The good news: the new Viper coupe, as of now, most likely will not be the 625 hp car that I hoped for. But read on.
The bad news: Viper hp is under-rated. My '01 RT/10 is supposed to have 450 hp at the flywheel yet it dynoed at 415 rwhp (SAE corrected) with no mods. Assuming a 15% hp loss via the drivetrain, this car should have put down only about 380 rwhp. 415 rwhp is more like 8% loss. Where did the extra 35 rwhp come from? My '02 Z, on the other hand, put down right around 350 rwhp which is in line with a 15% drivetrain loss.
So, take the 500 flywheel hp that the new Z06 will make, deduct 15% for drivetrain loss, and you'll be left with approximately 425 rwhp. That's only 10 rwhp less than my Gen II Viper put down. And everyone knows that 10 rwhp isn't worth squat in the grand scheme of things.
Assuming that current generation Vipers are under-rated as well will mean that the "real" hp (at the rear wheels) is still probably going to be higher than the new Z06 rwhp. The new Z has a slight weight advantage which will deduct some of the "extra" ponies that Vipers have.
So, if I were you, I wouldn't exactly go picking on the Vipers as soon as you get your hands on the new Z06
Paul
