Viper Used OEM Rubber Around The Ring – But What's A "Production Car?"

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: September 29th, 2011

viper used oem rubber around the ring but what s a production car

On September 14, a Dodge Viper did the fabled Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7:12.13, beating the Lexus LFA which had done the ring in 7:14:64 just a few weeks before. That was a very respectable time and makes the Viper the fastest “true production car” around the Ring. (Somehow, a Gumpert Apollo and a Radical SR8 doesn’t sound like something that is produced in halfway serious numbers.)The only thing that left something to be desired was the way the record was announced: It flew around in tweets and forum posts, but no official announcement was forthcoming. Finally, Chrysler issued an official press release, confirming that veteran GT driver Dominik Farnbacher piloted a “street-legal, 600-horsepower 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR (American Club Racer) to new record lap at the world’s most demanding road course – the famed 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife (north course)” in the aforementioned 7:12.13 . However, on what tires?That kept people awake and triggered minor edit wars on Wikipedia, which somehow had morphed into the unofficial scorekeeper of Nordschleifen laptimes. The score keeper used to be Germany’s Sport Auto magazine, but dead tree based publications just can’t keep up. Casus belli of the edit war: The tires. The Chrysler press release had not expressly stated which tires were used on the ring. They had stated that the stock car comes with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, but tires can be changed, and defenders of the honor of the Lexus clung to the missing rubber.Contacted by TTAC, Chrysler spokesman Dan Reid now confirmed that “the team used the factory stock Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires for all the runs in the Viper ACR.” That settles that.What is very much unsettling is the fact that the top spots are claimed by pseudo-production cars. One contributor on Wikipedia even complained that he had a “ digital copy of the Radical’s owner’s manual showing the car’s requirements for a 45 minute start up procedure involving a laptop plugged into the ECU, 108 octane fuel, engine rebuilds every 30 hours, transmission inspections/rebuilds after every race, etc.” which doesn’t quite sound like a production car.

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

More by Bertel Schmitt

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 30 comments

Advo on Sep 30, 2011

I 'thought' The Stig was the official timekeeper of how fast production cars go, but I see now that TG may have to provide third-party assurances of a car's originality.

Like Reply
Brock_Landers on Sep 30, 2011

Gumpert Apollo is a pure race car made legal for the street. To sit inside you need to remove the steering wheel etc. It sits on cro-moly tube frame (like racecars) covered with plastic panels. Check youtube for videos, then you understand that there are lightyears of difference with LFA. I don't know what the exact difference is between normal Viper and ACR (hardcore package deletes sound insulation, navigation, audio, climate control etc?), but the only interior difference between normal LFA and Nur Edition LFA are the seats, the latter has carbon fiber bucket seats (record setting car was equipped with roll cage and racing seat belts only because of safety of the driver). With Nur LFA I bet you can enjoy a longer trip on highway with your supermodel girlfriend (thats what for supercars are really made I guess :)?) and have a normal conversation while driving. I not so sure it is possible with Viper ACR or Apollo. Basically comparing ACR Viper, Apollo, Radical etc. to LFA is comparing a supercar to a racecar. Closest real supercar to LFA Nur Edition in the Nur lap time list is in my opinion ZR1.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Merc190 I would say Civic Si all the way if it still revved to 8300 rpm with no turbo. But nowadays I would pick the Corolla because I think they have a more clear idea on their respective models identity and mission. I also believe Toyota has a higher standard for quality.
Dave Holzman I think we're mixing up a few things here. I won't swear to it, but I'd be damned surprised if they were putting fire retardant in the seats of any cars from the '50s, or even the '60s. I can't quite conjure up the new car smell of the '57 Chevy my parents bought on October 17th of that year... but I could do so--vividly--until the last five years or so. I loved that scent, and when I smelled it, I could see the snow on Hollis Street in Cambridge Mass, as one or the other parent got ready to drive me to nursery school, and I could remember staring up at the sky on Christmas Eve, 1957, wondering if I might see Santa Claus flying overhead in his sleigh. No, I don't think the fire retardant on the foam in the seats of 21st (and maybe late 20th) century cars has anything to do with new car smell. (That doesn't mean new car small lacked toxicity--it probably had some.)
ToolGuy Is this a website or a podcast with homework? You want me to answer the QOTD before I listen to the podcast? Last time I worked on one of our vehicles (2010 RAV4 2.5L L4) was this past week -- replaced the right front passenger window regulator (only problem turned out to be two loose screws, but went ahead and installed the new part), replaced a bulb in the dash, finally ordered new upper dash finishers (non-OEM) because I cracked one of them ~2 years ago.Looked at the mileage (157K) and scratched my head and proactively ordered plugs, coils, PCV valve, air filter and a spare oil filter, plus a new oil filter housing (for the weirdo cartridge-type filter). Those might go in tomorrow. Is this interesting to you? It ain't that interesting to me. 😉The more intriguing part to me, is I have noticed some 'blowby' (but is it) when the oil filler cap is removed which I don't think was there before. But of course I'm old and forgetful. Is it worth doing a compression test? Leakdown test? Perhaps if a guy were already replacing the plugs...
Crown No surprise there. The toxic chemical stew of outgassing.
Spamvw Seeing the gear indicator made me wonder when PRNDL was mandated.Anyone?Anyone?1971