Various Cars UK: SRT Videos

On most cars, using the launch control system is the fastest way of get off the line. However, there are some models in which the launch control can be beaten, as you will see in the following video from Car&Driver.

The idea behind launch control is to limit wheel-spin and increase traction to ensure the fastest possible acceleration. However, using launch control is not always the fastest way to accelerate from standstill.

In the case of the SRT Viper, the enormous amount of torque (600 lb-ft/813 Nm) is a tough nut to crack for the launch control system, which can be beaten by the sensitive right foot of an experienced driver.

C&D’s technical editor Eric Tingwall noticed that during the launch control sequence there’s too much going on with the rear wheels and set out to prove he can be faster without using it.

The video demonstrates the Viper’s launch control feature, and then shows one can get even faster acceleration times using the normal start procedure. You can find out how faster from the video posted below.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

Hennessey is famous for extracting a lot of horsepower from engines with the use/optimization of forced induction. Their kits range from light to hardcore and the Venom 700R pack for the SRT Viper is on the less complex end of the scale.

There’s no turbo or supercharger kit in sight, and the 8.4-liter V10 engine is made to produce 705 hp (up from 640hp) with the use of old fashioned tuning techniques.

On the list of mods we have high-flow cylinder heads, custom tube headers and 3-inch exhaust, high-flow cat and a K&N performance air filter. Torque gets a boost too, up from 600 to 695 lb-ft (813 to 942 Nm) – this is an increase you’ll definitely feel, and it goes to show that the large ten-cylinder engine has yet more to give, even without affecting its response and signature exhaust noise by fitting it with twin turbos.

The extra power sends the Viper to 60 mph (96km/h) in 3.1 seconds, while the quarter-mile sprint is dispatched in 10.7 seconds. Top speed is rated at 216 mph, or 345 km/h, if anybody dares go that fast in it, that is, as it’s reportedly not the easiest thing in the world to control, and it can’t get easier the faster you go.

Hennessey also offers a slew of optional carbon fiber parts, lighter wheels, 5-point racing harnesses, adjustable suspension, differential cooler and even a fire extinguisher. There's plenty of badging thrown in for free, as well, though, to be fair, having numbered plaques all over the car's interior and exterior is a bit on the excessive hey-look-at-me side

Check it out via the photo gallery and videos posted below.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY