Top-Speed Test: 226-Mph CorvetteThe article on the 226-mph Corvette in March 2000 MT was awesome! The performance out of the Twin Turbo 650 was everything just short of a McLaren F1. Any car with a 220-mph-plus top speed, 0-60 run in 3.3 seconds, and quarter-mile dash in under 11 seconds is definitely a car for me. And with a price like $113,000, I'm considering selling my stocks and taking the funds directly to Mr. John Lingenfelter himself. Do you think he'd make a 650-horsepower engine for a Volvo V70 station wagon?Joel McLaughlinSeattle, Wash.
With enough dot.com portfolio money, anything's possible.-Ed.
As one of a few of your readers who've worked at the Transportation Research Center's (TRC) track, I can understand Mac DeMere's concern about going that fast around it. TRC does a excellent job of training everyone who drives on that track, but at those speeds, it can be very scary. I know full well how Mac must have felt when he hit "that bump" in turn two. I've hit the very same bump going just a few mph over 100, and thought I was going airborne right into a tractor-trailer. Fortunately, I was able to keep my vehicle under control and avoid hitting anything. But I find it funny that the officials there didn't tell Mac about the bump. I can't imagine hitting it at 160 in that incredible Corvette! Although I must admit I'd love to have the chance. Does that make me crazy? You guys continually amaze me with the articles you run. You truly are the "The World's #1 Automotive Authority." Keep the great stories coming, and thank you very much.Jonathan CarterMarysville, Ohio
As I'm sure you've heard by now, Don Schroeder, Car and Driver's senior tech editor, was killed in an accident while [top-speed] testing a modified Mercedes. I had no sooner put down the March issue of Motor Trend when I heard this news. Your article on the Lingenfelter Twin Turbo C5 really hit home. You were more than correct to be wary of testing top speeds of various tuner cars. Lord knows, at that speed any minor happening can mean certain disaster. Your words of caution, coming from a professional, go a long way to temper the lead feet of the rest of us (who are not professionals). I greatly enjoy reading Motor Trend and will continue to do so in the future. Tragedies like what happened to Don Schroeder drive it home to the rest of us just how dangerous your job is. Keep up the good work and stay safe out there.Joshua SpainPeoria Heights, III
Hey, I love your magazine and this is one of the very few times that I have to disagree with your opinion of the "Fastest, Meanest Street-Legal Car" you've ever tested. Sure the Lingenfelter Vette is very fast, but the stock Viper GTS beats this modified Vette with street tires in the 0-60 category. When this Vette has slicks on, the Hennessey 650R still ties the Vette's time in 0-60, and the Hennessey doesn't have slicks on. The Vette does beat the 650R in 0-100, but the Hennessey isn't equipped with slick tires. I'm sure that if you retested the Hennessey 650R with slicks on you'd change your opinion of the "Fastest, Meanest Street-Legal Car You've Ever Tested!" The 650R's 0-100 time would either tie or beat the Vette's time. Please consider this next time you make such a statement.Nick MorelLincoln, R.I.
The statement you quote refers to top speed, where the Lingenfelter Vette holds an 11-mph advantage over the Hennessey. Drag slicks not only wouldn't add to the Viper's top speed, they'd have made it so scary getting there that no sane person would volunteer to drive it.-Ed.
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