The Dodge Viperhas never been a particularly brilliant road car. But get it out to thetrack, and the snake's reason for being becomes abundantly clear. Toemphasize its on-track prowess, introduce a new Viper spec series andprovide a fitting send-offtothe current generation coupe, Dodge and its SRT group is building aturn-key racer in the form of the 2010 Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X.
Priced at a cool $110,000, the ACR-X retains its 8.4-liter V10, butgains a set of racing headers and a low-restriction exhaust to increaseoutput to 640 horsepower -- an additional 40 ponies over the standardmodel.
The suspension has been tuned for track duty, the weight has been cutby 160 pounds and a new set of aerodynamic enhancements improvedownforce, while a roll cage, fuel cell and race seat get it ready tocompete in the SCCA and NASA Viper Racing League. Production beginsthis spring, with the Dodge Viper Spec series kicking off in July of2010. Make the jump for the press release and a video of the ACR-X's development.
PRESS RELEASE
Dodge Targets Road Racing Enthusiasts With 2010 Viper SRT10 ACR-X
•Turn-key, spec-series racer aimed at continuing Dodge Viper's storied racing history
•Dodge and Street and Racing Technology (SRT) team combine best performance attributes of Viper ACR with Viper Competition Coupe
•Latest special-edition Viper ACR offers improved on-track performance and safety
•Dodge Viper Cup spec series will debut in July 2010
Orlando, Fla., Dec 10, 2009 - Dodgetoday pulled the cover off the newest special-edition model of the 2010Viper SRT10 lineup. The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X is a turn-key,non-street legal race car that is slated to make its on-track debut inthe summer of 2010.
"The Dodge Viper ACR-X takes theperformance attributes of Viper to an even higher level for a widerange of drivers starting with the grassroots racer all the way up tothe professional," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand."This project is a result of many years of performance engineeringexpertise from our SRT team, combined with the passion and dedicationof Viper Nation, to keep the Viper racing tradition going strong ontracks around the country and the world."
Combining the best performanceattributes of the record-setting, street-legal Dodge Viper ACR(American Club Racer) and the safety equipment of championship-winningViper Competition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X is powered by theSRT-developed 8.4-liter V10, equipped with factory headers and alow-restriction exhaust system, that produces 640 horsepower (40 morethan production model).
The suspension also is tuned andupgraded specifically for on-track usage, while the weight is lightenedby a full 160 pounds (versus the standard production Viper) to take oneven the most challenging road course. Additional aerodynamic upgradesimprove downforce, while enhancing stability and significantlyimproving grip in high-speed cornering.
Similar to the Dodge ViperCompetition Coupe, the Viper ACR-X contains factory-installed safetyequipment such as a factory-designed roll cage, fuel cell and raceseat. Additional racing components are added to meet the significantdurability and reliability requirements for on-track competition.
In what will be the final year ofproduction for the current generation Viper, the ACR-X is the thirdlimited, special-edition model to be introduced by Dodge. ""We're goingto make 2010 the most exciting year for Viper yet with speciallydeveloped cars for the street and the track," added Gilles. "The ACR-Xis targeted at road-racing enthusiasts who want to successfully competein our ultimate American sports car."
Last month, the SRT team used atesting session at Laguna Seca raceway to shake down the Viper ACR-Xfor the first time. Behind the wheel was professional driver KunoWittmer from the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring CarChampionship series, who was able to run consistent 1:31.00 lap timesaround the 2.238-mile, 11-turn course. Wittmer's lap times were morethan 3 seconds faster than the street-legal Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR thatholds the production car track record at Laguna Seca raceway.
"The Dodge Viper ACR-X isincredible," said Wittmer. "After a short warm up, I was running laptimes as quick as exotic GT race cars. I was blown away by the powerand acceleration, and even more surprised at how the ACR-X navigatedthe challenging Laguna Seca corners and how friendly it was to drive atthe limit.
"All aspects of the car worktogether perfectly to plant all that horsepower and torque withoutissue," Wittmer added. "This will be a great package for someone comingout of grassroots racing with a desire to step-up to GT levelcompetition. Dodge nailed it with this one!"
The Viper SRT10 ACR-X is designed tocompete in the Viper Racing League, Sports Car Club of America andNational Auto Sport Association events.
Manufacturer's Suggested RetailPrice (MSRP) for the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X will be approximately$110,000. Production is slated to begin in Spring 2010.
For more information on the DodgeViper ACR-X, call Viper Race Headquarters at (888) 960-3333 or visitwww.viperheadquarters.com
Dodge Viper Cup:
The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X willmake its on-track debut in July 2010 in a newly developed spec seriescalled the Dodge Viper Cup, which will be sanctioned by the existingViper Racing League. Each vehicle in the new series must be the newViper ACR-X.
Two races per weekend for fiveweekends will make up the 10-race 2010 Dodge Viper Cup schedule whichincludes July 9-11 at Virginia International Raceway; August 14-15 atHallett Raceway; September 11-12 at Pocono Raceway; October 1-3 atMiller Motorsports Park and October 22-24 at Daytona InternationalSpeedway.
A contingency program sponsored byDodge Motorsports and Mopar will pay out more than $200,000 during2010. Payouts for each race are in cash and Mopar vouchers come ascredit toward purchase of Mopar parts and accessories.
Per Race Cash Mopar Voucher Total
1st $6,500 $1,000 $7,500
2nd $4,500 $500 $5,000
3rd $2,500 $250 $2,750
4th $1,250 $150 $1,400
5th $500 $100 $600
Additional cash awards will be madeto the top-3 finishers in the Dodge Viper Cup. The 2010 champion willwin $25,000, second-place will receive $10,000 and third-place will pay$5,000.
Viper Racing Heritage:
The Dodge Viper has enjoyed asuccessful racing heritage that began in 1996 with the original Viperracing entry, the GTS-R, which earned five international GTchampionships and the 1997-1999 FIA GT championships. It also posted anamazing overall win at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 1999 – thefirst for a production-based American car.
The Dodge Viper Competition Coupe,introduced in 2003, delivered the next chapter with its coupe-shapedcarbon/Kevlar body and a track-ready chassis, based on the Dodge ViperSRT10. The Viper Competition Coupe has continued the on-track prowessby capturing the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge GT title,championships in Formula D Drifting series in 2004 and 2006 and theBritish GT Championship in 2007 and 2008.
viperheadquarters.com:
Dodge has created a new websitedesigned to showcase the Dodge Viper SRT10 both on the street and onthe track. Check out the new online home for all things Viper atwww.viperheadquarters.com
Viper Racing League:
The Viper Racing League is one raceseries within the group of three (including Challenge Series andDriving School) sanctioned by Viper Days. The series has 11-weekendevents scheduled for the 2010 season at some of the country's mostprestigious race tracks. For more information including the 2010 raceschedule, visit
www.viperdays.com http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/10/2...t-spec-racing/ 
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