Leave it to people power to get something done that an automaker of Dodge’s status wasn’t able to do. Most of you will probably remember a few months ago, a group of Dodge Viper enthusiasts started pooling their resources together to accomplish one goal: send the fifth-generation Dodge Viper to the Nürburgring to attempt a lap run. I didn’t think that it could happen, but I’m happy to have been proven wrong. The crowdfunding movement actually worked and a bone-stock Viper ACR found its way to the famed German race track. More importantly, it was able to set a lap time of 7:03.45, almost nine seconds quicker than the 7:12.13 lap time set by its predecessor back in 2011.
It’s true that the current-generation Viper ACR’s lap time is still a long ways away from the current production car lap record of 6:52.01 held by the Lamborghini Huracán Performante. But just because it’s still over 10 seconds away from the record, it doesn’t mean that the Viper ACR’s time at the ‘Ring was a complete waste. In fact, the lap time set by the American sports car placed it sixth-fastest of all time among production cars, faster than the Nismo-prepped Nissan GT-R, the Mercedes-AMG GT R, and the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06. More importantly, driver Dominik Farnbacher and the team behind the attempt will make a go at the track a few more times this week with the goal of besting the lap times of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce. Looks like the Dodge Viper ACR's quest for Nürburgring glory isn't done just yet.
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The Viper Owners Association is doing Dodge a huge favor
When I first heard about this crowdfunding movement, I honestly didn’t think much of it because I didn’t think it would be possible to get the funding in place to get the Dodge Viper to the Nürburgring. Color me surprised then because the Viper Owners Association actually achieved its goal of securing the almost $200,000 needed to get the plan going. It’s also important to commend tire manufacturer Kumho for getting involved, as well as Prefix Corporation, which has been involved in the auto industry since its inception in 1979.
Altogether, the group not only managed to secure a pair of stock Dodge Viper ACRs from Texas dealership Viper Exchange, but it was also able to tap professional racer Dominik Farnbacher to pilot the Viper ACRs. For those who don’t remember, Farnbacher is the same driver who drove the fourth-generation Viper ACR for Dodge around the Nürburgring back in 2011. That ended with the fastest lap of 7:12.13, which to this day still ranks among the 10 fastest laps around the 12.9-mile Nordschleife section of the track among production cars.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how this collective effort will build from the incredibly impressive lap time of 7:03.45 that it already set over the weekend. A few more lap times will be attempted in the coming days so that’s something that we should all be looking forward to. It remains to be seen if the current-generation Viper ACR will break the sub-seven-minute barrier and inch closer to the lap times of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce, but all signs seem to point in that direction, especially with Farnbacher in the wheel of the American sports car.
Regardless if he does so or not, what’s important here is that the Dodge Viper ACR is getting one more moment in the spotlight before the model is retired next month. It’s a fitting send-off that will be a lot sweeter if the sports car manages to bump off the 918 Spyder and the Aventador Superveloce from their lofty perches.
References
Read our full review of the Dodge Viper ACR.