Photo: Dodge
First of all, what’s an ACR? Back in the 1990s, the Neon leveled up to American Club Racer specification even though Dodge originally intended to use the Competition Package handle for these go-faster upgrades. The Viper ACR followed in 1999 to wash the sins of the previous attempt at making a great-handling Dodge.
And as you all know, this nomenclature stuck with the American automaker as well as Viper enthusiasts. For the 2016 model year, the Viper ACR used to retail at $121,395 as opposed to $92,500 for the entry-level specification.
In addition to carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo and special tires from Kumho, the American Club Racer dominated the racetrack with 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of downforce and Bilstein suspension with 10 settings for rebound and compression.
Opting for the Extreme Aero Package helps the Viper ACR lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes and one second in addition to an extra 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of downforce for a grand total of 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
Now that the Viper is gone along with the successor of the Neon, what does the future hold for the American Club Racer? A report from October 2019 puts the ACR suffix right after the Challenger’s name as a 2021 model, rumored with the driver’s seat as standard and a $1 passenger's seat.
Even though the Challenger ACR has already been presented in 2011 at the SEMA Show with SRT8 goodies as a one-off concept, Dodge has failed to come up with a production model. Insider “Muther” told Allpar.com that we should look forward to two variants, one with the Hellcat Redeye engine and the other with the 392 HEMI.
“The supercharger is not allowed in some amateur racing series or classes, so the 392 makes sense” in this application. “Carbon fiber will replace steel or aluminum wherever practical,” and word has it the wing and splitter are heavily influenced by the Viper ACR with the Extreme Aero Package. But that’s not all, oh no it’s not!
Muther claims the street-legal machine may tip the scales at less than 4,000 pounds, translating to 1,814 kilograms for the curb weight. At the Road America circuit in Wisconsin, the Challenger ACR is said to be “within two seconds of the Viper ACR Extreme Aero Package.” Too good to be true? Obviously, only time will tell…
Given that the Barracuda is rumored to rejoin the lineup for the 2023 model year as the convertible sibling of the all-new Challenger, it’s high time for Dodge to retire the current generation with a bit of a bang. The Challenger ACR would be perfect in this regard, but don’t forget to take this information with a tiny pinch of salt.
In addition to carbon-ceramic brakes from Brembo and special tires from Kumho, the American Club Racer dominated the racetrack with 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of downforce and Bilstein suspension with 10 settings for rebound and compression.
Opting for the Extreme Aero Package helps the Viper ACR lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes and one second in addition to an extra 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of downforce for a grand total of 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
Now that the Viper is gone along with the successor of the Neon, what does the future hold for the American Club Racer? A report from October 2019 puts the ACR suffix right after the Challenger’s name as a 2021 model, rumored with the driver’s seat as standard and a $1 passenger's seat.
Even though the Challenger ACR has already been presented in 2011 at the SEMA Show with SRT8 goodies as a one-off concept, Dodge has failed to come up with a production model. Insider “Muther” told Allpar.com that we should look forward to two variants, one with the Hellcat Redeye engine and the other with the 392 HEMI.
“The supercharger is not allowed in some amateur racing series or classes, so the 392 makes sense” in this application. “Carbon fiber will replace steel or aluminum wherever practical,” and word has it the wing and splitter are heavily influenced by the Viper ACR with the Extreme Aero Package. But that’s not all, oh no it’s not!
Muther claims the street-legal machine may tip the scales at less than 4,000 pounds, translating to 1,814 kilograms for the curb weight. At the Road America circuit in Wisconsin, the Challenger ACR is said to be “within two seconds of the Viper ACR Extreme Aero Package.” Too good to be true? Obviously, only time will tell…
Given that the Barracuda is rumored to rejoin the lineup for the 2023 model year as the convertible sibling of the all-new Challenger, it’s high time for Dodge to retire the current generation with a bit of a bang. The Challenger ACR would be perfect in this regard, but don’t forget to take this information with a tiny pinch of salt.
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