Viper Beat Again, This Time By Less Powerful Corvette Stingray

11 years, 1 month ago - 6 September 2013, Autoblog
Viper Beat Again, This Time By Less Powerful Corvette Stingray
Alright, there's no way the 455-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette Stingray beat the 640-hp SRT Viper, you say.

Well, you're partially right. Edmunds ran them down a quarter-mile drag strip and the Viper did it in 11.72 seconds at 124.09 miles per hour to the Stingray's 12.39 seconds at 113.73 mph. The Viper did 0-60 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds compared to the the Corvette's 4.1-second run. But the Chevrolet definitely pulled above its weight, and we see once again that horsepower doesn't mean everything after it beats the Viper in the other three tests.
The Corvette and Viper have long been arch nemeses, and SRT head Ralph Gilles had the Viper TA built after the Corvette ZR1 handily beat it by two seconds at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this year.
But no matter the test, if it isn't in a straight line, Edmunds shows that the new base Corvette can outdo the Viper with much less horsepower. On the skidpad with narrower tires, the Stingray pulled 1.05 g compared to the Viper's 1.01 g. The Viper's horsepower advantage couldn't overcome the Corvette's predictable handling in the slalom test, where the V10-powered SRT maxed out at 72 mph to the Corvette's 73.5 mph. Edmunds' Chris Walton describes the Corvette's brakes as out of this world, able to stop it from 60 mph in 99 feet. The Viper does that in 110 ft.
The never-ending Viper vs. Corvette showdown continues, and it seems Chevy's newest sports car has the fundamentals down pat - just add power. Edmunds didn't pick an overall winner - we think a track test will solve that. But the video we included below is an early glimpse into the new Corvette's performance potential, and so far we like the look of it.