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McLaren 720S Is the Perfect Antidote to an 800 HP Dodge Viper ACR in Roll Race

The McLaren 720S needs no further introduction. When the Woking-made machine shows up on the drag strip, all but the most heavily modified vehicles start praying they won't get paired with the Brit.
McLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACR 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
McLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACRMcLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACRMcLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACRMcLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACRMcLaren 720S vs. modded Dodge Viper ACR
Despite not having all-wheel-drive, seemingly a prerequisite for any car that wants to do well in a short standing race, the McLaren can pull amazing times finding unexplainable ways of sending the power to the ground via those fat rear wheels.

But even though it does well in a standing race, it's the rolling start where it truly shines. With the problem of defeating that initial inertia out of the way, the 720S is free to put all the power where it matters and just make the damn thing sprint forward as if it were a Labrador who spotted a ball at the end of the drag strip. You know, a ball or a mud-filled puddle.

The 720S
' motivation comes from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with 720 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque traveling through a seven-speed automatic gearbox. Its specs aren't that impressive on paper by recent standards - yes, Tesla Roadster II, we're looking at you - but it's what it does out on the track that matters most.

Up against the McLaren today is a modified Dodge Viper ACR. The custom job - which includes "heads, cam, full exhaust, and tune," so pretty comprehensive - brings the power output to 800 hp from its 8.4-liter V10 monster of an engine.

This has the making of a very interesting battle. The two cars have similar power outputs, but other things don't match as well. For instance, there's the weight aspect as well as the the aerodynamics - the McLaren is a sleek vehicle to begin with, but to make matters worse, the Viper gets a huge wing as well that's nothing but a liability in a straight-line acceleration contest. Oh, and the Viper has a manual transmission as well.

There are three races in total, and even though there's a little scare at first - as one of the cars kind of jumps the start - they all finish with a very clear result. Even so, watching these two battle is a feast on the eyes and ears.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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