Dodge announced Friday that their new 2008 Viper SRT10 American Club Racer (ACR) will slither its way onto the showroom floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. The latest creation from Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology (SRT) family of machinery, the 600 horsepower racer is street legal and designed to be driven to and from the race-track and anywhere in between.
"With the all-new 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR, SRT has taken the ultimate American sports car and injected it with an extra dose of racing DNA," said Mike Accavitti, Director of Dodge Brand and SRT Marketing and Communications. "With the Viper SRT10 as the starting point, SRT engineered a combination of reduced weight, race-tuned suspension and aerodynamic improvements to create the ultimate Viper for the street and track."Powering the ACR is an aluminum V-10 with 8.4 litres displacement and an output of 600 horsepower. There's no gain in horsepower over the standard model, though various upgrades ensure the ACR performs flawlessly in a racing environment. A functional 'fanged' front splitter and adjustable rear wing help create down force to keep the Viper planted at speed. They're made out of light-weight carbon-fibre too, to help shed unwanted pounds. Front fog-lamps have been deleted towards this goal as well. An optional 'hard-core' package further lightens the ACR by deleting carpeting, sound deadening and audio components. Total potential weight savings is some 80 pounds over the regular model.Expect Viper SRT10 ACR to reach showrooms by summertime with an MSRP of just under $100,000.
photo: Chrysler