You just can’t keep a good car down, and the Dodge Viper is a very, very good car. Sure, Chrysler pulled the plug perhaps a bit prematurely on the Viper last year, and there is no 2011 Viper model for sale, but the Viper went out on top, with the 2008 ACR version setting a production car lap record at the famed Nordschleife loop of the Nurburgring of 7 minutes and 2.1 seconds.
That record stood until earlier this summer, when the supercharged Chevy Corvette ZR-1 set a time of 7:19.6. That record was soon beat by the Lexus LF-A, which set down a lap time of 7:14.6
According to Viperclub.org, the SRT team came back, better prepared and sure they could reclaim the title of world’s fastest production car around the Ring. Well, the unofficial results are in, and the Viper is king once again, with a time of 7 minutes 12 seconds “and change.”
Just what that “and change” portion accounts for, nobody is saying just yet. But the 7 minute 12 second mark means that Viper has done it…with a car that is no longer in production. The SRT team went to Tomball Dodge, who supplied two 2010 Dodge Vipers for the run. As it turns out, Tomball Dodge has 20 2010 Dodge Vipers listed in their inventory…so if you’re looking for one, check them out.
The SRT crew also teamed up with Mintgen Motorsport, a German tuning shop that races a pair of Vipers regularly. Mintgen provided garage and logistical support, as this run would be in a completely stock car. We’re still waiting for the final numbers…but it looks like the Viper is back on top.