This week’s Mopar Muscle Thursdays feature video is an oldie but a goodie – showing an Underground Racing built 2g Dodge Viper GTS laying down an incredible 1,546 horsepower on the dyno. This Viper, then owned by a very lucky (and likely very wealthy) individual named Garth Weaver, packs a twin turbo setup that allows the street legal Mopar supercar to pack over 50% more power at the wheels than the Bugatti Veyron.
A quick search of the intrawebz revealed plenty of information on this Underground Racing-built Viper including the fact that it makes good use of all of that power, running well into the 7 second quarter mile range with trap speeds nearing 200 miles per hour. The standard 8.0L V10 has been worked to 8.4 liters with almost everything in the engine and fuel system upgraded to both make – and handle – the 1,500+ horsepower load. Amazingly, the stock transmission is able to handle all of that power but the stock clutch has been upgraded to a high performance unit. When run on pump gas, this Viper is able to make a whopping 1,146 horsepower but when the tank is filled with high octane C16 race fuel, Weaver’s Viper churns out a stunning 1,546 horsepower AT THE WHEELS.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy this look at one of the world’s most powerful street driven Vipers putting down huge numbers on the Underground Racing dyno.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
