Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR recaptures Laguna Seca lap record; may get Italian DNA down the road

With all the doom and gloom at Chrysler, it’s great to report some positive news. In this case, Dodge’s Viper sports car, recently saved from extinction, is still one seriously fast machine – and one that may receive some Italian DNA in the future.

An SRT10 ACR (American Club Racer) model just recaptured the lap record for a production car at Laguna Seca raceway in Monterey, Calif. It did the deed in 1:33.915, shattering the previous record by more than 1.1 seconds.

At the wheel was Street and Racing Technology (SRT) vehicle dynamics engineer Chris Winkler, who was still learning the intricate details of Laguna Seca, having spent only one other session on the 3.5 km, 11-turn course.

Introduced in 2008, the Viper SRT10 ACR model gets a shorter fifth gear ratio for 2010, to improve high-speed acceleration and straightaway speeds. It’s a change that came about from Dodge’s attempt at a lap-record run at Germany’s Nürburgring in 2008. There’s also a new short-throw shifter and aerodynamic improvements. As always, power comes from an 8.4-litre V10 engine, with 600 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque.

The current Viper is going into the final year of production, with approximately 500 to be produced in 2010.

Ralph Gilles, president and CEO, Dodge brand and senior vice president, product design office, Chrysler Group LLC, said, “We’re going to keep Dodge’s performance icon alive and well by not only producing some of the most special Vipers ever built, but we’re also investigating what the next-generation Viper is going to be. When we have partners across the ocean who are known as the best sports carmakers in the world, the future opportunities are huge.”