And neither do I. The new Viper weighs about the same as the old one, the weight distribution is the same, and the tire sizes are only 10mm wider. The only significant change (other than a potential change in brake bias, which doesn't really matter much in straightline ABS braking) is the addition of ABS.

The shorter distance wasn't a fluke. The new Viper consistently stops about 20 feet quicker than the last one. This is due to the ABS. Plain and simple. You can see this on vehicle after vehicle -- the addition of ABS shortens stopping distances, even with the same size tires. This is also evident with the current gen Miatas, which stop 7-10 feet quicker when equipped with ABS -- with the exact same suspension and tire setup.

 

/\ i think you said this eariler. sure there are situations that the non abs car can stop shorter.. you just will see none of those situations on the street.especially when all of your "driving skill" goes out the window when the blue haired old lady pulls out in front of you and you stomp the brake

 

The only time a non-ABS car will stop faster is in snow or dirt/gravel. Because a locked tire will still build a "wedge" of material in front of it to slow down. Those are really the only situations that the ABS repeatedly unlocking the wheels will increase stopping distances.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad_7tist

all of your "driving skill" goes out the window when the blue haired old lady pulls out in front of you and you stomp the brake

Exactly. This reason alone should inspire one to keep the ABS. Anybody who claims to be a "great driver" (I hate it when people make claims like that ) will turn to a shitty driver when something unexpected happens on the street or on the track and they will slam the brakes hoping for the ABS to save their ***. The weight of the ABS is negligible and there is clearly performance gains from it... hence no reason to remove it.