650bhp McLaren Viper V10

Redliner said:
Wow....that carbon fiber hood must add at least one star to your reputation...
Pathetic :no:

I'd have to think that the hood will be painted in production versions, like all the other carbon fiber parts out there.

I also am a bit disgusted with SRT contracting work out to McLaren. How are we going to shake the stereotype that American engineers suck if Dodge has to hire people in from Europe to get their halo car above 60 hp/L?
 
geoff_a_pult said:
Redliner said:
Wow....that carbon fiber hood must add at least one star to your reputation...
Pathetic :no:

I'd have to think that the hood will be painted in production versions, like all the other carbon fiber parts out there.

I also am a bit disgusted with SRT contracting work out to McLaren. How are we going to shake the stereotype that American engineers suck if Dodge has to hire people in from Europe to get their halo car above 60 hp/L?
MB did it too. For the right type of car someone like Maclaren has the expertise. I suppose the name is intended to help sell the car (outside the USA) I would have thought too.
 
Yeah, MB did it, and look how that turned out.
(Okay, the SLR is an amazing car, but it still is confused about what it is supposed to be)

I'm also pretty sure Dodge just doesn't give a damn about selling outside the US. If you list 500/500/500 as a selling point (500hp and 500lb/ft from 500 cubic inches, meeting the classic muscle car/stump puller benchmark of 1hp and lb/ft per cubic inch of displacement), you obviously aren't targeting European or Japaneese sports cars as competition.

As far as I'm concerned, I would much rather see McLaren involved in chassis tuning and steering instead of adding more horsepower to a car that is already an absolute beast.
 
geoff_a_pult said:
As far as I'm concerned, I would much rather see McLaren involved in chassis tuning and steering instead of adding more horsepower to a car that is already an absolute beast.

While this does nothing for the road cars, I've read several articles comparing the Viper race cars to anything from full race 911's, Ariel Atoms and Lotus Exige's, and said it was the best driving, and easiest car to drive fast of them all.
 
The Viper is a driver's car in the fact that it's the driver who controls the car, not a computer controlled traction system.
 
His Holiness said:
I've always liked the Viper, but I never thought it could be better. Wow!
Oh, it can be WAY better! As I said in my previous post, there are 2000 HP Vipers. ;)
 
aha, so more wheelspin=better? 1000+hp FR...only usable at the drag strip on slicks.
 
Umm... McLaren is based in the US.. with US engineers..

There was a split a few years back.. The McLaren in europe is no longer the same company as McLaren in the US.

One is a powertrain development company-part of Linamar Corp from Canada, and based in Livonia Michigan, and the other a UK based company that cannot compete against the McLaren Performance Technologies group by contract agreement (when the 2 were seperated a couple of years ago) in the US.

McLaren Performance Technolgies is the US branch, which has the former powertrin engineers from the previous "McLaren" company.

American Specialty Cars (ASC) is working on the new body which supposedly is going to be mostly carbon fiber, reducing the weight. A lot of the fomer "viper" engineers now work at GM and were responsible for a lot of the design work on the new corvette. The viper, should be getting a revamped suspension to make it work "better".. the stock suspension although good, doesn't have enough travel and binds.. which is why the race versions of the car handle sooooo much better, they revamped the suspension.

The engine is supposedly brand new and might be loosely based on DCX's new hemi engines.. and 650hp is a conservative estimate.. rumor has it the prototypes have been throwing up numbers above 800hp in NA form.

as for traction control.. it's called your right foot and a healthy dose common sense and stupid wide tires :lol:
 
Wow that is interesting, do you know who is doing the work on the Viper, England or US? Probably the effect will be similar no matter who is doing the build, a better all around car.
 
MPT is doing the work, which would be the US McLaren with the drivetrain engineers

Strangely DCX owns a 40% stake in McLaren (UK)

anyway.. Viper is racecar through and through.. there is a BIG rumor floating around that this http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/firepower.html (Firepower) is in development as well.. a more pedestrian mode viper.. something clarksons aching back might enjoy.
 
I saw the Firepower at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto in February and I must say it is very beautiful. It is now in PGR3 as an extra car and is pretty fun to drive but it does look very nice.
 
I want Clarkson to drive this new Viper. :eek:
 
I don't wanna offend anyone, but to me the Viper always looked fabulous from far away but a bit melted plastic from close up. I hope they're gonna change that.
 
I always loved the vipers... theyre just amazing cars. However, like most of us here im not too happy with more power output, unless they modify the whole car, the power output to 650 will do pretty much nothing except burn more fuel. I didnt no this was the DiamondBack viper, didnt this come out like a month or 2 ago?

On the other hand, regarding Mclaren. We cant blame them for workin with merc. Yeah, i was pissed too wen i found out that the SLR is a fatass that cant beat an enzo. but just like someone said b4.. its suppose to have all the commodities in the world and its basically built for someone who never goes over 100miles/hour.

Mclaren to me will always be one of the best car manufacturers in the world. The F1 says it all. and it was built how long ago? and its still ranked among the top 3. i Guess they now need to come up with something of their own instead of helping and becoming car tuners for other companies.
 
mojo_786 said:
its suppose to have all the commodities in the world and its basically built for someone who never goes over 100miles/hour.

The one I saw did A LOT more than 100 miles/hour...
 
bartboy9891 said:
Dodge could've extracted another 150hp and added a CF hood without McLaren's input

And just think what REAL engineers could do by improving that 8.0L truck engine. 8.0L and only 650hp= :thumbsdown:
 
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