SRT Viper GTS hot lap impressions

This car ruined me. Nothing compares to it anymore. It is raw, visceral, scary and amazing. With rear wheel drive, a manual transmission, only 2 seats, hydraulic shocks, pushrods and steel brakes; virtually everything else on the market has more technology. You can look at it as either a race car that happens to be street legal or maybe a fully sorted kit car with a warranty and advanced electronics. If you want a race car experience and still truly interact with the car and track, then drive home in it, this is the answer.

It straightens the curves out a Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) like nothing else. It screams at you, “Go faster dammit! Go! Go! Go!” On the straights your thought is, “Oh my God!” while the turn rushes furiously at you. And then the sound and lateral g-forces force a,“Holy (expletive)!” With 2nd gear topping out at 88mph and third at 117mph, a lot of time can be spent in 3rd gear. The shifter is a little balky so it takes practice to shift fast and hit 4th on the longer straights.

It is an internal quote generator. First impression sitting in the car is, “Are you kidding me?”. There seems to be more buttons on the steering wheel than the dashboard. The roof comes down low, encroaching where a good portion of the windshield would be. But wearing a helmet and concentrating on hitting the apex and braking points, it doesn’t matter, tunnel vision kicks in.
Getting in and out isn’t completely natural due to the low, wide sill. But when the dashboard lights up, a lot of information is displayed. The readouts were a little dim, but the telemetry is impressive. Showing horsepower, lateral and braking g-forces, etc.

Back by popular demand, the Viper GTS is back and lighter at 3,380lbs, 40 more horsepower for a total of 640 and outrageous styling very reminiscent of the 2nd generation coupe with lots of menacing hood vents and a big x-brace over the top of the engine.

One has to chuckle at the critics of the Viper. It has production car lap records at the Nurburgring and current and past records at Laguna Seca. Let’s review that word, “RECORDS”. Nothing else matters. This is without carbon ceramic brakes, magnetic shocks, all-wheel drive, a dual-clutch transmission and arguably the second-most sticky street-legal tires with Pirelli P Zero Corsas versus the
previous record holder, the Corvette ZR1 with Michelins. Yet racing slicks still give it a nearly 3 second quicker time at MRLS per Motor Trend and champion race car driver Randy Pobst.

Recently coining the phrase, "All-wheel drive is awesome but rear wheel drive is bad-ass." this car defines the later. Technology is fun but also an enabler for easier speed and more comfort. Achievable straight line acceleration accomplishments are mind-boggling these days. But to be fully appreciated, take this car to the track and experience the ferocity and really be a driver. Again, that word, “DRIVER.”