How do you improve a car that has already set lap records at 13 road tracks in the US, including Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta, and Willow Springs? The short answer is you don’t. GeigerCars->ke1300 could have taken its usual course of modifying the Dodge Viper ACR to turn it into the black mamba of the race track. Or, it could just try to replicate the viciousness of the Viper ACR->ke1404 by developing its own aerodynamic package that can replicate the sports car’s record-breaking capabilities.

The German tuner opted for the latter and so here we are. This is GeigerCars’ take on the Viper ACR and it comes with what the company calls an “Extreme Aero Package” to help improve the car’s performance capabilities and turn it into a razor-sharp street legal track car across the Atlantic.

The aerodynamic modifications on this Viper are extensive and were developed with the singular purpose of improving its handling on the track. There was very little work done on the engine - surprising, right? - but according to Geiger, any improvement on the power of the Viper’s 8.4-liter V-10 engine would’ve made the car a handful to drive in any condition.

In the end, GeigerCars reconfigured the Viper the way it intended it to. It still won’t be the fastest car on the autobahn, but with all the modifications tied into improving the car’s overall handling, I can’t imagine how awesome this car can go on a race track, especially in those tight corners.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

2016 Dodge Viper ACR by GeigerCars

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR by GeigerCars
  • Engine/Motor: V10
  • Horsepower: 654
  • Torque: 600
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

A quick peek at the photos of the Viper ACR reveal what appears to be a rather muted aesthetic package on the exterior of the American sports car. Granted, the Viper already looks the part of an all-conquering serpentine monster, so there’s not a lot of work to be done to make it look even more menacing.

On the aero side, there are some notable changes, starting with the enormous splitter just below the front air intakes. The splitter was added to create positive downforce over the front axle, helping the Viper keep its nose on the ground when it’s running at full blast. A pair of dive planes can also be found on the side of the front aprons. At the back, a large carbon fiber rear wing with a Gurney flap and lateral air guides sits ominously atop the low-slung boot of the Viper. The wing measures over six feet wide and is responsible for adding massive downforce and directional stability. Owners can even adjust the angle of the wing that suits their racing preference. A carbon fiber underbody diffuser with six vertical fins is yet another important piece of the aerodynamic puzzle. Just like the rear wing, the diffuser helps generate downforce.

Rounding out the exterior upgrades is a set of Kumho Ecsta V720-high-performance tires in 295/25R19 and 355/30R19 that GeigerCars used specifically for this program to help the Viper ACR generate as much as 1.5 g of lateral acceleration. Lightweight carbon ceramic brakes from Brembo with 15.3-inch cross-drilled vented discs and six-pot callipers in the front and 14.2-inch discs with four-pot calibers in the back help keep the Viper tamed whenever it gets a little too raunchy.

Interior

Somewhat surprisingly, the cabin of the Viper ACR isn’t as stripped down as I thought. Give credit to GeigerCars for paying some attention to the interior, giving it a handful of well-appointment digs like the leather-wrapped surfaces to go with generous helpings of Alcantara. Likewise, the dashboard, door panels, and the flat-bottomed sports steering wheel all come with carbon fiber accents. The wheel, in particular, also features an orange “this way up” band at the 12 ‘o clock position. A pair of sports seats round out the interior upgrades on the Viper ACR.

Drivetrain

In yet another surprising twist, the Dodge Viper ACR’s 8.4-liter V-10 engine was kept largely untouched. Overall, the massive V-10 only received an extra five horsepower to bring its total up to 654 horsepower. Torque numbers, on the other hand, remained at 600 pound-feet.

According to GeigerCars, this was done to ensure that the Viper ACR retained peek handling and grip qualities befitting that of a bonafide race car. So instead of trying to squeeze more power out of the V-10, the focus was on making it as rounded and as versatile as it can be, both from an aerodynamic and technical standpoint.

The resulting engine upgrade - if you can even call it that - allows the Viper ACR to hit a top speed of 177 mph with a combined 15.48 mpg fuel consumption rating.

Suspension

A fully adjustable Bilstein coil-over suspension highlights the upgrades in this section. Spring rates on the Viper ACR have also been updated to be significantly higher than the stock versions, allowing the sports car to run more negative camber, helping the Viper ACR’s stability and turn-in capabilities.

Price

The price for owning a GeigerCars-tuned Dodge Viper ACR comes out at €179,000. That's about $192,500 based on current exchange rates.

Competition

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 by Callaway Cars

When the Dodge Viper’s name is brought up, the conversation inevitably leads to the Chevrolet Corvette. That’s been the case for these two rivals for years now, and as long as both are around, they’ll be compared until the cows come home. Having said that, GeigerCars’ program for the Viper ACR deserves a worthy Corvette counterpart. That’s where Callaway Cars comes in. The noted Chevrolet tuner has been around since 1977 and it has picked up quite a resume, thanks in large part to programs like the the Sledgehammer Corvette.

This time, Callaway took the task of giving the Corvette Z06 a ridiculous tuning package that included a massive aero kit and an even bigger engine upgrade. The result was as mind-blowing as you’d expect. On the aero side, the most prominent change was in the pointed, shark-like front end, where a unique Callaway supercharger surround trim ring sat atop the bulging, louvered hood. Some minor interior details were also included in the program, including standard items like floor mats embroidered with Callaway branding, doorsills hewn from anodized aluminum ,Callaway key fobs, and a Callaway plaque mounted to the center console.

Like most of Callaway’s programs, owners don’t get to experience the full spectacle of the kit until they pop open the hood. For this particular program, the tuner installed a bevy of components to bring the Corvette Z06’s output up to an incredible 757 horsepower and 777 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers not only represent a significant jump from the Z06’s standard output of 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, but they’re also head and shoulders above what GeigerCars was able to get out out the Viper ACR. Granted, there’s a difference in philosophy on how both tuners approached their respective kits, but what Callaway was able to get out of the Z06 is proof that the tuning possibilities on the Chevy sports car has limitless bounds.

Callaway claims that the beefed-up Corvette Z06 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds, two-tenths-of-a-second quicker than the stock figure. Likewise, a quarter-mile pass can be covered in 10.5 seconds at 131 mph, much quicker than the 11.2 seconds at 127 mph it takes the stock Z06 to cover the same ground.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

GeigerCars program for the Dodge Viper ACR isn’t really made up of a revolutionary new kit. Instead, it’s a “motorsport-derived” program of the same aero kit that Dodge installed on the car that allowed it to set one track record after another while also shaming the irrepressible Porsche 918 Spyder at Laguna Seca.

GeigerCars calls it the “Extreme Aro Package” and the name certainly fits the results that the German tuner intended for the car. It’s an incredible program that allows European customers to experience the visceral thrill of driving the Viper ACR. It might not be the fastest car on the autobahn, but if you put it on any one of those tracks in Germany, it’s going to leave its mark in more ways than one.