Dodge Declares The Viper ACR The “Track Record King”

2016 Dodge Viper ACR (Credit: Dodge)

Nobody doubted that the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR is fast, but some might be surprised that Dodge has declared it the “Track Record King.” Instead of that being some brash marketing move, the simple fact is that the supercar has been certified by the SCCA as holding more track records than any other production car out there.

The new Viper ACR has taken down some impressive records at various tracks. While everyone has been debating if the Porsche 918 Spyder, LaFerrari or McLaren P1 is the track king, Dodge has calmly thrown down the gauntlet with a machine that one could argue is the best street-legal vehicle in the world.

Since the 2016 Viper ACR is a car that’s designed for regular people to take it out on the track on the weekend, Dodge put one of its own employees behind the wheel to test it out at Indie Motorsports Ranch. When it set a new record for the track, the company started to realize just how special the vehicle is.

So far, the Viper ACR has claimed 13 track records at Indie Motorsports Ranch, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, MotorSport Ranch, Willow Springs Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Grattan Raceway, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, GingerMan Raceway, Motown Mile, Nelson Ledges, Waterford Hills, Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca.

According to Dodge, the new Viper ACR literally applies the same principles as the old ACR model, just on the updated platform. The result is a much faster car. For example, at Laguna Seca the 2016 model made it around at 1:28:65, which bested the old model’s time by 5.27 seconds. It also broke the Porsche 918 Spyder’s record by 1.24 seconds.

One of the key elements Dodge is crediting for the car’s success is the huge amount of downforce generated by the Extreme Aero package fitted to the Viper ACR. Thanks to a massive rear wing, an extension for the front splitter, extra diver planes and more aero equipment, peak downforce measures over 1,700 pounds.