Lightning Lap - 2016 - Car & Driver

[Dr. Detroit]

Leaked a few weeks early!

Historical Results - http://www.caranddriver.com/feature...results-historical-lap-times-and-more-feature

3:07.7 - 2016 Audi TTS
3:05.9 - 2016 Lexus GS-F
3:04.0 - 2016 Camaro V6 1LE (Faster than the 2015 Mustang GT)
3:03.9 - 2016 Focus RS
3:03.5 - 2016 Charger Hellcat
3:01.9 - 2016 BMW M2
2:56.1 - 2017 Audi R8 V10+
2:54.8 - 2016 Camaro SS 1LE
2:54.0 - 2016 Cayman GT4
2:52.9 - 2017 BMW M4 GTS
2:51.8 - 2016 Mustang GT 350R
2:50.2 - 2017 NSX
2:47.4 - 2016 Mclaren 570S
2:47.1 - 2017 Corvette Grand Sport
2:47.0 - 2016 Porsche GT3 RS
2:45.1 - 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB
2:44.2 - 2016 Viper ACR (2nd fastest time ever recorded on the Lightning Lap)

 

[tsupersonic]

Surprised at some of the results. I expected the R8 V10 to be much better, as well as the 570s. The Muricans do pretty well (for the price). Camaro v6, damn...this actually was the biggest surprise for me.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

 

[HarryLui]

Pretty quick for a V6.

 

[KentState]

Some things that surprised me was how slow the Lexus GS-F, NSX and Jaguar F-Type Project 7. The 2015 Z06 was only .4 off the ACR so it's very possible for that lap record to be beaten if the ZR1 is real, but either way it's a good showing for American cars. They also ran the Tesla S, but the thing couldn't make a lap on a full charge, fully warmed up without going into reduced power mode. The Ford GT350R was also a .9 off the outgoing Z/28 which is mixed compared to the Motortrend head-to-head.

 

[Wuzup101]

Another year of the Audi R8 V10 being a joke...

seriously... dusted by a Camaro... that has to hurt...

 

[agent00f]

These types of results are largely dictated by what kind/size of tires are mounted followed by amount of power on tap. Some of these cars have near racing tires, which are rather pricey to driving around on. For example, the ones on the new 350R are basically slicks which you'd be lucky to get couple thousand miles out of.

 

[KentState]

These types of results are largely dictated by what kind/size of tires are mounted followed by amount of power on tap. Some of these cars have near racing tires, which are rather pricey to driving around on. For example, the ones on the new 350R are basically slicks which you'd be lucky to get couple thousand miles out of.

You mean to tell us that the only thing making contact with the ground has a substantial impact on the performance? Get out.

 

[agent00f]

It calls into question how useful results on that list are when they can fluctuate significantly depending on tire choice.

 

[Fenixgoon]

It calls into question how useful results on that list are when they can fluctuate significantly depending on tire choice.

and manufacturers are free to choose the tire of choice, especially for specialty vehicles. so bitching and moaning about tires doesn't count. factory loadouts, run what ya brung.

 

[agent00f]

and manufacturers are free to choose the tire of choice, especially for specialty vehicles. so bitching and moaning about tires doesn't count. factory loadouts, run what ya brung.

True enough, but still the bragging about times largely reflects how crazy of tires manufacturers are willing to put on.

And really if we're playing this game, specialists cars with slicks can own these lists (as mosler did before they were banned by c&d), though that also involved other impracticalities.

 

[foghorn67]

This guy kills every garage thread.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[agent00f]

So were all the garage threads like this basically tire comparisons? Maybe that's good to know. Or step up your game.

To put things in perspective, the start of this shows how hard it can be to conduct a fair test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3YPTkBRaOk

There's several takeaways here. One is that cars within a class are really similar, far more so than the spectrum of drivers. Another is it's relatively easy to make a car go quite a bit faster around a track or less than straight road, just add bigger/stickier tires. Finally, car magazine need to make a lot of hay over not much, and the symbiotic relationship/game with the industry is meant to make headlines and sell cars, not create well inform buyers.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

agent00f is right. They should only test cars with the same horsepower and gearbox too, so people can compare them better to each other.

 

[LevelSea]

All the tests should be done with max sidewall pressure. For fairness.

 

[Fenixgoon]

every test should be run by one stig, and only one stig, for a more reliable comparison across different outlets and tracks.

This guy kills every garage thread.

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qft

 

[monkeydelmagico]

3:04.0 - 2016 Camaro V6 1LE (Faster than the 2015 Mustang GT)
3:03.9 - 2016 Focus RS

For under $35k cars this is amazing. They are lapping faster than a whole bunch of more expensive machines. When you go on the track check your ego at the door. That 2-4 year old M5/6, S6, RS5, Cayman S, Boxster, Elise, Evora, C63, GT, Evo, WRX, STI, Golf R, and GS-F are going to have to waive that little Focus by.

Teehee that makes me giggle a little bit. I want one.

 

[agent00f]

agent00f is right. They should only test cars with the same horsepower and gearbox too, so people can compare them better to each other.

That would make sense if manufactures were putting in engines that don't last long just to post impressive times, and they cost ~nothing to swap. Consider the first thing racing series where times matter do to make sure differing cars are competing reasonably fairly.

 

[jlee]

3:04.0 - 2016 Camaro V6 1LE (Faster than the 2015 Mustang GT)
3:03.9 - 2016 Focus RS

For under $35k cars this is amazing. They are lapping faster than a whole bunch of more expensive machines. When you go on the track check your ego at the door. That 2-4 year old M5/6, S6, RS5, Cayman S, Boxster, Elise, Evora, C63, GT, Evo, WRX, STI, Golf R, and GS-F are going to have to waive that little Focus by.

Teehee that makes me giggle a little bit. I want one.

It's really quite impressive.

The performance you can get out of a factory with a warranty has me occasionally consider swapping the MR2 out for something else.

 

[agent00f]

It's curious to ponder what many car enthusiasts apparently imagine happens at race tracks. Like, some guy comes in his new mustang, sets a time and proclaims "haha, I sure beat that shitty camaro real good", like it's dragging from stoplights.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

It's really quite impressive.

The performance you can get out of a factory with a warranty has me occasionally consider swapping the MR2 out for something else.

Slap yourself any time you have such thoughts. Hard.

 

[jlee]

Slap yourself any time you have such thoughts. Hard.

Hahah..thanks, I think?

I haven't found anything that I like better, so it's safe for now. I drove a 996TT a few weeks ago and still much prefer the MR2, even though the Porsche is arguably better in just about every way.

 

[foghorn67]

It's curious to ponder what many car enthusiasts apparently imagine happens at race tracks. Like, some guy comes in his new mustang, sets a time and proclaims "haha, I sure beat that shitty camaro real good", like it's dragging from stoplights.

I don't think anybody here thinks like that. Take your passive aggressive insults somewhere else.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[iCyborg]

You guys can criticize agent00f, but when a 365HP BMW M2 is beating 707HP Charger Hellcat, as well as BMW M5 and BMW M6, it's clearly an apple to orange comparison, and I doubt it reflects real-world experiences, on or off tracks...

 

[jlee]

You guys can criticize agent00f, but when a 365HP BMW M2 is beating 707HP Charger Hellcat, as well as BMW M5 and BMW M6, it's clearly an apple to orange comparison, and I doubt it reflects real-world experiences, on or off tracks...

I don't think anyone in the history of ever has said that a Viper ACR and a V6 Camaro are apples to apples. It's a list of lap times and cars...not a comparison of equals.

 

[agent00f]

I don't think anybody here thinks like that. Take your passive aggressive insults somewhere else.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

So what exactly is the point of comparing cars with considerably different tire compromises? For example, when those massive near-R compounds on the new 350R wear out in a couple months, is anyone really going to keep putting on something that ridiculous to drive around regularly? Or is anyone who cares about absolute best possible lap times in those other cars going out on comfortable and long-lasting street tires? These aren't rhetorical questions.

The comment was meant to put any such comparison into perspective of what real people actually do at a race track. When you take your fancy new car there, nobody is looking to beat some other fancy car. The only times you're comparing against are yours, because they'll suck anyway, or an instructor's which is how you'll know/verify they suck. Also, very few people (you'll know because you'll have a licence) are going to take nice uncaged cars out there at 10/10th. Most any owner trying to replicate magazine times or that last half sec or whatever is a surefire way to end rubber side up.

Comparing new car models can be fun, but the way this is being done is set up to sell cars and not much more.