 Viper's test 0-60 times of 3.7 seconds and the quarter mile of 11.7 seconds at 124.4 mph are in jeopardy. But of course, this car isn't as much about the drag strip as it is the multi-turn circuit - a place where the ACR will most certainly be a regular.

Dodge says the ACR will cost $98,110 (including an $850 desination charge) when it arrives in the second quarter of 2008. With a base Viper coupe running about $87,000, an $11,000 track pack is not horribly unreasonable for a car on which racing stripes alone are a $3000 option.

Happily, at just $12,050 more than the standard Viper, it's also something of a bargain. Although SRT's modifications were handicapped by retail-price goals and by a desire to avoid costly government recertification - the ACR's powertrain is shared with the base Viper for those reasons - the end result of their efforts is still a formidable offering. New hardware includes a hefty bump in both spring rate and suspension adjustability; German-made, double-adjustable dampers at all four corners; forged aluminum wheels; and various aerodynamic devices claimed to add roughly 900 pounds of additional downforce at high speeds (see sidebar). Two-piece, aluminum-centered StopTech brake rotors mate with the base Viper's Brembo calipers; combined with the aluminum wheels, they help reduce unsprung mass by sixty pounds. (Overall, the ACR weighs forty pounds less than the stock SRT10 coupe, according to Chrysler.) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires - essentially track-only rubber, although still DOT-approved - are standard, and the whole package is street-legal.

Without flames, wings, or fender flares to draw attention to its business, the Viper has slithered to 600 hp. Michelin run-flat tires have been superseded by Pilot Sport PS2 rubber, and new forged, ten-spoke wheels are optional, but the only obvious hint that something is up is a more aggressively vented hood. The 8.4-liter V-10 under that bonnet borrows pistons and connecting rods from SRT's 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 to rev higher and to hiss harder. Twin throttle bodies and mass airflow sensors feed a larger intake plenum. A compression ratio boosted from 9.6 to 10.2:1, larger valves, CNC-machined combustion chambers and valve bowls, and smoother ports all help squeeze more energy out of each breath. New hydroformed exhaust headers route spent gases through four catalytic converters and two resonators housed inside the Viper's side sills.

More low-end torque was the last thing the Viper needed, so powertrain engineers used this opportunity to extend the V-10's high end. Lifters and rocker arms are lighter and intake valve stems are hollow in support of a 6200-rpm redline. At 3900 rpm, the new torque curve sweeps past the old one while surging to a husky 560 lb-ft peak at 5000 rpm. The power plot crests at 6100 rpm with a 300-rpm cushion before fuel delivery is interrupted.

The updated-for-2008 Dodge Viper still isn't at home on the street - it bucks and hunts over road imperfections, constantly fills your ears with driveline and suspension noise, and has one of the most ergonomically challenged interiors of any car on sale today. Despite this, we like the mega Dodge.

As long as you respect the 8.4-liter V-10 in the lower gears, the Viper is very friendly and rewarding to drive on a racetrack. Much of this improvement is due to the fitment of a new, speed-sensing limited-slip differential, bespoke non-run-flat Michelin tires, and a retuned suspension. No, it's not a tactile dancer like a Porsche or a Lotus, but it's amazing how good this Dodge feels lap after lap. Plus, the engine now puts out an impressive 600 hp, which never hurts.

The standard Viper is a rude, crude machine but comes into its own on the track. It is balanced and actually quite a pussycat when tossed around a circuit. The amount of race track performance the ACR should add for not much more money screams "smoking deal". Plus, it's not like you can make a Viper perform any worse on the road -- so the car should no more miserable on the drive to and from track events than the standard car. We have little doubt that the Viper ACR will thrash a Porsche 911 GT3 on a track, and maybe even a GT2.

The Dodge Viper is the bad boy for under $100,000. Bang for your buck literally can't be matched, as you will likely spend more to better any battle of numbers bench racers are apt to argue about. It's in your face, your ears, your nose and all over the competition. If you're smart enough to show the respect it demands, it might be the race car you're looking for. And did we mention the 600 horsepower?