...loses the number one slot it earned last year.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-times-historical-data
One of the staffers was on my press trip this week (AMG GT 4-Door Coupe) and offered some backstory.
Basically, it was really hot and the GT was down on power as a result. It couldn’t even pull the same time it pulled last year (245.5 versus last year’s 243.0). It was the exact same press car, so that wasn’t a variable. I do wonder how beat up that car is by now given press car duty. My rule is press car miles are like dog years. Multiply them by 7 to get an accurate sense of how many miles the car really has.
At the same time, the McLaren 720S, Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Corvette ZR1 showed up and pulled 239s or better. That Porsche is a monster.
Oh well, the GT held the top spot for several months and is still among the top 4 cars ever tested.
And before anyone says it: Yes, I agree, the GT is about more than lap times. Like winning a famous race and having a pedigree few cars will ever match,.
And anyone who buys a car purely for the best performance stats/lap times is clearly not a student of history. Things change, and no car holds a record forever.
Would still like to see another GT run on a cooler day. Also, didn’t know this, but the cars aren’t all run by the same driver. Probably would take too long for one guy to learn the track in all those cars. However, that means each editor only learns the track with around 5 cars, which obviously adds some variables. If the person driving the GT isn’t quite as good in the car as another editor might be, and a better guy drives the 720S or GT2...
I actually like that C and D doesn’t hire professional hot shoes, because the lap times and driving descriptions probably represent something much closer to what real owners would do and experience if they went to VIR.
BUT — I would love to see all the top cars driven by one driver who everyone agrees is highly talented. Then I’d have more faith in the comparative numbers.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-times-historical-data
One of the staffers was on my press trip this week (AMG GT 4-Door Coupe) and offered some backstory.
Basically, it was really hot and the GT was down on power as a result. It couldn’t even pull the same time it pulled last year (245.5 versus last year’s 243.0). It was the exact same press car, so that wasn’t a variable. I do wonder how beat up that car is by now given press car duty. My rule is press car miles are like dog years. Multiply them by 7 to get an accurate sense of how many miles the car really has.
At the same time, the McLaren 720S, Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Corvette ZR1 showed up and pulled 239s or better. That Porsche is a monster.
Oh well, the GT held the top spot for several months and is still among the top 4 cars ever tested.
And before anyone says it: Yes, I agree, the GT is about more than lap times. Like winning a famous race and having a pedigree few cars will ever match,.
And anyone who buys a car purely for the best performance stats/lap times is clearly not a student of history. Things change, and no car holds a record forever.
Would still like to see another GT run on a cooler day. Also, didn’t know this, but the cars aren’t all run by the same driver. Probably would take too long for one guy to learn the track in all those cars. However, that means each editor only learns the track with around 5 cars, which obviously adds some variables. If the person driving the GT isn’t quite as good in the car as another editor might be, and a better guy drives the 720S or GT2...
I actually like that C and D doesn’t hire professional hot shoes, because the lap times and driving descriptions probably represent something much closer to what real owners would do and experience if they went to VIR.
BUT — I would love to see all the top cars driven by one driver who everyone agrees is highly talented. Then I’d have more faith in the comparative numbers.
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