One of the more exciting things that occurred in 2017 was a crowdfunded effort to help the Dodge Viper ACR reacquire its crown as the king of the Nurburgring. For enthusiasts that wanted to get a better look at the private effort, FoxProFilms has put out a video detailing the entire process.
At the beginning of 2016, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles decided to axe the Viper because new federal safety standards. Killing off one of the craziest American supercars ever made wasn’t exactly good news for petrolheads.
So, a group of Viper fans started a Go Fund Me to raise $159,000 in order to break the Nurburgring record of 6:57 that was set by the Porsche 918 Spyder. The Viper was once the king of the infamous circuit, and the group wanted to give the supercar a proper send off.
The crowdfunding campaign worked, as the group of enthusiasts managed to raise $201,740 and was given two Viper ACRs by the Viper Exchange dealership in Houston, Texas. The effort was sponsored by Kumho Tires and engineering consultancy Prefix, but was mostly funded by fans. With the Viper ACRs on hand and two capable drivers, the group headed to Germany.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out as planned. Last July, the group managed to set a time of 7:03:45. While that was pretty good, it didn’t beat the 918 Spyder. According to the video, the team managed to set an official time of 7:01.3, which was staggering, but still not good enough.
The documentary is worth watching, especially for Viper enthusiasts. And while the crew didn’t set a new lap record, they did give the Viper the sendoff it deserved.