Viper 'ring lap record attempt: Time For Coffee?

It didn't quite beat the 918, but by heck was it close...

Yes, another Nurburgring lap video, but there's a bit of additional context to this one. Earlier in 2017 PH reported on an attempt by Viper enthusiasts to take the production car lap record at the Nordschleife, convinced that a ACR Extreme could beat the Porsche 918 Spyder on the German circuit like it had on American circuits. This was before the Huracan Performante did its thing, of course, though it was a laudable aim. However without manufacturer support, the attempt had to be crowd funded.

The team got the money together, went to Germany and did the lap - this is the video. The lap time? It seems wrong to spoil the surprise here, so all we'll say is that it was faster than the old ACR. And it's now the fastest rear-wheel drive production car at the 'ring, as well as the fastest with the manual and the fastest American car. Take that, Camaro ZL1. That's enough clues...

Despite not achieving the ultimate goal, this video is absolutely incredible to watch. Every time you check the speed it seems to be at least 20kph up on what you might expect and that big V10 just keeps on hauling. Seeing a manual gearchange is a nice novelty in 2017, even if the one-handed approach is a little unnerving!

What happens now for the Viper we don't know; getting close to the 918 seems possible, though the Lamborghini may be a challenge too far. We'll keep you posted!

Watch the video here.