SRT’s Viper TA arrives to sink fangs into the Corvette ZR1

When Motor Trend performed a shootout between the new SRT Viper and the out-of-production Corvette ZR1, naturally, the pressure was on the Viper. After all, Chevy had the new Corvette Stingray up its sleeve, making a healthy excuse should the Viper be faster. SRT, on the other hand, had no such fall back; when the ZR1 spanked the Viper by two seconds around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, SRT chief Ralph Gilles knew something had to be done: Enter the SRT Viper TA — the snake that can finally outrun the ‘Vette.

Rumor has it, the Viper TA (for Time Attack) was in the works all along. It was, without question, pushed into production at record pace, however, in an effort to right the wrongs from last December; the car was in Motor Trend’s hands for a retest just nine weeks after their original loss.

The Viper TA is a straight up track machine that just so happens to be road legal: it has no radio or leather seats. In fact, the Viper TA has no options whatsoever. It is a car, Ralph Gilles claims, “for the dedicated track enthusiast, who still wants to drive to the track and take their hobby to the next level.”

The Viper TA boasts no additional power, either (it’s not like it needs more), sticking with the 640 hp, 8.4 liter V-10. The TA is all about optimizing the Viper’s inner package for on-track performance, and that starts with the suspension. Street mode has been deleted, replaced by Rough track mode (very stiff) and a Smooth track mode (very very stiff). The dampers, springs and stabilizer bars have all been retuned, too.