It’s been four years since the demise of the Dodge Viper and with Stellantis (the merger between FCA and PSA) still working on its plans, which naturally revolve around electrification, we may or may not get a replacement, so, naturally, prices for these snakes are going up. And, to make up for the anxiety such a conclusion can deliver, we’ve brought along a little race that sees a Gen V Viper ACR doing battle with a C7 Corvette Z06.
Sure, with its monstrous downforce, the American Club Racing isn’t the ideal version of the V10 supercar when it comes to a straight-line race like this one—this is more of a circuit machine, as suggested by the 13 production car lap records the thing set last decade.
Then again, the spec of the Chevy isn’t the sharpest for the said context either, since the stick rising from the center console means this is slower than the 8-speed auto, while the lack of a roof shows we’re dealing with the heavier model.
Nevertheless, this battle is all about the spectacle, from the way in which the 645 hp 8.4-liter heart of the Viper beats inside the cabin (volume up!) to how the enthusiasts wielding the beasts roll.
Team Mopar is represented by YouTuber Street Speed 717—Mike plans to twin-turbo this thing and meanwhile it seems he’s grown a third arm, as he steers, shifts, and holds the camera at the same time.
The 650 hp supercharged monster that is the Z06 Covertible has Mike’s neighbor Rich behind the wheel, a guy who sees “6” and “7” not as the digits that make us his age, but more like gears to shift into. Heck, this guy will go all the way to whatever ratio it takes to beat his vlogging neighbor, especially since there’s an actual prize involved.
The two duke it out at the Pocono Raceway, entering a slipstream race that should kick off at 65 mph (km/h) and be all about the car that has the greatest top speed. The NASCAR track see the ACR and the Z06 battling on four occasions, with the winner going home with a (ready for it?) Happy Meal.
