Viper VS AC Cobra

Half mile event

[@jamesward4893]

Interesting story for everyone, Dodge hired Carroll Shelby to build the Viper for no other reason than to dethrone the AC Cobra as the worlds fastest accelerating muscle car ever built. Carrol told them at that time that it couldn’t be done because of all of the emissions laws but Dodge told him to design and build the viper anyhow so he did. After the Viper was a reality Carrol Shelby’s personal AC Cobra raced against a Viper and the Cobra laid waste to the Viper. True story, I read an interview with Carrol Shelby where he told this story and an original AC Cobra with the 427 will still beat cars like the Hellcat Challengers and Chargers in a 1/4 mile drag race.

[@tomban7535]

OK, but what's on the race track?

[@jamesward4893]

@@tomban7535 Not sure I understand the meaning of your question. Today it’s the Viper you mostly see at a track if your asking which of the cars you’d most likely find at a racetrack. The reasons for that are simple, the Cobra hasn’t been produced since I believe 1965 and the Viper only stopped being produced a few years ago. The other reason is you can buy 10 Vipers for what your going to pay for a true 427 S/C Cobra so probably 99.9 % of the Cobras you do see at the track are kits and not the genuine thing. A Viper won’t beat a true SC Cobra on its best day short of the Cobra suffering mechanical issues or if there’s a less than competent driver behind its steering wheel. The Viper makes 500 horsepower but weighs somewhere around 3800 pounds, the Cobra makes 550-575 horsepower but only weighs 2250 pounds so the Cobra has a serious power to weight ratio advantage over the Viper.

[@drtb69]

Viper didn't do shit, the race was over and he barrels by the cobra when the guy let off the gas several seconds before he ever caught up.

[@sandman2495]

@Moon Pie If you can't beat it in a 1/4 just lengthen the track i guess

[@tommallon4052]

The Viper was caught napping.

[@syednazeer803]

never mess with the beast ac cobra That​ is

[@kevinsullivan4076]

I own a factory five cobra, 351 windsor stroked out to 550hp + at the rear end. I also had a 96 viper R/T. - super nice car, but I found myself always driving the cobra when I had the chance, so I sold my Viper. Also, the cobra blew the doors off the Viper.

[@michaelstrangefranke7002]

Okay but what did the Cobra weigh compared to what the Viper weight the Vipers is a hell of a lot heavier than a cobra you're not going to tell me that it's not

[@mikehammer8196]

Does anyone know if a factory five will house a 460 under the hood?

[@jag1963]

I'm so jealous.

[@Loulovesspeed]

@@michaelstrangefranke7002 - You sound just like all the butt hurt Corvette guys who cry the same tune. It just doesn't have enough balls to get the job done!

[@CamaroZ-cr9bo]

@@michaelstrangefranke7002 Yes viper's were heavy to the Cobra's and less valuable than the Cobra too,but the Cobra's the kind of car you don't want to crash in,they fall apart easy and too expensive to fix and theur safety chassis isn't good either!! But a Viper's a pretty strong safe durable car in head on collision than the Cobra!! They're 2 different technologies too,i'm sure the Viper's transmission and rear end might notve been as strong off of the line like the Cobra's was,modern car rears and trans even to present day are all different than the vintage drivetrains and rears were!!....The Viper gears ran pretty high Cobra's were designed for low medium and high on a vintage configuration!!

[@pauldashwood2897]

I bet he’s glad he put that camera on his car .so he could see the cobra go past him ,nice sound though

[@pauldashwood2897]

Ok then he must have let the cobra win ...bye bye nice viper..

[@stevegarcia9098]

it's hard to beat those little cobras. mine weighs 2600 lbs with 485hp. the acceleration is amazing. mine even sets off car alarms sometimes when i drive down the neighborhood.

[@baldnolocks]

I had this car alarm problem with my VW Super bug (1303S) in the 1990's, fitted with an S&S Rallye exhaust

[@gerilynntarvin9402]

the Viper was not late off the line- he was extremely early for the next race which it appears he will also lose. PS I rode in a 427 AC cobra with Weber carbs when new, what an awesome ride.

[@ArnoldsDesign]

I vapor blast Weber carbs for the man who perfected Webers in Cobras, Jim Inglese.

[@shelbyonehalf]

What's not to like about a Cobra. They look great, sound great and fast as Hell!

[@josephhensley2601]

Cobra won

[@chrisblack4525]

The Viper made a better pass on the way back....AFTER losing. Lol

[@BigAl2-u7e]

I would beat any Shelby Cobra in a race. How? It's really simple, I just have to slash it's tires.

[@jp7489]

The cobra is a legend!!!💪

[@jaytroxel3495]

Maybe they were racing half mile...if that's the case the Cobra may have run out of gear..while the Viper came on strong with a better top end. No doubt about it the Cobra dominated the quarter mile.

[@marlonelmorefreedomisoursn9744]

Man those AC cobras nothing to mess with it's unreal how fast they are just imagine if he had enough top-end speed the viper would have never caught it

[@trailerparkcryptoking5213]

The Cobra had let off the gas because the race was over! 😂😂😂. You’re not that stupid are you?

[@Loulovesspeed]

And that is but one reason that the Viper is out of production! Lol

[@carlhobbs6109]

That Cobra ate that Vipers lunch!!!!!

[@CamaroZ-cr9bo]

Youve got the 2 kings of the drag strip,vintage king vs modern day king!!...No matter what you drove nothing got 100mph like the Cobra's could!!

[@erniearambula3525]

Viper is such an awesome car too bad it sounds like a milk truck.

[@alf6259]

The first viper engine was based on a truck engine a 360 v8.

[@willhunt3000]

Cobra's were always out of my reach but I did stick FI Ford 302 in my 1977 TVR 2500M - was a really fun car.

[@lanemorrow5513]

Looks like the Cob let out of it

[@steverivinius5686]

Cobra killing it.

[@butchsprout5725]

Everyone knows Cobra's are KINGS

[@shoveltramp581]

Cobras eat vipers and shit vettes.

[@arttafil6792]

Damn, did the viper driver turn the engine on halfway down the strip?

[@governmentmanagement8537]

Ford was king of the road in the 60s after GM built the Goat. Goat started the muscle war's and Ford took control til the 70s. Ford went down hill in the 70s until 78 king Cobra ll. Then 79 80 they starting to conflict with what V8 to go with. That's how the 5.0L came took won. Except 84 Ford built another fast 4 banger kicking V8s azzez. Then Ford 94 decided to go smaller. Dumb ideal but it worked in the terminator.

[@ricardopoloni414]

10 liter versus 7 liter.

[@mattjubie]

Rick Poloni you sure about that?

[@easygoing2479]

8 liter, and later 8.3. It's a V-10, but not 10 liter in displacement.

[@asorjvideochannel3895]

The cobra owner just finished his beer and cigar in the finish line.. Viper v10 sound nice..

[@trex9368]

Viper never had the $100 Bill Test! Stick a $100 bill under the Visor of an AC Cobra and TRY to grab it under Full Acceleration! LOL Haa Haa. Second only to the acceleration of NHRA Pro Stock!

[@dabgod5948]

The Little Cobras are so dang fast for as little as they weigh although replicas still are being made by AC Cars they are the only car that has kept the same body for over 60 years

[@MarMPB]

Who won? I couldn’t see the half mile mark! Anyone have their time/top speed?

[@hotchihuahua1546]

V8 sounds so much better than a V10 , would love to see them put the Demon motor in the Viper !

[@michaelstrangefranke7002]

Put the helephant in the Viper

[@easygoing2479]

I always liked the Vipers, but hated that 10 cylinder engine. It sounds like a school bus. Rather than the Gen III Hemi, if Chrysler wanted to answer the legend of the 60's Cobra, I wish they would have muscled one of the retooled 90's production Gen II HEMIs of the 60s into the Viper. Let the real King Kong strut his stuff in all his glory. THAT would have roared.

[@johnniezuniga6841]

Need new driver on viber. Sleep

[@thagreen72]

cobra pulled him atleast 2-3 car lengths out the hole

[@largelarry2126]

Must be your first time. You need to leave on the last yellow.

[@zgambler1]

Cobra is still the best

[@Ken-mu3dc]

I agree. When I was young (a long time ago!) I had a ride in a Cobra 427 S/C and I have never been in anything as brutally quick as that since. I am 68 now and have been in and driven a lot of quick cars - modern stuff like Aston Martin, Audi R8, Porsche 911 Carrera S, BMW M3 & M5 etc. but nothing compares to that ride in the Cobra 52 years ago!!! I will never forget that experience.

[@bostondavedowding8167]

@@Ken-mu3dc I am 72 YO and I can still shift. I wish I could give you a ride in my '09 Shelby GT500 with over 850 BHP. Not stock of course. You might just change your mind. What a ton of fun to drive especially when it pulls like a freight train in 3rd and 4th. No traction in 1st and most of the time in 2nd.

[@Ken-mu3dc]

@@bostondavedowding8167 I'm sure that with 850 bhp you are right!! I have never been in anything with that kind of grunt but I imagine that it is bloody quick. I'm guessing you are in the USA but I'm in England otherwise I might look you up and go for a spin with you in the Shelby Mustang (which is another favourite of mine!)

[@bostondavedowding8167]

@@Ken-mu3dc Yes, I am in California. I would happily give you a ride and put a smile on both of our faces, although maybe more on mine as it can be quite scary from the passenger seat from what I have been told.

[@bostondavedowding8167]

@@Ken-mu3dc This is a video of me giving my friend a ride 1 and a half years ago. michael dowding gt500

[@damsbb2440]

Awesome cars america madr

[@ronberquist1558]

Cobra made a weak shift and still blew that trash away

[@redbay8527]

Where's the numbers????

[@toddlecher4097]

only thing faster than a cobra is a GT40

[@steverivinius5686]

Nope.fastest production car for acceleration is still the Cobra.Guinness book of world records.gt40 fastest top end.297 at the texas mile a couple of years ago.

[@paulbaillie9494]

Or a Tesla S !

[@johnny427]

@@paulbaillie9494 After 60 years of development it is somewhat okay...

[@Loulovesspeed]

@@steverivinius5686 - You're comparing apples to grapes, man! That GT40 had 3,000 horsepower and hit just over 300 mph. It wasn't even close to a stock machine. That Texas Mile crap means nothing. If you put enough horsepower in anything it will set a Guinness record! Lol

[@hinashabnam6017]

I hope the ac cobra was powerd by ford

[@stevegarcia2937]

Viper slept at the light.

[@oceanchaser]

that's funny the cobra being so light it beats just about anything except a Bugatti

[@jeffchristianson-ziebell7727]

Viper more like a Garter against a Cobra LOL Made for a great camera angle to watch a cobra peel away out of sight at high speed Hah Hah Hah

[@dannyhughes8187]

Baby blue too..😶

[@bryanshaughnessy8043]

Oz = lb....lb = pain ( or embarrassment under most circumstances)..lol

[@luthermoore2969]

These cars were designed by the same guy. Carrol Shelby.

[@Loulovesspeed]

@Luther Moore - Not quite man. Shelby did design the Cobra (in total) but he only gave some advice on the Viper build and development, just like the Dodge Omni GLH.

[@jamesrangaves6363]

Not a 79 Camaro 77

[@brentdallyn8459]

Cobra can smoke nearly every production car ever made, impossible for car companies to produce a street-legal analog of the car today because it is not 1965 anymore, safety, comfort, CAFE guidelines, emissions......common sense.

[@davidcarriel8534]

Actually, my older brother had a sunbeam Tiger that he restored...replaced the stock 260 with a hot 289 motor that he rebuilt...about 325-350 hp... would run 1/4 mile in low 13's using only 3 of his 4 gears...160 top speed... He once beat an original Shelby 427 Cobra on a 2.6 mile road track! (Barely!)... he took a photo of the time sheet, to prove it. Fun times!

[@Loulovesspeed]

@@davidcarriel8534 - A friend's father back in high school had a 289 Tiger. He had some minor work done on the engine - carburetor, headers, cam(?). He could yank the front tires off the ground launching it on street tires!

[@clauz098ita]

If we are talking about acceleration, the shelby cobra is the best

[@xxsunnymelodyxx77]

Viper man was racing no one after the cobra smoked him !

[@BradThePitts]

In my Shelby Cobra I'm at 135mph at the 1/4 mile and thats MY redline. There's still another gear left, but it's too scary to go any faster!

[@jacobsteele7138]

Basically 2,000 pound difference. Cobra will win every time. The horsepower difference isn't that great if the AC has traction.

[@Loulovesspeed]

More like less than a 1,000 lbs diff.

[@jacobsteele7138]

@@Loulovesspeed You are correct so the Cobra is about 30% lighter.

[@eddy2fast260]

🤔....If i turn back about here that cobra should be gone when I get back

[@raskokustomizart2786]

Cobra....what a car !!!! Sneaky !!!!!!! Love it !!

[@iggyfritz7150]

When will they ever learn 😄

[@roni0021]

What year is your Viper ? Nice run

[@jerryclasby9628]

Zero to 60 to zero in 6 seconds

[@robertdavis6708]

VIPER TONS OF FUN !!!!!!!

[@theflyingscotsman9902]

Love both cars ! Drove a 1965 cobra around Shannonville motorsports track. Not much could keep up with those cars .

[@Loulovesspeed]

@Robert Davis - Not anymore - it went bye-bye!

[@bryanshaughnessy8043]

All things equally If a viper was appx the same weight ..I would like to see that fight

[@Loulovesspeed]

Well it's not appx the same weight! If a bullfrog had wings, he wouldn't bump his ass hopping! LOL

[@arcaliasgiants9813]

cobra should put a convertible top on too, just as an experiment

[@Loulovesspeed]

Yeah right. Dude, it would blow right the f..k off at speed.

[@johnnysokko6533]

Viper got him at the big end. Reeled it in like a big old Marlin (fish not AMC Car).

[@theflyingscotsman9902]

Nope , lost . Cobra coasted after the pass .

[@firebug4109]

Do what who? Viper? Winner? You lost your mind? That cobra led the entire way EXCEPT for when the driver let off the throttle. That is the ONLY reason the viper passed the cobra. You must not have noticed that the distance between them kept growing until the cobra let off.......

[@johnnysokko6533]

Stop smoking that shit, it makes you sound like a dumbass.@@firebug4109

[@theflyingscotsman9902]

@@firebug4109 sokko is bitter ! That viper should have tied a rope to that AC ! It eould have gone faster !

[@theflyingscotsman9902]

Was there a viper in this video ?

[@michaelfargo2564]

My 2 favorite cars of all time! Man that cobra just jumped off the line but you got him.

[@jasonstearns1044]

Michael Fargo he didn't jump off the line. he had the better reaction time and the win. the only reason the viper caught him was because the cobra driver let off the throttle.

[@guyneault2646]

Amazing...truely amazing. 50 yr old antique more than holding its own against modern tech. M.A.G.A....MAKE AUTOS GREAT AGAIN

[@genebranson7630]

Jason Stearns I guess that you didn’t watch the same race that I watched

[@theflyingscotsman9902]

No substitute for a light car with power . it was a 1/4 mile win for the Cobra by far . Viper just wanted outta there !

[@firebug4109]

@@genebranson7630 Do what who? That cobra led the entire race. At the end, the cobra let off and the viper passed it. If the cobra would have stayed on the throttle, the viper would have never caught that cobra.......

[@dennisschell5543]

Viper guy clueless... 🙄