Last week, a private crowdfunding initiative aimed to reclaim the Nurburgring production-car lap record for the soon-to-be-retired Dodge Viper. On Wednesday afternoon, Road & Track reported the results of their efforts: a remarkable lap time of 7:03.45 achieved by a brand-new, showroom-condition 2017 Dodge Viper ACR.
Spearheaded by sponsors Kumho and Prefix, this Viper was driven by race car driver Dominik Farnbacher, a well-known figure at SRT. This marked the first time this generation of the Viper attempted a timed, dry lap on the famous 12.9-mile German circuit. For context, Farnbacher had previously made history in 2011 by setting a record for the prior generation Viper ACR with a time of 7:12.13. Currently, the fastest lap record is held by the McLaren P1 LM at 6:43.
The project was financed through donations from Viper fans, leading to the purchase of two brand-new 2017 ACRs from the Texas-based dealer Viper Exchange, which also supplies cars for the VLF Force 1. These vehicles were adorned with GTS-R commemorative liveries before being shipped to Germany and unleashed on the track. For the events, they were equipped with factory-fresh, street-legal Kumho Ecsta V720 tires provided by the tire sponsor.
Although the 7:03 time does not set a new record, Farnbacher and his team of enthusiasts are not finished yet. They have plans for another timed lap later this week.
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