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2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Races 2014 Dodge Viper TA on the Highway

Christmas may be approaching fast, but instead of planning the holidays, the US car scene is super-busy with the real world release of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. While the blown ‘Vette has enjoyed plenty of attention, pulling burnouts straight out of the showroom and all, one of its main competitors, the Dodge Viper, hasn’t been all that lucky, as its sales history can tell. Well, how about a race between the C7 Z06 and the 5th generation Viper?
2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Races 2014 Dodge Viper TA 1 photo
Photo: screenshot from Youtube
This is precisely what we want to show you today and we have a 2015 Corvette Z06 with the 7-speed manual going up against a 2014 Viper TA. Both cars are bone stock, with the Dodge metal having 1,700 miles (2,700 km) on its odometer, while the GM contender’s odo spelled 700 miles (1,130 km) at the time of the races.

Yes, races, as the Viper left the Corvette Z06 trailing in its wake on multiple runs, as you’ll be able to see in the footage below.

Detail fans, fret not, we have plenty of numbers for you. The two supercars were left to cool off about 30 minutes prior to the races, with a similar fresh, cool air brake being takes halfway through the runs.

We’re talking 20-140 mph (32-225 km/h) from 2nd to 4th gear here, as well as 60-155 mph (97-250 km/h) from 2nd to 5th. The not-exactly-legal duo also did a 0 to 155 mph sprint going from 1st to 5th, but you couldn’t call their start a launch. In the same respect, two of the runs weren’t relevant, as some dude was enjoying a shotgun ride during the races.

4th gear was the most dramatic

Nevertheless, like we said, it’s obvious that the Viper grabbed the lead, with 4th gear appearing to be the sweet spot for the snake. We weren’t inside the car to see exactly how the two drivers shifted gears, but this doesn’t appear to be an issue in either of the vehicles.

As for what would’ve happened if the Z06 had been gifted with the 8-speed auto, it’s hard to tell. Yes, the Hydramatic 8L90 does swap cogs quicker than the 7-speed manual, but the RWHP numbers are greater with the manual, since the driveline loss is reduced.

For the record, the Viper TA isn’t the best iteration of the snake to be used for such purposes - due to the active dampers, the TA is around 50 lbs (22.7 kg) heavier than a Vipers with the Track Package. And while the TA’s aero pack may offer extra downforce for those corners at the track, it creates additional drag during a drag race well into the triple digit area. Moreover, the 2015 Dodge Viper SRT moves on to 645 hp and 640 lb-ft (868 Nm), so we're waiting to see that in action too.

Still the Viper is about 140 lbs (63.5 lbs) lighter than the Z06 Corvette, but while their hp figures are very close (640 hp and 650 hp, respectively), the GM piece has 50 extra lb-ft (68 Nm) to top the Viper’s 600 lb-ft (813 Nm) figure.

While this is a sweet victory for the Viper the almost-endangered natural aspiration species altogether, we heard the Z06's LT4 comes with certain limitations that some people misinterpreted as supercharger heat soak issues. Be sure to check out the dedicated story (coming later today) after devouring the clip below.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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