Chris Winkler vs. Jim Mero demonstrate the startling contrast between Dodge Viper and Chevrolet C7 Z06 design phylosophies

For all practical purposes, Chris Winkler is Dodge SRT counterpart to +General Motors Corvette's Jim Mero.  Both of these guys are engineers and are directly involved in the development of the top high performance vehicles for each of these outtfits, Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06.

In addition to their engineering duties, both of these guys have one more thing in common: they serve as test drivers detrimental to exploring maximum potential of these cars, setting track records in the process, when opportunity arises.

Until now, Jim Mero's biggest claim to fame was his 7:19 run at Nurburgring track in Corvette C6 ZR1.  Chris Winkler on the other hand, could claim the record lap time at Laguna Seca, one that ironically beat Randy Pobst lap.

However, things have changed recently and certainly not for better for Jim Mero.  At the same time, Chris Winkler flourished.  In contrast to Mero's most humiliating and failed attempts to first complete and then achieve a record lap time at Nurburgring, Chris Winkler set out on a very impressive mission: recording record laps on 13 different tracks around USA (Randy Pobst set the 14th record lap in ACR instead of Winkler at Laguna Seca).  Unlike with Mero, Winkler's mission is the most amazing accomplishment and one that is unlikely to be surpassed in the foreseeable future, including his VIR record that erased the previous record set just in January by none other than Jim Mero...

Now, here is the funny part, the drivers themselves: Mero vs. Winkler.  As shown in the picture, Mero apparently was the inspiration for the creators of the new GM flagship, obviously there is a strong resemblance between Mero and Z06, clunky and portly can be easly used to describe both the car and the man.  Was Mero uhm a muse to +Tadge Juechter while designing this porker on four wheels? 

Chris Winkler on the othe hand, he is the exact opposite of Mero, just like the Viper when compared against the Z06, trim and athletic and clearly capable of getting in and out of the Viper, without using any assistance typically employed by Corvette owners.

Although all the signs are there that the latest Viper may be on its way to its resting place (at least for now), it leaves as a legend and the ultimate bad boy of cars, unlike the disgrace that continues to follow the Corvette flagship.  One cannot help but wonder the fuck has happened to Mero, he looks fat and disfunctional, ready to run out of breath-just like the C7 Z06 turd.  In the days of C6 cars, Mero was considerably slimmer, just like the cars he drove.  Is there a pattern here?