Globalization may mean that many of the world’s automotive brands are sharing a small set of sandboxes, but the kids don’t always play well together.
Motor Trend has an interesting report out about infighting between some of Fiat’s many brands. The Italian giant owns what’s left of Chrysler, including the Viper SRT (remember, they don’t call it a Dodge anymore), as well as Ferrari — and the mag claims that Fiat has ordered the Viper team not to max out the power of their new serpent to avoid embarrassing Ferrari.
Specifically, Ferrari wants the upcoming Viper ACR — the ultra-light, track-focused version of America’s legendary beast — to stay below 5.2 pounds-per-horsepower.
You see, that’s the figure put out by the Ferrari F12. The SRT team says it would be easy to exceed that figure — the Viper’s 8.4-liter V10 puts out 640 horsepower now, but it would be a simple challenge to get more out of it. But that would embarrass Ferrari, Motor Trend says, so the car will stay below that.
Instead, it’s likely to get aero upgrades, a new suspension package, suspension upgrades and the subtraction of nearly anything that adds weight — which should let the snake beat its Nürburgring -record-setting predecessor.
There’s no word on when the ACR will be ready, however. The magazine reports that it was nearly ready to go, but the performance of the Corvette ZR1 on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires made the Viper team go to its rubber supplier — Pirelli — and ask for a better set of shoes. The car is waiting on the development of the new tires before it will make its first public appearance.
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