What is faster a Viper or a Corvette?

In today’s market, modern Corvettes generally outperform the Dodge Viper in straight-line speed and overall street performance, while the Viper remains a legendary, track-focused legacy car that’s no longer in production. The Corvette lineup continues to push the envelope with mid-engine design and advanced engineering, whereas the Viper’s production ended in 2017.

The question hinges on what you mean by “faster.” If you’re talking about the latest street-legal performance, Corvette variants such as the mid‑engine Stingray and the higher‑performance Z06 typically deliver quicker 0–60 mph times, higher top speeds, and sharper lap times than the last generation of Viper models. If you’re thinking about raw track capability from the Viper’s era, the Viper ACR (American Club Racing) was among the best on many road courses in its day, especially when equipped with its aero package, but its straight-line speed generally lagged behind contemporary Corvettes designed for speed out of the box. Here’s how the two line up across notable models and eras.

Context: The Viper’s legacy and standout performance

The Dodge Viper became a symbol of raw power and driver involvement, built around a large V10 and a minimalist, mechanical focus. It evolved through several generations from the early 1990s until its final run in 2017. The most track-focused variant, the Viper ACR, emphasized aero, suspension tuning, and road-course capability. While the Viper could deliver impressive performance, especially on a closed circuit, it generally did not match the newest production Corvettes in outright acceleration and top speed on public roads.

Before the lists, note that performance can vary by model year, options, tires, weather, and the specific test (0–60, quarter mile, or a track lap). The figures below reflect widely cited data and typical configurations for each era.

Key Viper performance highlights

• 1990s first-generation Viper (1992–1995): 8.0-liter V10, around 400 horsepower; raw acceleration and track manners were strong but tempered by weight and primitive electronics for the era.


• Late-2000s Viper (SRT/SRT-10 era): about 500–600 horsepower in several variants; improved refinement but still a high‑brace, analog driving experience.


• Viper ACR (2010–2017): ~645 horsepower from the 8.4-liter V10; extreme track-focused aerodynamics and suspension tuning made it a benchmark on many circuits, especially in club racing and enthusiasts’ track days.

These snapshots illustrate the Viper’s core strengths: potency at the wheels, a visceral driving experience, and a laser focus on handling and grip when properly set up for track work. In broader terms, however, they also show the Viper’s limitations relative to modern Corvettes’ balanced engineering and advanced electronics.

The Corvette today: Stingray to the high‑performance Z06

Chevrolet has continued to evolve the Corvette with the mid-engine C8 generation, introducing significant performance gains over the previous front-engine designs. The Stingray remains the base model, but the Z06 (and the potential for even higher‑end variants) has pushed Corvette performance into supercar territory on a more accessible platform. As of 2025, the fastest production Corvette in everyday use remains the Z06, with numbers that routinely exceed the latest Viper-era performances in 0–60 times and straight-line speed on standard equipment.

Notable Corvette performance highlights

• Corvette Stingray (C8, 2020–present): around 495 horsepower; 0–60 mph around 2.9–3.0 seconds in many configurations; excellent mid‑engine balance and braking stability.


• Corvette Z06 (C8, 2022–present): about 670 horsepower; 0–60 mph in the mid‑to‑low 2.0s to high 2.0s range depending on conditions and tires; advanced aero and chassis tuning for superior track performance.

In real-world terms, the Corvette’s mid‑engine layout, modern electronics, and tire technology typically translate to faster 0–60 times and higher cornering speeds than the last Vipers, particularly in stock or near-stock configurations. The Viper’s advantage historically lay in its raw power and driver-centric feel, but the Corvette has closed or surpassed that gap with its newer engineering and tuning options.

Which is faster in practice? A few practical considerations

Different definitions of speed yield different answers. On a straight line, the Corvette—especially the Z06—tends to outpace the last-generation Viper ACR and most other Viper variants due to more modern powertrains and traction systems. On a road course, the Viper ACR was a crowd favorite for its set-up bias toward grip and aero, though contemporary Corvettes have demonstrated exceptional lap times thanks to their mid-engine balance, electronic stability systems, and advanced aerodynamics. Weather, tires, and driver skill always play a major role in who comes out ahead on any given day.

Summary

In the modern era, Corvettes are generally faster than the Dodge Viper when comparing the latest production models on public roads and most tracks. The Viper, especially in its ACR form, remains a landmark for track-focused, driver-centric performance, but production of the Viper has ended, leaving the Corvette as the ongoing benchmark for American performance cars. If you’re choosing between the two today, a Corvette—particularly a Z06 or higher—offers greater overall speed potential, modernization, and track capability for a broader range of conditions.

Summary: quick takeaway

The Corvette is faster in contemporary performance terms, with the Z06 representing the apex of that lineage for street and track use. The Viper’s legacy endures as a raw, powerful classic, but it no longer competes directly with current Corvette performance in production form.

Is a Corvette faster than a Bugatti?

A Bugatti is generally faster than a Corvette, particularly in top speed, but the newest high-performance Corvettes can be quicker in acceleration over short distances. For example, the 2026 Corvette ZR1 has an acceleration comparable to the Bugatti Chiron, while the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport holds a higher top speed of over 300300300 mph, according to Robb Report.
 
You can watch this video to see a drag race between a Corvette and a Model S Plaid: 26scarwowYouTube · Dec 30, 2023

• Acceleration: Some newer, high-performance Corvette models, like the ZR1, are engineered to match or beat some Bugatti models in acceleration (0-60 mph). 
• Top Speed: Bugattis consistently have higher top speeds than Corvettes. The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport has a top speed of over 300300300 mph, while the top speed for Corvettes is generally lower. 
• Overall: Corvettes are generally less expensive and can be faster in certain situations like short sprints, while Bugattis are built for extreme top-end speed, making them the faster car over the long haul. 

What car can outrun a Corvette?

Many cars are faster than a Corvette, including electric supercars like the Tesla Model S Plaid, high-performance gasoline-powered cars such as the Porsche 911 Turbo S and the Ferrari F8 Tributo, and some production hypercars like the Aspark Owl. Some performance sedans and smaller production cars are also faster, depending on the specific Corvette model and performance metrics being compared (e.g., top speed vs. acceleration). 
Electric supercars 

• Tesla Model S Plaid: Sprints from 0-60 mph in a claimed 1.99 seconds, faster than the Corvette E-Ray. 
• Aspark Owl: Has a top speed of 256 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 1.7 seconds. 

High-performance gasoline cars

• Porsche 911 Turbo S: Accelerates faster to 60 mph and wins a drag race by a full second compared to the C8 Corvette. 
• Ferrari F8 Tributo: Reaches a higher top speed (211 mph) and has a slightly quicker quarter-mile time (10.2 seconds) than the Corvette Z06. 
• Lamborghini Revuelto: Wins a drag race against the Corvette C8 ZR1 in multiple attempts. 

Other production and high-performance cars

• Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing: Has an official top speed of 189 mph, slightly edging out the Corvette Z06 with the Z07 package.
• BMW M5: An unlimited M5 should be able to crack over 200 mph, surpassing the Corvette. 

How fast is a Dodge Viper?

A stock Dodge Viper's top speed varies by generation, but the fifth-generation models can reach up to 206 mph. Modified Vipers can achieve much higher speeds; for example, a twin-turbo version reached a recorded speed of 252.588 mph.
 
You can watch this video to see a Dodge Viper drag race a Challenger: 56scarwowYouTube · Dec 11, 2024

• Fifth-generation (2013-2017): Top speed is around 206 mph. 
• Third-generation (2003-2007): Top speed is about 192.6 mph for the coupe and 189.5 mph for the roadster. 
• Second-generation (1996-2002): Top speed is around 180 mph. 
• First-generation (1991-1995): Top speed was approximately 165 mph. 
• Modified Vipers: The speed can vary significantly. For instance, a modified 2006 Viper with a twin-turbo setup recorded a top speed of 252.588 mph. Another heavily modified Viper reached 210 mph. 

Is a Dodge Viper faster than a Corvette?

The Viper's 3.8-second 0-to-60 sprint is still plenty quick, but it's almost a half-second slower than the Vette's. Some of that difference comes down to an issue of engine rpm and gearing. The Vette, for example, can reach 60 mph in first gear, whereas the Viper must use up a time-consuming gearshift.