2,500 Miles Down in the '16 Viper ACR...

"Josh Welton" (watchtheprettylight)
11/02/2015 at 07:31 • Filed to: road trip, sema, dodge, viper, acr, 2016 acr, josh welton, kcoxphoto

...and I feel great. So many have seemed concerned about my physical and mental well being but I can assure you I’ve settled in comfortably to the Sabelt seats and there’s nothing you can do about the madness.

More story down the road, but I wanted to give an update. The ACR pounds pavement, then pounds pavement’s mother and leaves change on the dresser on its way out. It’s half fighter jet half freight train half Le Mans racer. It leaves passerby in a state of awe, joy, and sometimes jealousy. It is an extension of my reaction, with zero delay when it’s timetomove . It might as well be in my brain. It is in my brain.

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! with a killer shot:

DISCUSSION (26)

LongbowMkII > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 07:50

The fact that you have comfortably driven 2500 miles in this makes it... less special. I know I’m romanticizing the objective flaws of the early vipers, but maybe the current viper would be more successful if it was worse. You can get a comfortable high powered cruise missile anywhere.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LongbowMkII
11/02/2015 at 07:53

So you are saying it is a bad thing that you can comfortably drive it far distances? I think this is awesome! We certainly know how potent this car already is on the track so it is not like capabilities are being sacrificed for comfort.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 07:55

How does it do on dirt patches and otherwise sub-par pavement? Interior space fit like a glove?

LongbowMkII > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 07:57

I think it’s a bad thing for a Viper . Its whole mystique is this impossible to tame beast.

Wheelerguy > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 08:11

Kinja'd!!!

JJ Abrams shot this, aye?

Wheelerguy > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 08:12

Kinja'd!!!

Mmm, new desktop.

cazzyodo > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 08:43

No fireworks, eh?

I’m so glad we had the same exact thought with that sign. Now the question is, has there been any public reaction or have you been on too empty of roads for the opportunity?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LongbowMkII
11/02/2015 at 09:02

I could see that making sense from the perspective. But I guess that is more-so the mystique of the prior ones. Maybe the new one is that it is still awesome but a little more attainable for the masses. I would have to imagine "nobody will survive driving this" is not so good for FCA's sales numbers lol.

Punk_Girl_98 > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 09:06

You are my hero!

Chariotoflove > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 09:22

Glorious.

450X_FTW > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 09:27

Still have tread left on the tires?

LongbowMkII > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 09:39

Well... this tack isn’t producing great sales either. Even when it is ‘worse’ I think there is a raw, machismo niche out there. at the very least it’d separate from the Z06 by appealing to the more vulgar side of auto enthusiasm (I mean vulgar in the best way)

Josh Welton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 09:53

I’m not most people. I have a pretty high tolerance for NVH, have driven cars on the street 99% of people wouldn’t, and have a knack for pushing through in climate weather.

I’ve heard people complain about the base Viper being too much car for the street, that it’s too loud and too twitchy. You’ve seen Hot Rod Drag Week, right? Those guys drive 6 second drag cars cross country and love it. It’s doesn’t hurt the “mystique” of Sick Seconds...

Josh Welton > 450X_FTW
11/02/2015 at 09:53

barely

Josh Welton > LongbowMkII
11/02/2015 at 09:55

..and if the reaction from the general public is any indication, the mystique is most definitely intact. This thing gets more of a reaction than an atom bomb going off.

Josh Welton > LongbowMkII
11/02/2015 at 09:55

It is. Ask anyone else who has driven both. This is a much more raw and visceral machine.

Josh Welton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 10:01

I’m saying I can. I don’t know that most would.

Josh Welton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 10:26

It can be pretty jolting and the rear can get loose, but the wing keeps the ass end firmly planted. In some cases the wide wheels go over holes, in other places you need to maneuver around obstacles. Either way you need to be paying attention. Dirt patches scare me as much as standing water.

Josh Welton > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/02/2015 at 10:26

and interior is definitely cockpit-tight

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 11:10

Haha I can imagine that being pretty frightening if you are carrying some major speed.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 11:11

Is it just tight meaning that there is no room for extraneous crap or that you actually feel cramped?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LongbowMkII
11/02/2015 at 11:13

I think it may be a matter of preference. BrownDogWelding sounds like he doesn’t mind the car being rough on the street so the car may not have really 'gone soft'.

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Josh Welton
11/02/2015 at 12:47

Awesome job so far!

wzzkll > Josh Welton
11/05/2015 at 07:42

2500 miles isn’t as bad as I was expecting for something with a tread wear rating of 20, how long do typical R-comp tires last?

Josh Welton > wzzkll
11/06/2015 at 01:10

No idea. Honestly they told me they swapped them out regardless, but they actually looked pretty good. I think they were more concerned that I drove it in sub-freezing temps and the possibility that there may have been some brittleness.

Cory Stansbury > wzzkll
11/17/2015 at 18:35

So I’ve read the “20 treadwear” thing a bunch of places. Of course the press photos said 20 on the sidewall. However, tirerack says they are 200. Plus, I found this quote in a road and track story:

“Erich Heuschele, a longtime SRT engineer and club racer, told me that his jaw dropped the day he got the call from the designers at Kumho. “Knowing how much grip we were getting from this tire, we thought it might be a 60 or 100 treadwear. It’s 200 — and unlike the tires on some competitive cars, it doesn’t lose two seconds a lap after you heat it up a few times.”

So...one would think that the lead chassis guy on the Viper would know what’s up, no?