Did you start the day today and think “I want to watch a video of a 650 hp Dodge Viper GTS taking on – with various success – some of the established names in a head-to-head drag race”? Weirdly specific, but luckily, here’s one. It’s a Viper GTS which has been touched up by the turbo maniacs, Heffner Performance. The final product shows off 650 hp and a hell of a voice.
Let us break down the video for you. We get to see some close up, off-the-line action of the GTS as it gives a Nissan R35 GT-R a run for its money. Then there’s another round, but this time the foe is an Aston Martin Vantage. We get no closure in either cases because the clip quickly cuts after the initial “go”. All pays off, however, as we get to see a full GTS vs Aventador LP700 showdown. Great start on part of the Viper, but eventually the Lambo becomes too much to handle and the former falls short of victory. Eventually, we get another R35 GT-R competitor (or the same one). Again a great start for the Viper and this time it manages to keep the pole position throughout the race, although it was evident that the Nissan was starting to catch up.
Regardless, drag races are all about acceleration delivered at the right time. Oh, and they are also about the noise, and the smell of rubber… and demolished clutch disks.
You May have heard about the Ultima GTR. If you haven’t, all you need to know is that it comes from a small company (Ultima Sports) based in Leicestershire, England and can be ordered as a kit car. It is fiberglassy (light), has a tubular steel space frame chassis, an engine mount in the middle and rear-wheel drive. Best of all, you can slot in a variety of power plants in it and it will still run. Ergo, the Ultima GTR is the tuner’s dream come true.
So, back in November, Heffner sported an Ultima GTR on their Facebook page. The caption claimed a power output of “over 1,000” wheel hp and a weight of just 2,500 pounds. Today we bring you a YouTubic testiment to that. Driving Force Club have laid their hands on it. Well, we are 90% sure that this is the same car, given the green Heffner rear wing winglets and callipers and the same ADV.1 wheels. This one has 850 hp though. Still, the custom twin turbo Ford GT engine it sounds ear-bleedingly good. And hey, it does really weigh as little as 2,500 (almost)
Technicalities aside, just watch these rear wheels struggle for grip on a car that weighs less than a Big Mac:
Heffner Performance Twin Turbo Lamborghini LP-560 is the outstanding result of a project which started two months ago in the design lab of the Heffner Performance. Back then Jason Heffner received the request to do something exceptional with the performance of the already great Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560 Verde Ithaca.
The 560 horsepower weren’t enough, so the Heffner decided to modify this vehicle in terms of aesthetics, power and drivability characteristics. The transformation began, and its first phase included a work on entirely new turbo system with a certain goal in mind. The details of the new system were planned carefully, in order to give it an OEM quality appearance, fit, finish and technical superiority.
The second phase included a number of cosmetic changes. Of course, having a unique system makes it almost obligatory to have a unique appearance as well.
httpv://youtu.be/y3szXVy2pP8
The first phase began and what the mechanics did at first was to get the car on the dyno to get some baseline power figures. All factory elements that weren’t needed anymore were removed and this made it ready for its one-of-a-kind turbo system.
The team put a lot of attention on the location of the components. They wanted to keep the hot parts away from the cold parts. In addition, they kept the intercooler away from the exhaust, and wanted the air inlet plumbing to be able to take in fresh, cool air.
The overall function and expandability of the system was the next point of the work of Heffner Performance team. They have selected tubing diameters, intercooler core and turbochargers that would function very well at the bolt on level.
Heffner Performance Twin Turbo Lamborghini LP-560
Next, the appearance of the completed system was made like it has always been in the car – in other words – appearance of a factory installed system.
The modification of the LP560’s new system included Bosch electronics and direct injection. The first ones have full time, active wide band oxygen sensors, full time, active knock control as well as a number of other important safety features.
This basically means that if the fuel you use for the car has a low quality, the knock sensors will detect the detonation and remove the necessary amount of ignition timing to prevent from damaging the engine. The wide band oxygen sensors constantly monitor the air / fuel ratio and based on their readings the engine controller immediately compensate for any changes in fueling requirements.
Then, if the engine controller can not compensate for some reason, it will close the throttle bodies and trigger a fault code to direct you in the area of the issue. Here, the retention of the direct injection, especially in a bolt on configuration, is essential for the prevention of detonation.
Next, the direct injection system introduces fuel into the combustion chamber before the ignition. The purpose of this is that it almost makes it impossible to detonate the engine. In addition, if the fuel in the engine is not enough for the preignition to happen, it again makes it hard to create detonation.
Heffner located the exhaust tips at first. A pair of custom billet wheeled ball bearing turbos were next provided in order to support the expected 1400 whp. The specialists have chosen 3.5″ tubing for the downpipe, and then located the air inlet plumbing next.
As a result the completed downpipe is very clean, unrestrictive piece. What happened next is the plumbing in a pair of TIAL 44mm MVR wastegates. The exhaust flowed out of the mid pipe and back into the downpipe smoothly, which was made for very predictable boost control.
Next, they fabricated the intercooler and an air discharge end tank which will not restrict the air charge and will compliment the factory intake manifold nicely. Then the air inlet end tank and air charge pipes were also fabricated.
Jet Hot provided the hot side with a 2000 degree black ceramic coating. On the other hand the cold side piping received a black wrinkle finish. The latter one resembles a factory finish on the intake manifold.
Heffner Performance Twin Turbo Lamborghini LP-560
At last, they made a billet cover for the intercooler with Heffner’s logo and raised the lines to give a look that is similar to “rolled out of the factory” one. The end result can be summed up in the following numbers:
Did you start the day today and think “I want to watch a video of a 650 hp Dodge Viper GTS taking on – with various success – some of the established names in a head-to-head drag race”? Weirdly specific, but luckily, here’s one. It’s a Viper GTS which has been touched up by the turbo maniacs, Heffner Performance. The final product shows off 650 hp and a hell of a voice.
You May have heard about the Ultima GTR. If you haven’t, all you need to know is that it comes from a small company (Ultima Sports) based in Leicestershire, England and can be ordered as a kit car. It is fiberglassy (light), has a tubular steel space frame chassis, an engine mount in the middle and rear-wheel drive. Best of all, you can slot in a variety of power plants in it and it will still run. Ergo, the Ultima GTR is the tuner’s dream come true.
