2006 Ford GT vs. Dodge Viper SRT10 vs. Chevrolet Corvette z06 Brakes, Braking

Traction on our concrete track limited launch performance somewhat, but, by the quarter mile, each car's true power-to-weight shines through, and here the Corvette scores a victory, besting the Viper by four-tenths and 4.7 mph (11.6 seconds at 126.6 mph versus 12.0 at 121.9).

With almost 2000 of its 3497 pounds pressing down on the rear wheels (even more when weight transfers aft at launch), the GT produced Heaven's own hole-shot, as easy as dialing up 2000 revs and rolling off the clutch. Taller ratios take first gear to 62 mph, with the mile-a-minute falling in 3.5 seconds. The quarter flashes by in 11.5 seconds at 128.7 mph in third gear (the others require a shift into fourth).

Bright-red calipers on all three cars squeeze hard enough on their pizza pans to detach the driver's retinas, and our main competitors stopped on the same dime--100 feet from 60 mph (from 100 mph, the Viper halted three feet shorter, at 280 feet). The GT trailed with stops in 114 and 321 feet, which we suspect was tire-traction limited. Each provided superb balance, control, and pedal feel, though the Viper's anti-lock system seemed less refined.

Then it was off to storm the black lake for figure-eight testing. Once again, the Chevy and Dodge posted nearly identical performances, so it fell to our ace pilot to differentiate them subjectively. "The Viper's steering turn-in feel and superior Michelin Pilot Sport tires allow you to push the car with confidence right up to the limits of the tires' grip," he notes. "The Z06 is a more demanding car. It was the hardest to control in the transition from the fast straights into the corners, but it also felt the most capable. The GT was easiest to manage in the transition between trail braking and getting back on the gas through the arc of the figure eight. It's easy to push this car to its limits--it can make a zero feel like a hero." The GT's slightly slower performance is attributable to too-tall gearing for this short course.