If an alien, or a kid, for that matter, asked an aficionado to explain what supercars are all about, the Dodge Viper would make for an awesome example. This breed of machines is emotional by difference and the Viper has managed to show the entire world that such emotions can easily deliver uber-strong motivation - we're talking about the Nurburgring record the Gen V Viper set last year.
As those of you tuned into our Green Hell tales are well aware, the a showroom-lifted ACR-E incarnation of the snake managed to set a lap time of 7:01, thus becoming the fastest American-built rear-wheel-drive manual-transmission car.
However, there's much more to this story and this is where things start to become truly emotional. You see, unlike in the case of pretty much any other attempt of the sort, this wasn't a manufacturer-based shenanigan.
Instead, a group of enthusiasts took a pair of Viper ACR-Es to Germany following a successful crowdfunding campaign, with the aim being to beat the 6:57 production car record that had been set by the Porsche 918 Spyder.
And there are so many aspects to mention here: for one thing, one could buy six or seven examples of the Viper for the price of a 918. And while the crew of gearheads failed to go below the 7m mark, many believe that landmark could've been achieved with the help of extra tack time.
Alas, despite Kumho Tires, which was one of the sponsors, doings its best to provide top-tier rubber, the record-setting Viper experienced a tire failure at around 160 mph.
As in the case of the ABS failure that destroyed Koenigsegg's 2016 Ring record attempt with the One:1, the German track was unforgiving, with the V10 beast crashing into the barrier.
Well, you can now get to see the full story of this glorious effort, along with in-car footage of the triple-digit accident, in the documentary below.
Until we get to see what happens with the rumors about the Viper's return (production ended since the clip below was filmed), we'll remind you that the Nurburgring record is set to go under siege starting March. To be more precise, machines as diverse as the 2019 Corvette ZR1, the McLaren Senna and the Koenigsegg Regera might just battle the 6:47 Porsche 911 GT2 RS for the title.
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. Full profile
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