BMW Z8 - High Speed - All Cars - Dodge Viper GTS ACR

{{{Dodge Viper}}} Gts ACRA "Hold On And Scream" Thrill RideTruth told, there's not much new on the 2000 Viper GTS. Sure, you can order your snake in a new steel gray hue or get the new child seat tether mounts (who thinks this is a family car?), but other than that, it's the same old Viper GTS. But believe us: that's good.

We don't have a problem with "old" 450-hp V-10, the "old" styling with its pretty slippery 0.35 Cd, or the "old" near-11-sec 1/4-mile e.t.s. We're also fine with the old neck-snapping, full-throttle 1-2-3 gear upshifts and the old off-to-the-left adjustable pedals. But for $70K you'd surely expect something new, right? Well, order the $10,000 ACR (American Club Racer) option, and you'll actually get something new. Although the ACR's competition suspension, special BBS 18-in. wheels, five-point racing belts, delete-everything (no radio, foglamps, etc.) weight loss program, and factory-installed high-flow K&N air filter with smoother inlet tubes (that's good for 10 extra hp) are still in full effect, the for-2000 ACRs add a performance oilpan, Dynamic Suspensions adjustable shocks, and a new ACR nameplate.

But what's it like to actually drive an ACR? Smack down the right pedal and you're in for a 4.16-sec 0-60 thrill ride. The Viper's V-10 is so powerful its downright violent. Mash the center pedal, and you'll get instantly wide-eyed as the massive front tires like to lock up and slide, thanks to no ABS (slated for '01 models, however). The far-left pedal is easy to modulate-not too much clutch pressure in traffic, yet grabby enough to deliver effective feathering on traction limited surfaces.

Although the ACR delivers a Tyson-like punch at the track, on the road it remains relatively civil. In Sixth gear with the V-10 chugging at a mere 1800 rpm, the Viper slithers along at just over 80 mph. Sure, a Viper GTS (ACR or not) is far from the best daily driver choice, but then again it was never intended for such. Rather, it's meant to put some serious drive into your day-and that it does with a bite.

In the heyday of the musclecar, any factory-stock machine that ran the quarter mile in the 13-sec range was a heavy hitter. Without drag slicks, open headers, and re-jetted carburetors, literally none was in the 12s. Elevens was professional race car territory. So, the fact that five of our cars are in the 12s and one even breaks into the 11s (all on street radials!) is solid reason to declare a national holiday: "Motor Trend Haul-Ass Day." Study the power and weight ratings of the three quickest cars, then compare those E.T.s to the meanest machines in the 0-60 mph and One-Mile Acceleration tests, and you'll get a feeling for each car's special talents in off-the-line grip, low-rpm torque, midrange and high-rpm horsepower, gearing, and ease-of-driving quickly.

{{{Porsche 911}}} TurboThe World's Most Competent SupercarSquint at the new 911 Turbo, and you can see both the '98 Le Mans-winning GT1-98, and Porsche's exotic 959 of a decade ago. The roofline is much the same, the air intakes and cooling ducts are clearly familial, and there's a curvaceous wing stuck on the back. The Turbo's is a shape we'll never tire of, and one that delivers nosebleed-inducing performance that continues to amaze.