A parking lot is a parking lot is a parking lot—unless it’s the Summit Racing parking lot. On any given day or time, the lot outside a Summit Racing store can turn into an impromptu mini car show, depending on who’s stopped by the store. On Wednesday, we often share a notable parking lot find—another benefit of being Powered by Summit Racing Equipment.
The era of the Dodge Viper is over, with production ending officially in 2017. It went out with a bang though—recently a crowdfunded Viper ACR set the lap record for an American, rear-wheel drive, manual transmission car at the famous German Nürburgring track. In fact, it came tantalizingly close to a sub-seven minute lap time. You can read about that effort at Jalopnik.com.
The Dodge Viper has always been a special car, which is why we were delighted to see an ACR model roar into the Summit Racing parking lot.
ACR stands for “American Club Racing,” and the package was aimed squarely at track drivers who wanted performance above all else. It boasted a 640 horsepower 8.4L V10 engine and tires made specifically for the car.
Checking the ACR box also got you a carbon fiber aero kit, including dive planes sourced from a Los Angeles class submarine and a rear wing that would make the Wright Brothers grin.
Not that any Viper would be considered discreet, but the extra ACR trim makes this car stand out like a grizzly bear at a salad bar.
It was a nice final “Awww Yeah!” from Dodge, as it let the Viper slither into history.
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Photos by OnAllCylinders – Paul Sakalas
[…] We alluded to it above, but the Viper hatched out of what would eventually become the SRT division, so it’s a no-brainer that we’d feature a Viper on our list. We chose the ACR version because it’s, in no uncertain terms, a street-legal race car. A Viper ACR actually swung by one of Summit Racing’s Retail Stores a while back and we got a closer look, check it out here. […]
[…] a track-focused monster with the American Club Racing (ACR) trim, so it’s no surprise a Viper ACR holds the Nürburgring lap record for fastest American rear-wheel drive manual transmission car. […]