Thursday, December 22, 2016

Forza Horizon 3: Clash of American Heroes



The heated debate between Vipers and Corvettes remained to be the forefront of American sportscar hierarchy even though the muscle car wars in America remains to be the hot topic here. With high-performance versions of these cars like the Dodge Viper ACR and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, with its 650HP supercharged V8, tensions between these two remain as heated as America versus the communist countries of China and Russia combined.



The Corvette C7 Z06 remains a very special place in my books because while this is essentially called the Z06, it remains, to date, as the most powerful Corvette ever made. I was not a fan of the normal C7 Corvette Stingray when it shook the world by its storm because of personal issues I can think of but with the Z06, my attitude towards the C7 Corvette has changed and I like this Corvette a lot as much as the previous C6 ZR1. While the Z06 was inspired from the C7.R racing machine, it remains a dynamic handling machine that is not fit for the faint at heart and you have to be careful and where you're turning the wheel at because even a slight mistake can punish you big time. Who knew modern American sportscars can be very dynamic and dangerous at a hands of an amateur?



While the Viper is set to be removed from the lineup after the 2017 model year, the ACR is a heartful reminder that this GTS-R-inspired machine wants to die beautiful with all the best bits from its motorsports experience. It still has a 8.4L V10 engine, which is the biggest engine output for a production vehicle ever made, but it's been rooted to 645HP of power and 600ft-lb of torque. Although not as powerful as the Z06, the ACR weighs 1500kg and it comes with track-honed dynamics to keep it competitive on the road and on the track. While it is slower on the straights compared to a normal Viper, its low center of gravity as well as its massive rear wing keeps it very glued on the bends like an extreme track toy. However, despite its motorsport knowhow, the ACr can be very bravado and it takes guts to master this hardcore Viper at ease. I forgot to mentioned that this car is part of Forza Horizon 3's Alpinestars car pack.



Now with the rivalry between the Corvette C7 Z06 and the Dodge Viper ACR has finally arrived on Forza Horizon 3, I have a better way to see which of these American heroes stand out by giving it a timed lap at one part of Byron Bay. Specifically, the Grand Tour Sprint because it has the words "Grand Tour" on it and it reminds me of...well, you get the idea but let's find out which American hero stands out...



After one go, I have the results. The Corvette C7 Z06 did it in 2:29.850 while the Dodge Viper ACR did it in a shocking 2:23.377. It's a shocking victory that with all that grit unleashed on these American heroes, the Viper ACR stands out against the Corvette Z06 and I have no idea how to sum these cars up.

Since I got no idea how to explain why the Dodge Viper ACR is better than the Corvette Z06, I decided to let these American heroes do their activities on their own and that meant I have to make some adjustments to make sure they're ready for their shooting schedules.







The C7 Corvette Z06 wants to meet up with the other Corvettes but first, it needs to be presentable inside and out, and that meant getting dressed for the occasion. Seen here is a familiar theme I made from the second Horizon game a while back. It's themed after THE IDOLM@STER's Iori Minase but it has been improved to Platinum Stars standards.









The Viper ACR doesn't want to be flashy while it tries to meet up 25 years of Vipers but a slight color change would do the trick. Seen here is the similar ACR that the infamous Chris Evans drove in his first and only season as a Top Gear presenter. Believe it or not, the Viper ACR edges off against the Corvette C7 Z06 with Sabine Schmitz behind the wheel and left the fighter pilot sitting next to her throwing up.



It's a great thing to have this rivalry became part of the American car culture, especially in the Land Down Under on Forza Horizon 3 and while the whole world's waving goodbye on these, seems that the age-old rivalry between the Viper and the Corvette will be consigned to the history books. With the Viper is set to be removed from the lineup and the next Corvette will be different, these cars will be surely a blast to drive 'till the bitter end.

No comments: