American Muscle-Viper Vs. Corvette

Today in the 21st century, there are two American made sports cars that stand out far more than others. They happen to be one of the biggest rivalries between any two car manufactures. Chevrolet's 2006 Z06 Corvette and Dodge's 2006 Viper SRT10 are both the newest and fastest models to exist. In the past, the Dodge Viper has always been the king of the road since its creation over a decade ago, edging out the Corvette's performance in every category. Today this is no longer the case. Due to recent track testing with the new sports cars, the Corvette has finally made it on top.

The Dodge Viper is most known for its power from its 10 cylinder 8.3 liter engine. The most significant change to the new Corvette that enabled it to run with this much power was by building a 7.0 liter 8 cylinder engine. This pushed the Corvette's to 500 total horsepower. Previous years used a 5.7 liter, only producing 400 horsepower. This increase in engine displacement has given the Corvette enough power to take the Viper's 510 horsepower in a drag strip, running the quarter mile under 12 seconds, a few tenths quicker than the Viper. Tests have also proven Dodges' claim that the new viper could hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds are false, revealing that the Viper has made little progress over its previous fastest model.

Many may wonder how the Corvette could beat a car that possessed more power. The trick lies in the weight of the car. Engineers perfected the weight of the Corvette from previous years, reducing it and making it nearly 300 pounds lighter than the Viper. In conclusion, the Corvette has a better horsepower to weight ratio, enabling the car to accelerate faster because less weight is dragging it down.

More benefits the Corvette has that possibly contribute to its quicker drag times than the viper is located in the interior of the car. With more space in the Corvette, it makes it more comfortable and relaxing for the driver. In addition, the location of the transmission in the Corvette allows the driver to shift easier and faster, while in the Viper the shifter is underneath the Drivers elbow, making it difficult to shift properly and efficiently.

Another advantage the Corvette has over the Viper is its traction and stability control system. When launched from a dead stop, this system helps the corvette stabilize and not spin all over the road. On the other hand, the Viper is not equipped with this system and has more foot pounds of torque to the rear tires, making it harder to maintain traction when accelerating. When it all comes down to a few tenths of a second, launching the car from a dead stop can be the hardest, yet the most important part of a drag race.

Once again the traction and stability control system helps the Corvette out perform the Viper on a curved race track as well. Once it comes into turns, already at a higher speed than the Viper, it can take its turns to the limit, knowing if the car started to lose control, the system would prevent it from spinning off the track. The driver in the Viper would have to be less aggressive; using too much speed on a turn could cost him or her the race.

Since the first Dodge Viper was created, it has been known for beating the Chevrolet Corvette all over the race track, by a significant amount as well. The recent 2006 Corvette Z06 and the 2006 Viper SRT10 are now the two fastest models created by each company. Through many tests, the Corvette has proved to not only be as quick as the Viper, but out perform it in many areas. The Corvette's new engine, weight reduction, suspension upgrades, transmission, and interior benefits are among the improvements that increased its overall performance. With the Corvette priced approximately $20,000 cheaper, it is clearly the better and more "bang for the buck" sports car.