Here's the reason we came here: side-by-side test numbers--lots of them. Some of the nine tests you see below are familiar and have real-world applications and consequences. Others are new and/or blatantly gratuitous. If there's one stand-out performer among this uncommonly capable group, it's the Mosler MT900 Photon, outright winning six of the nine contests (seven of 11, if you break the 0-100-0 test into its constituent pieces) and narrowly losing three braking tests to the new Viper, which set records in the process. The MT900 Photon "production" car single-handedly broke nine individual Motor Trend records. The two records left standing? Top Speed and Standing Mile. There's always next year. Read on for all the heart-pounding details.
Oh, and to better underscore just how extraordinary all nine of our land missiles are, we've included Motor Trend's year-long 2002-test averages, where applicable, for your comparative amusement. Also, record-breaking performances are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Click on images to enlarge charts.
0-60Perhaps the most-cited test number in our regimen, the enigmatic 0-60-mph time demonstrates how rapidly a vehicle can reach freeway speeds. The critical moment in this test is the getaway from a standstill. A quick car is able to exploit not only horsepower, but also gobs of torque, high-speed shifts, and enough tire grip to make it all work. It might seem an easy task, but with a collection of exotics like this, there's no such thing as a typical car, technique, or launch. While the 8.3-liter/RWD Viper required just 2500 rpm and an aggressive clutch drop for the best launch, the 2.0-liter/AWD Evolution needed a dizzying 5000-rpm launch with a gentle feathering of the clutch. By the way, it's utterly astounding that we witnessed three cars dip into the 3s, five in the 4s, and the so-called slowest posting a low 5-second time with an automatic transmission and "nanny" who wouldn't allow wheelspin.
Standing Quarter MileIn the 1600s, colonial settlers entertained themselves by match-racing their horses on the dirt streets of their small towns where straight stretches of cleared ground were available. Those horses were so adept at sprinting, they became known as the Celebrated Quarter of a Mile Race Horses. Add about 300 years, and trade horses for cars: According to the NHRA, the first quarter-mile dragstrip, the Santa Ana Drags, ran on an airfield in Southern California in 1950. It quickly gained popularity among the Muroc (dry lake) crowd because of its revolutionary electric speed clocks. The first official NHRA race was held in April 1953 on a slice of the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds' parking lot in Pomona--current site of the NHRA Winter Nationals season opener and season finals.