Automotive News, Media & Press - Z07 (yes 7) Corvette for 09' (code name Blue Devil!)

http://www.automobilemag.com/future_cars/2008/0609_z+2009_chevrolet_corvette_z07+front.jpg

"If the thought of the new 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang hedging in on the 505-hp Corvette Z06's territory raises your blood pressure, don't despair: Corvette chief engineer Tom Wallace has a 650-hp trick up his sleeve. A new super Corvette will build on the Z06's 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 that was developed in sync with the Corvette C6.R Le Mans racer. For this limited-production Vette, which might be called the Z07, Chevy will increase the LS7's displacement and bolt on a supercharger to bump output by 145 hp. The Z07, due in 2008, will be further differentiated from the Z06 by the use of more carbon-fiber body panels and a huge hood vent aimed at killing front-end lift. In true Corvette style, Chevy will undercut competitors by pricing the Z07 at about $100,000. This Corvette has been known within GM as the Blue Devil, after the mascot of GM CEO Rick Wagoner's alma mater, Duke, and also as the Sting Ray, but we think they'll go with Z07, or maybe Z06.R."

Ahh another car i can't afford. It's a good thing drool is free.
Props to GM for staying on top. :cheers:

Link to the original page: click here (http://www.automobilemag.com/future_cars/2008/0609_2009_chevrolet_corvette_z07/)

EDIT: I found this also...but no pictures :bang: so there's no point in making another thread. It's about the new Camaro and possible engine options!!

"In recent months, there has been a great deal of speculation that, assuming GM decides to produce the Chevrolet Camaro, a high-performance model will be offered with a Corvette motor. In fact, GM's Bob Lutz has even acknowledged the possibility of shoehorning the Z06's LS7 engine into the Camaro. But according to the August issue of GM High-Tech Performance, the automaker could go a step further. The magazine says GM is contemplating putting the supercharged LS9 engine in a range-topping Camaro SS. GM is also said to have another 6.2-liter LS derivative in the works for its full size truck lineup. (Recently, we brought you spy shots of what could be the new LS truck engine). Lastly, the magazine reports GM is in the initial stages of prototyping a new "huge" LS-style engine with 8.3 liters of displacement and 900 horsepower. It's unclear if that engine is the LS9, or something entirely different. The source who worked on the engine said, "I don't get parts unless they're actually going to do something with them." (Recently, we noted GM registered the name "LSX" for a vehicle engine). "

ALSO I found this over at Digital Corvettes:
http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49908

http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/corvette-photos/data/703/Corvette-LS9.jpg

"I was a bit surprised to see this the other day, thought you would enjoy seeing it as well.

Is this the first mention of DOHC for the LS9?

EDIT: Look in <upper right corner> of document for "DOHC" and <center> for LS9 reference." (From StingRayX at DC.)

I hope you guys like the info and pics, i'll update it if/when i can find more pictures..that way mods don't get angry cause it's not as "multimedia oriented" as it should be. If anyone has stuff to add to it be my guest. :thumb:

i dont know how they compare a mustang to a vette... two different cars...


now a Ford GT to a vette is more like it


gonna be a sick car none the less

its not real!

its not even blue? its yellow....bad ass car tho

650HP? Won't do.. Supposedly the Viper will use that 650HP number.. I say nudge to 685 and freakin' let the public know GM is serious.

dang...thats insane...perhaps would it be that 511 displacement or what?

650HP? Won't do.. Supposedly the Viper will use that 650HP number.. I say nudge to 685 and freakin' let the public know GM is serious.
650hp with a lighter car will do very well . Lol so you think the new c6 and zo6 isnt serious :eyes:

I hope it doesn't look like that, damn that thing looks cheap!! It looks like a kit car z06 IMO.

The engine on the other, absolutely BADASS! I hope they put one in to a z06.

I hope it doesn't look like that, damn that thing looks cheap!! It looks like a kit car z06 IMO.

The engine on the other, absolutely BADASS! I hope they put one in to a z06.
I agree they need to keep the new body style from 06 and get rid of that hood :barf: Looks like the gts hood .

I think the hood is sweet. I'm confused though, I thought the Blue Devil would be DOHC, not a larger cubed LS7. I dont know if I believe the 900 HP 8.3 liter though, and I dont see an LS7 or a supercharged LS9 in a Camaro!

Most of that is junk from a magazine article.

looks awsome I'll be psyced if they make it

Is it just me or does that picture make it look like a transformer? The body seams look to rigid and that hood is hideous

the picture is a pchop of a c6r from a mag artical

Hope it becomes a reality.

In case you haven't seen it, here are pictures of the "LS9":

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/06/28/mystery-high-performance-gm-engine-ls9/

I don't see GM engineering a whole new set of DOHC heads for an uberVette when the company is in as much deep shit as it is. Especially when they already have motors that are well capale of developing 600+hp. If GM does build a Corvette that's faster than the current C6 Z06 my guess is that it will either use a hotted up version of the LS7 7.0L V8, or a blown version of it's new 6.2L truck motor. An all new set of OHC heads seems too far fetched IMO. Dodge scrapped plans for a DOHC Viper before the current 3rd gen car was introduced and I think GM learned a thing or two after the ZR-1. And that is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Z07 is already used by MTI, unless GM is going to pay them for the name, they aren't going to use it.

Z07 is already used by MTI, unless GM is going to pay them for the name, they aren't going to use it.
you do know its easy for massive corps to shit on smaller ocmpanies right?

In case you haven't seen it, here are pictures of the "LS9":

http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/06/28/mystery-high-performance-gm-engine-ls9/

No way that is DOHC.

That first picture is a photoshop.

650hp with a lighter car will do very well . Lol so you think the new c6 and zo6 isnt serious :eyes:

The z06 isn't supercar status.

The z06 isn't supercar status.

Sooooo whats does a car have to have in order to be considered a "supercar" to me the Vette is a supercar. Does it have to carry a $190,000 price tag?

650HP? Won't do.. Supposedly the Viper will use that 650HP number.. I say nudge to 685 and freakin' let the public know GM is serious.I don't think even the 385 HP C5 Z06 would have any trouble besting a 650 HP SRT-10 Viper on a road course; the arena this car is meant to be raced in.

The z06 isn't supercar status.it eats porsches and shits ferraris, thats good enough for me

Z07 is already used by MTI, unless GM is going to pay them for the name, they aren't going to use it.you also realize there was a Z07 Corvette in the 60s as well as a Z07 package offered in later years. GM will take a giant shit on MTI if they want to try and collect on a name that was never theirs to begin with.

IF something like this vette were to come out, it would be great news for current C6 owners. a factory heavy duty rear end swap! :)

lol

I don't think gm wants the vette to be dubbed a supercar rather we all know the half grand vette has a cult already now making a more higher end vette like the c6 z06 has def had to cut into viper sales and maybe others too, the point is that guys like fast toys and making the best rounded one whether it be more expensive or cheaper than the competition is more likely to be in gm's favor. It's awsome to see such an emphasis on performance. btw my vote goes for z06.r.

I don't think even the 385 HP C5 Z06 would have any trouble besting a 650 HP SRT-10 Viper on a road course; the arena this car is meant to be raced in.
So, you really think that a Viper isn't capable on a road course? What arena is the Viper for if not road racing? Off-road?? :confused:

So, you really think that a Viper isn't capable on a road course? What arena is the Viper for if not road racing? Off-road?? :confused:

The v10 in the viper is very heavy and as such so is the nose of the car.

The vette is much more nimble with a much wider power band.

c5 z06s eat vipers in road courses.

The z06 isn't supercar status.
if it can beat those cars in jus about every category, yea, it is.

if it can beat those cars in jus about every category, yea, it is.

Supercar is not just performance.

Prestige is in there too.

650hp with a lighter car will do very well . Lol so you think the new c6 and zo6 isnt serious :eyes:
To the general public, a Viper is more exotic and better than any vette. The general public also doesn't care about weight, HP is the name of the game.

Keep in mind 95% of the people who buy these types of vehicles do it for status and impressing others and nothing else.

Try not to be so Vette headstrong guys.

general public dont know what we know now do they!

Supercar is not just performance.

Prestige is in there too.


"Z06" is not prestigious to you? Most Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini guys run and hide when somebody says ZOHHH6. And who knows what they would do if they heard a supercharger whine and saw some odd Z07 badges.

Having the respect of drivers of those vehicles is all the prestige i would need.

I hope you are not saying that price matters as far as getting into the supercar category, cuz that would just be ignorant.

http://www.automobilemag.com/future_cars/2008/0609_z+2009_chevrolet_corvette_z07+front.jpg

"If the thought of the new 500-hp Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang hedging in on the 505-hp Corvette Z06's territory raises your blood pressure, don't despair: I won't, I don't think anyone is really the two aren't even close :jest:

you do know its easy for massive corps to shit on smaller ocmpanies right?

Yes because it was so easy for Ford to get the rights to the moniker GT40 back in 2002. Safir Engineering wanted 40 million dollars from Ford to put the name onto the production car (they allowed Ford to use the name for the concept for free but that was it) and Ford did what??? I'll tell you what they didn't do, they didn't take a shit on a smaller company that's for sure. They went ahead and dropped the 40 from the name and just decided to call it the Ford GT. Then they went and tried to justify it by saying that "oh GT40 was just a nickname, it was always technically called the GT." Yah... riiiight. :eyes: Classic example of a big company not being able to do shit regarding a smaller company. Ford simply forgot to license the name end of story. If GM wanted to use the Z07 moniker they'd be in the same situation.

you also realize there was a Z07 Corvette in the 60s as well as a Z07 package offered in later years. GM will take a giant shit on MTI if they want to try and collect on a name that was never theirs to begin with.

What the hell are you babbling about? Since when did GM offer a Z07 package on the Corvette??? There was a Z-06 package offered in '63 with IIRC 199 examples built. Aside from that the only other Z0x cars offered were the C5 Z06 Hardtop and the current LS7 powered C6 Z06. There has never been a factory Z07 AFAIK. If there had been, GM probably would have licensed the trademark DON'T YOU THINK??? Please show proof because I think you're either full of shit on this one, or severely misinformed. Either that or I along with everyone else missed an entire page in Corvette history.

I don't think even the 385 HP C5 Z06 would have any trouble besting a 650 HP SRT-10 Viper on a road course; the arena this car is meant to be raced in.

Get your head out of your ass. 265hp makes a much bigger difference than 250 lbs. What a retarded thing to say. It's not like the Corvette weighs as little as a Lotus Elise or a Caterham. Maybe on an auto-x course the Corvette would hold an advantage since the Viper wouldn't be able to stretch it's legs (still highly unlikely), but on any decent sized race course a Viper with a 265hp advantage will OBVIOUSLY own a Corvette. By your dumbass notion a non turbo Solstice will rip a C5 Z06 around a road course. At 177hp and around 2850 lbs. it has around a 300 lbs. advantage on the Corvette and is down by 208hp (it is down by less hp than the 385 Z06 is from your supposed 650hp Viper). Now tell me... DOES THAT MAKE SENSE???

Oh, and knock of the blatant post whoring.

The v10 in the viper is very heavy and as such so is the nose of the car.

The vette is much more nimble with a much wider power band.

c5 z06s eat vipers in road courses.

Yes this is exactly why the C5-Rs couldn't win at Le Mans until the Team Oreca Vipers left the series. :eyes:

What the hell are you babbling about? Since when did GM offer a Z07 package on the Corvette??? There was a Z-06 package offered in '63 with IIRC 199 examples built. Aside from that the only other Z0x cars offered were the C5 Z06 Hardtop and the current LS7 powered C6 Z06. There has never been a factory Z07 AFAIK. If there had been, GM probably would have licensed the trademark DON'T YOU THINK??? Please show proof because I think you're either full of shit on this one, or severely misinformed. Either that or I along with everyone else missed an entire page in Corvette history.



Get your head out of your ass. 265hp makes a much bigger difference than 250 lbs. What a retarded thing to say. It's not like the Corvette weighs as little as a Lotus Elise or a Caterham. Maybe on an auto-x course the Corvette would hold an advantage since the Viper wouldn't be able to stretch it's legs (still highly unlikely), but on any decent sized race course a Viper with a 265hp advantage will OBVIOUSLY own a Corvette. By your dumbass notion a non turbo Solstice will rip a C5 Z06 around a road course. At 177hp and around 2850 lbs. it has around a 300 lbs. advantage on the Corvette and is down by 208hp (it is down by less hp than the 385 Z06 is from your supposed 650hp Viper). Now tell me... DOES THAT MAKE SENSE???

Oh, and knock of the blatant post whoring.



Yes this is exactly why the C5-Rs couldn't win at Le Mans until the Team Oreca Vipers left the series. :eyes:


Comparing the race car's setup to the production car's setup is like apples to oranges.

Try again. Are you new at this debating thing?

Besides. Racing is 90% driver skill. Car setup only helps.

Comparing the race car's setup to the production car's setup is like apples to oranges.

Try again. Are you new at this debating thing?

Besides. Racing is 90% driver skill. Car setup only helps.

Car setup only helps huh? Racing is 90% driver skill huh? Well then I guess you can't say a Viper makes a better track car than a Corvette since it's almost all driver skill. :eyes: Are YOU new to this debating thing? My point was that "C5s eat Vipers" around road courses is a stupid generalization. On top of that what kind of Viper are we talking about here. A 1st gen 400hp RT/10 will probably get pimp slapped around a track by a Z06 of any generation. A 3rd gen SRT-10 Coupe or Comp Coupe on the other hand will hand a C5 it's ass. A 2nd gen GTS or ACR would make for a pretty close comparison though. Being specific counts. Again, are YOU new to this debating thing.

The v10 in the viper is very heavy and as such so is the nose of the car.

The vette is much more nimble with a much wider power band.

c5 z06s eat vipers in road courses.

Also, do us a favor and check your facts. According to http://www.allpar.com/cars/viper/coupe.html a 3rd gen Viper SRT-10 Coupe has a 49.4/50.6% F/R weight distritbution. Yah real nose heavy alright. :eyes: Weight distribution has always been a major area of focus for Viper engineers. IIRC the 3rd gen SRT-10 coupe is the closest to a 50/50 weight distribution the Viper has come. Earlier models had a REAR weight bias with numbers sometimes being quoted as high as 46/54 F/R. http://www.vipercentral.com/buy/specs/specs98.htm Vipers have their engines mounted entirely (or almost entirely) behind the front axle for better weight distribution. In fact I could be wrong but I believe their engines are technically considered front-mid mounted but don't quote me on that. I wouldn't want to look like I was trying to pass off my opinion as fact like some people around these parts. Looks like you need to learn how to do your homework before you reply with "facts." I won't even ask anymore because it's apparently pretty obvious that you are new to this whole debating thing. :)

Sure thing man. You got me. lol

Sure

Racing is 90% driver skill. Car setup only helps.

:jest: :funny: Sure it is. ;)

:jest: :funny: Sure it is. ;)

To a degree. Your not gonna win the Indy 500 with a 5hp go cart. :)

There is a reason why people are driving the cars and not computers. Driver can make up for in skill what another driver may have in a car that's setup is better.

a supercar has to have killer looks, and be able to top 200+ sub 3 second 0-60 times. spectacular handeling, big price tags, and all the other goodies. plus they need something different than the competition. say for instance the Maseratti MC12, its basically a copy of the enzo, but the enzo's body doesnt raise and lower to get in and out of a driveway...or at least I dont think it does.

So if supercars have to have sub 3 second 0-60 times that is one damn tiny classification of cars :jest:. My definition of supercar would be mid-engine, over 500hp, capable of over 200mph and 0-60s in the 3s.

a supercar has to have killer looks, and be able to top 200+ sub 3 second 0-60 times. spectacular handeling, big price tags, and all the other goodies. plus they need something different than the competition. say for instance the Maseratti MC12, its basically a copy of the enzo, but the enzo's body doesnt raise and lower to get in and out of a driveway...or at least I dont think it does.

Exactly.

You the regular joe can't just go and buy or build a supercar.

It has to be exotic.

You guys call whatever you want a supercar. To me, supercar is an indicator of overall performance. The word exotic signifies how rare something is. The terms don't need to be used together. Ridiculously expensive also doesn't make something a supercar.

If the Z06 and Ford GT can run with supercars, then they have to be supercars in my book. In fact, I'd go so far as to class many cars on this site as supercars.

If the Z06 and Ford GT can run with supercars, then they have to be supercars in my book. In fact, I'd go so far as to class many cars on this site as supercars.
By my definition a Ford GT is a supercar. And I would also add production car to my definition, modded cars shouldn't be called supercars IMO.

According to GM sources the Corvette Stringray should be out in summber 07 with a supercharged LS7 around 650hp, and weigh in at around 2900lbs. (Roughly the weight of a Solstice) I have heard that from a friend of a friend that works GM, and some taken from Motor Trend. Either way, I'd say at 4.46lbs/hp it will be one of the 5 fastest cars in the world. The only car I can find with a power to weight ratio that high is the Veyron, and it's not spectacularly better, at 4.2:1. So if we have a FACTORY car capable of holding somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.05g's, Accelerating to 60 in less than 3 seconds, likely around 2.6-2.8, dropping mid 10 second quarters, and getting 20mpg, along with a price tag that an upper middle class single american male COULD afford. Tell me what is not "super" about that.

For $1.7 million you can buy a veyron, which has, essentially, 2 VW passast motors in it with 4 turbos. Tell me how difficult it is to engineer a car with 1000hp when you don't have to fit it into anyone's budget. Dont get me wrong it difficult, but GM engineers have made much greater engineering advances when they can produce a car with similar performance for a twentieth the price. (Less the diamonds in the dashboard.)


(And yes, a upper middle class american can afford to make a $1400-1600/mo car payment if they wish to. They can afford to pay that much for a house and support 3 kids and a wife with 2 or 3 car payments, if you're single, and you want that car, you CAN afford it.)

If it is not a supercar, it is a supercar killer.

The equivalent to Chuck Norris; it'll go killing, not hunting.

In the spirit of American made muscle, I would advertise it as just that. I don't think GM wants its metal, or in this case carbon fiber, to be classified in the same category as an Italian car for snooty, stuck up people. As seems to be the concensus around this discussion, who cares what it costs or what constitutes a supercar/exotic, it'll whoop the living snot out of it.

If it is not a supercar, it is a supercar killer.

The equivalent to Chuck Norris; it'll go killing, not hunting.

In the spirit of American made muscle, I would advertise it as just that. I don't think GM wants its metal, or in this case carbon fiber, to be classified in the same category as an Italian car for snooty, stuck up people. As seems to be the concensus around this discussion, who cares what it costs or what constitutes a supercar/exotic, it'll whoop the living snot out of it.

NO! You did not just drop Chuck on us! That's sacred dude! :hail:

What the hell are you babbling about? Since when did GM offer a Z07 package on the Corvette??? There was a Z-06 package offered in '63 with IIRC 199 examples built. Aside from that the only other Z0x cars offered were the C5 Z06 Hardtop and the current LS7 powered C6 Z06. There has never been a factory Z07 AFAIK. If there had been, GM probably would have licensed the trademark DON'T YOU THINK??? Please show proof because I think you're either full of shit on this one, or severely misinformed. Either that or I along with everyone else missed an entire page in Corvette history.

No, you missed out on Corvette History. The Z07 package was offered in both the C3 and C4's. For instance in 1991 (since I looked at one). It was composed of, essentially combined the previously available Z51 performance handling package with FX3 selective ride/handling.The new RPO Z07 option used all heavy duty suspension parts so the ride adjusted from firm to very firm. Intended for aggressive driving or competition, Z07 was limited to coupes.

In the C3 it was Z07 Off Road Suspension and Brake Package


Get your head out of your ass. 265hp makes a much bigger difference than 250 lbs. What a retarded thing to say. It's not like the Corvette weighs as little as a Lotus Elise or a Caterham. Maybe on an auto-x course the Corvette would hold an advantage since the Viper wouldn't be able to stretch it's legs (still highly unlikely), but on any decent sized race course a Viper with a 265hp advantage will OBVIOUSLY own a Corvette. By your dumbass notion a non turbo Solstice will rip a C5 Z06 around a road course. At 177hp and around 2850 lbs. it has around a 300 lbs. advantage on the Corvette and is down by 208hp (it is down by less hp than the 385 Z06 is from your supposed 650hp Viper). Now tell me... DOES THAT MAKE SENSE???

Oh, and knock of the blatant post whoring.


Have you ever driven or even ridden in either car. I can point you at friends who own both. I've riden in both. I own one of them. Let me expalin, the Viper is a great car. But, (at least in the Gen I and Gen II cars) it requires someone that knows what they are doing to get the car to perform (no ABS, bad brake bias, no active handling, etc...) The Corvette on the other hand is much easier for the more "limited" driver to get to perform. Also, the HP difference on a Viper is about 70HP over a Z06.

Now, for some comparison times from the Nurburing:
7:43 --- 2006 Corvette Z06
7:56 --- Chevrolet Corvette CE Z06
7:56 --- Chevrolet Corvette C6
8:10 --- Chrysler Viper GTS, 411PS, UK-Spec, no ABS (10/1997)
8:13 --- Dodge Viper SRT-10, 506 PS (10/2004)
8:18 --- Chevrolet Corvette Z05 Commemorative Edition, 344 PS (09/2003)
8:44 --- Chevrolet Corvette C5

BTW, I've drag raced stock Vipers vs my Stock Z06, and even with 70 less Hp, I've beat them from a dead stop. From a roll I lost by 2.

My buddy owns:
88 Lingenfelter Vette
96 GTS Coupe (Supercharged)
01 Z06
03 Viper (Turbo Charged)
05 Viper Truck (Twin Turbo)

When he bought his 96 he thought it was a POS compared to the 88 Vette. The Vette was so much better on the road course. He spoke with one of the premier Viper racers at the time, and explained the situation. After explaining what he had, and how it compared, the Guy told him "You''ll never be happy with the Viper". Look the GenI and GenII cars had their quirks. They were a handful to drive, and they needed work to optimize them. As I said before, brake modulation on the cars stock sucks. For about 2 year the 96 was called the parade queen, as that was all it was good for (driving slowly in parades). But, the ability to make the cars work is now readily avaliable.

All that being said, I think the Viper GTS is an extremely attactive car. The car makes crazy mid-range torque, and pulls like a frieght train.


Yes this is exactly why the C5-Rs couldn't win at Le Mans until the Team Oreca Vipers left the series. :eyes:

You have a series there which has all sorts of restrictions (air box restrictors, airbox size, weith, etc...) to try to level the playing field. Comparing that to a street car is ludicrous. Look at Lou G. in World Challenge. He's running a 6.0 with a restrictor against a Viper with an 8.3L (and no restrictor), and still winning.

Anyway, all I can say is you need to check your facts...

No, you missed out on Corvette History. The Z07 package was offered in both the C3 and C4's. For instance in 1991 (since I looked at one). It was composed of, essentially combined the previously available Z51 performance handling package with FX3 selective ride/handling.The new RPO Z07 option used all heavy duty suspension parts so the ride adjusted from firm to very firm. Intended for aggressive driving or competition, Z07 was limited to coupes.

In the C3 it was Z07 Off Road Suspension and Brake Package

Yup You're right about the Z07. Just looked it up.

Have you ever driven or even ridden in either car. I can point you at friends who own both. I've riden in both. I own one of them. Let me expalin, the Viper is a great car. But, (at least in the Gen I and Gen II cars) it requires someone that knows what they are doing to get the car to perform (no ABS, bad brake bias, no active handling, etc...) The Corvette on the other hand is much easier for the more "limited" driver to get to perform. Also, the HP difference on a Viper is about 70HP over a Z06.

Now, for some comparison times from the Nurburing:
7:43 --- 2006 Corvette Z06
7:56 --- Chevrolet Corvette CE Z06
7:56 --- Chevrolet Corvette C6
8:10 --- Chrysler Viper GTS, 411PS, UK-Spec, no ABS (10/1997)
8:13 --- Dodge Viper SRT-10, 506 PS (10/2004)
8:18 --- Chevrolet Corvette Z05 Commemorative Edition, 344 PS (09/2003)
8:44 --- Chevrolet Corvette C5


Only driven a 2nd Gen GTS Coupe, a standard C5 Coupe and a standard C6 coupe. All manual transmissions. The C6 Corvette was the easiest to drive but the Viper was a fastest. It required fucking full concentration and attention to take it to the limit but I enjoyed driving it more than either the C5 or the C6. I might change my mind if I were to drive a C6 Z06 though.

As for the Viper's ring numbers, are those numbers from Chrysler or an owner who tracked his car? I know for a fact that GM tests the Corvette there over and over to try to get the best lap time out of the car but I've never heard Chrysler tout a ring time for the Viper throughout the cars history. I'm not sure Dodge cares about lap times around a single track, even if it is the greatest track in the world. I think they prefer to let the 8.3L V10 speak for itself.

And I know what the hp difference between a Corvette and a Viper is but SOMEONE ELSE said that a 650hp would be eaten by a 350hp C5. I DIDN'T SAY THAT.

BTW, I've drag raced stock Vipers vs my Stock Z06, and even with 70 less Hp, I've beat them from a dead stop. From a roll I lost by 2.

My buddy owns:
88 Lingenfelter Vette
96 GTS Coupe (Supercharged)
01 Z06
03 Viper (Turbo Charged)
05 Viper Truck (Twin Turbo)

When he bought his 96 he thought it was a POS compared to the 88 Vette. The Vette was so much better on the road course. He spoke with one of the premier Viper racers at the time, and explained the situation. After explaining what he had, and how it compared, the Guy told him "You''ll never be happy with the Viper". Look the GenI and GenII cars had their quirks. They were a handful to drive, and they needed work to optimize them. As I said before, brake modulation on the cars stock sucks. For about 2 year the 96 was called the parade queen, as that was all it was good for (driving slowly in parades). But, the ability to make the cars work is now readily avaliable.

All that being said, I think the Viper GTS is an extremely attactive car. The car makes crazy mid-range torque, and pulls like a frieght train.

I know about the cars attitude towards drivers. The lack of ABS on the early cars doesn't help either. And they were pieces of shit ergonomics wise but that's what made them so attractive. Their raw nature is what makes them so appealing. But then again, your friend bought another one and a Ram SRT-10. Guess he found something he liked about that monstrous 8.3L V10.

As for you beating Vipers from a dig but losing from a roll, this is more an indication of traction than power. Sounds like you hooked better but the Vipers weren't able to put the power down.

You have a series there which has all sorts of restrictions (air box restrictors, airbox size, weith, etc...) to try to level the playing field. Comparing that to a street car is ludicrous. Look at Lou G. in World Challenge. He's running a 6.0 with a restrictor against a Viper with an 8.3L (and no restrictor), and still winning.

Anyway, all I can say is you need to check your facts...

World Challenge??? Give me a break. We're talking FIA GT factory teams here, not privateers. And even then, give me stats on both of the cars you're talking about as well as stats on the drivers. How heavy are the cars you're referring to? How much power are they making? A 6.0 can still put down good numbers. What are the rules and restrictions of the series. In any case as I said, I was referring to FIA GT. And you wouldn't be babbling about this if the tables were turned. People tout the C5-R and C6.Rs victories in GT racing as a testament to the greatness of both cars yet when they are criticized then all of a sudden "oh it's racing, it's different." Yes and no. GM sure had no problem advertising the C5 Z06 with references to it's C5-R and it's GTS class wins at Le Mans a few years back.

The full blown racing iterations are IMO these cars at their purest. This is in essence what they were designed to do. Yes they're heavily modified and yes there are rules but so what. When it comes time to hit the track the factory teams demonstrate what their respective manufacturers and their cars are capable of. It's not done in America too much these days because everyone only watches NASCAR, but in Europe there's still quite a bit of the Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday philosophy. For me, if manufacturers are going to pass off their race wins as a testament to the street cars their racers are derived from then they should be willing to stand up for their racers whether or not they lose. You'll notice that Chevy only started bragging about it's GTS wins after they were able to get one and that was after the factory backed Oreca Vipers left the series. They also shut up the one year the Prodrive Ferrari 550/575 left them in the dust.

a supercar has to have killer looks, and be able to top 200+ sub 3 second 0-60 times. spectacular handeling, big price tags, and all the other goodies. plus they need something different than the competition. say for instance the Maseratti MC12, its basically a copy of the enzo, but the enzo's body doesnt raise and lower to get in and out of a driveway...or at least I dont think it does.

Yep, the Enzo's body does raise to get in the driveway, just not my driveway. :(

I love the extractor C6.R style hood but it wont work in a production C6 based vehicle. Theyd need to move the engine back and move alot of shit around.