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ViperGeorge
11-29-2016, 12:41 PM
As my signature line says I have an 08 Vert (stock), a 14 GTS (stock), and a 15 TA 2.0 with Arrow PCM, MCS shocks, headers and catback, under-drive pulley, Racing Brakes rear brake bias calipers (single best mod ever), 18 speaker stereo, K-40 Laser diffusers, Raptor shift light, white vinyl fang stripes, and TeamTech 6 points.

I use the 15 TA for the One Lap of America and track days. I traded my 09 ACR with similar mods for the TA right before the ACRs came out. I knew the ACRs were coming but that $15K certificate was burning a big hole in my pocket. Now I've been looking at a couple of ACRs that have caught my fancy.

My TA is faster down the back straight at High Plains Raceway here in Colorado than my old 09 ACR (146mph vs. 144mph) but they both turned about the same lap times. I suspect the TA with its lower downforce has less drag and hence is faster down the straight where the 09 ACR made it up in the corners. The 09 ACR also had ported intake and heads so I assume both cars are similar in terms of horsepower. My TA has been rock solid and burns virtually no oil even on track.

So the question is should I trade the TA on an ACR? I like the more aggressive looks of the ACR vs. the TA 2.0 and I do like the idea of having the king of the hill Viper. I would not mod the ACR given warranty issues that have been discussed here at length. That would mean it would have less horsepower than my TA (640 vs. maybe 700 in the TA). On the other hand it would have more downforce. I would probably look to buy an ACR with the TA's steel brakes or convert the CCBs to steel with a smaller rotor so that I would have many more wheel and tire choices. In any case, would the downforce be more important than 60 more horsepower at most tracks?

I cannot use the Kuhmos on the One Lap of America as they are not considered legal for the event. They would scare me in the pouring rain on an interstate anyway (even the PZeros were touchy in the 2015 One Lap when it poured in Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma). Given this I must have more tire options and the tires must be street legal, no R compound or race tires allowed. i should also note that the PZeros seem to understeer worse than the Michelin PSSs I used on the 09 ACR. This is important as the One Lap includes two 200 foot skid pad events and they can and have influenced the outcome of more than one One Lap. On my old ACR I was in the top 10 on the skid pad but was mid-pack in my TA with the PZeros. It would not hold the radius with any throttle (maybe its the car and not the tire?). This is why I want 18" front wheels so that I can run Michelins all around.

Thanks for the input.

ViperGeorge
11-30-2016, 10:38 AM
Bump. Come on, doesn't someone have some input?

texasram
11-30-2016, 10:48 AM
You answered your own question, ACR

Dman
11-30-2016, 10:59 AM
Dude, if I could figure out wtf I'm doing I'd give advice, and you're in a tougher situation. The 2.0 is probably the best Viper period, track beast & all-day road manners. Yours is setup to perfection. The ACR is the ACR though ... see, I'm no help. If it were me though, and this may sound stupid, but I'd do the one lap in the 2.0, then retire it and do the ACR. I know you're thinking the extra road course perf of the ACR, but your car is literally perfectly set right now for that event, log those miles, perform very competitively, and then go for the end all be all last run and produced Viper king of the Hill.

One lap is on my list, I wouldn't do it in a brand spanking new ACR, and then you have the wheel/tire setup to solve for. I think a TA is the perfect one lap runner. So there's my input, or my 2 cents, which is about what it's worth, since I change my car-mind 3 times a day.

I'd love a full write up on the 1 lap, it's on my list, someday it will happen for me.

Dman
11-30-2016, 11:01 AM
Oh, and there was a buy back 1.0 for sale a bit ago, I immediately called and was going to buy it, as a one lap car, but it sold like in a couple days, by the time they called me back they told me it just sold. So the TA has been in my 1 lap mind for a while.

Coloviper
11-30-2016, 11:26 AM
George, you have always been a "top dog" guy. Despite the analytics you described, in your heart, you want the ACRE. It is that simple!

I don't know the rules of one lap but this will be your LAST new Viper you buy (there will be no more) order it EXACTLY as you want, loaded to the moon. Pull CCBs and ACR shocks, add the VE big brakes (which work with the SW2 spare set sitting in your garage) and the VE active dampers you have been wanting for a few years. Call it good and just drive it!

I am just trying to get my communications business sold to just get into one GEN V.

If you have the top, you have the top. That is what you want and despite everything else, you know that about yourself. Hope it helps! See you this weekend for our NVE2.5 event at NoNos!

Terminator02
11-30-2016, 01:12 PM
You could cam your TA and really invest in the right tires as that makes a gigantic difference along with getting the VE suspension. That would be one awesome beast. If you don't really want to do something like that I think you answered your question as you put more emphasis on track than having an all arounder. And with that you won't go wrong with the acre. Plus you will have 645hp and not 640:) good luck. Good choice to have.

ViperGeorge
11-30-2016, 01:55 PM
Thanks guys. Tough call for sure. I really do want an ACR-E. My TA 2.0 though is a great car, one of the good ones I think. Plenty of power. With steel TA brakes on the ACR-E (which are an option) I think it would be great for One Lap. None the less, my modified TA has more power than a stock ACR would have (I won't mod it given warranty issues) but it doesn't have the aero of the ACR-E.

I still wonder whether the ACR-E would be faster on the average road course (if there is such a thing) vs. my more powerful TA. The TA would certainly have an advantage in the straights but would give that up in the turns. One other thing that makes the ACR-E faster though is the Kumhos. They are supposedly faster than Hoosiers. They are, however, not legal for One Lap. I would have to use either PZeros or Pilot Super Sports. If you take the Kumhos off an ACR and ran PZeros I wonder then how it would compare to my TA.

Interesting to ponder.

SSGNRDZ_28
11-30-2016, 01:59 PM
Thanks guys. Tough call for sure. I really do want an ACR-E. My TA 2.0 though is a great car, one of the good ones I think. Plenty of power. With steel TA brakes on the ACR-E (which are an option) I think it would be great for One Lap. None the less, my modified TA has more power than a stock ACR would have (I won't mod it given warranty issues) but it doesn't have the aero of the ACR-E.

No reason you can't mod the ACR-E to have more power down the road, after the warranty runs out or whenever you might be comfortable with doing that.


I still wonder whether the ACR-E would be faster on the average road course (if there is such a thing) vs. my more powerful TA. Interesting to ponder.

You could always do the math:

http://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16357-An-Extremely-Nerdy-Explanation-of-How-the-Dodge-Viper-ACR-Is-So-Damn-Fast

PAVenomRT/10
11-30-2016, 03:05 PM
ACRE is the way to go, no doubt! It is king of the hill bc of downforce, not horsepower. 918 and P1 both have more horsepower but are significantly slower. ACR also looks like nothing else on the road. Sell the TA and get the ACRE!
PAVenomRT/10

ViperGeorge
11-30-2016, 04:14 PM
No reason you can't mod the ACR-E to have more power down the road, after the warranty runs out or whenever you might be comfortable with doing that.



You could always do the math:

http://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16357-An-Extremely-Nerdy-Explanation-of-How-the-Dodge-Viper-ACR-Is-So-Damn-Fast

Thanks, that video was very informative and really proved downforce is king.

BlueAdder
11-30-2016, 05:12 PM
Get the ACR-E in competition blue so that mine has a distant relative :p

Martin
11-30-2016, 05:18 PM
If you're going to add to your collection, you'll kick yourself later if you don't have a ACR-E in the stable. I just wish I could swing a TA1 and TA2 for the 2017 model year. Probably won't be worth more than MSRP in our lifetimes, but who knows.... That's what collecting is all about.

1of1TA1.0
11-30-2016, 05:21 PM
Get the ACR-E, there is no comparison and it will be faster on most road courses with less power than the TA-2. Of course this is my opinion, I would do the CCM's (not like I'm opinionated on that matter :) ) and keep the Kumho's. I have been out of tracking for almost 3 years, took my new ACR-E bone stock on my second outing at Texas World Speedway and already ran a person best. True it was a 2008 ACR but it was full ACR-X spec including the pistons, tune and full gut job. They are NO joke!

lmcgrew79
11-30-2016, 05:34 PM
Get the ACR E, i traded my TA and never have missed it one bit. I also sprung for the TA Brakes ran them all year, rotors are at 15 days and still has a few weekends on them, front pads depending on track about 2.5 days and rear pads about 2 times that. The TA brakes with racing pads are all the ACR needs, and gives you plenty of wheel options. I know of a few people running the Carbon Rotors and only getting 10-12 days on the rotors, and around 1.5 - 2 days on the front pads. If your not going to the track with it but 2 times a year get the carbons. Either way ACRE