Lightning Lap 2020 & Road & Track Performance Car of the Year (test dates... no results yet !)

[Laurent T]

I guess the C&D Lighting lap will be out soon?

No news on their website, new magazine is still not out on line. I guess we'll have to wait till February

 

[TopspeedPT]

LIGHTNING LAP 2021

..................................................2021 McLaren 765LT: 2:38.4 onboard
......................................2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S: 2:42.5 onboard
.....................2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: 2:44.6 onboard
........................2020 Lamborghini Huracan EVO: 2:45.0 onboard
............2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51: 2:49.0 onboard
...........................2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4: 2:50.3 onboard
...............................2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S: 2:55.2 onboard
.................................2020 BMW M8 Competition: 2:55.5 onboard
.................................2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45: 2:58.2 onboard
..............................................2021 Toyota Supra 3.0: 2:59.3 onboard
.................................................2021 Jaguar F-type R: 2:59.5 onboard
........................................................2020 BMW M340i: 3:03.2 onboard
...............................................2019 Subaru STI S209: 3:03.4 onboard
.....................2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP: 3:03.8 onboard
..................................................2020 Cadillac CT5-V: 3:04.1 onboard
2020 Ford Mustang 2.3L High Performance: 3:04.4 onboard
..................................................2020 Cadillac CT4-V: 3:06.2 onboard
.............................................2021 Toyota Supra 2.0: 3:09.0 onboard

3rd - 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Lap Time: 2:44.6

The GT500 has an intimidating amount of muscle underhood—enough to make you check your shorts. (If you haven't heard, it's the most powerful production car ever to come out of Dearborn.) The Mustang tests your mettle on every stretch of pavement. If you're brave enough to keep your foot in it, though, this 760-hp pony car will give you the ride of your life.

2nd - 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Lap Time: 2:42.5

It isn't breaking news that 911 Turbos are fast, or that we love them. This 2021 Turbo S, packing a 640-hp twin-turbo 3.7-liter flat-six, delivers 60 more horses than the last generation's 3.8-liter. This latest Turbo S bursts out of Turn 1 at 82.2 mph, the fastest speed we've ever recorded. What caught our attention, though, is that it broke into the all-time top 10 with relatively ordinary summer tires. What might it do with track rubber?

1st - 2021 McLaren 765LT

Lap Time: 2:38.4

Best lap time of the year? Check. Third-fastest of our 14 Lightning Laps? Yep. Is 174.6 mph on the front straight any good? It is. In fact, that's the highest speed we've recorded at VIR. The 765LT's 2:38.4 time lands it just behind the McLaren Senna and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Weissach. What's crazy is we probably left a few tenths on the track. Always read the manual, friends. You never know what you'll find in there.

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[Bridster]

Impressive of the GT500 to beat the Huracan. Although then I don't quite understand how it ended up being 5s slower in other tests (1:28.82 vs 1:33.41 at Lausitz and 1:49 vs 1:54.6 at Hockenheim GP). 5s slower when tested by European magazines, 1s slower and 0.4s faster when tested by US magazines. Welcome to the magic of performance testing!

 

[fuhro]

Impressive of the GT500 to beat the Huracan. Although then I don't quite understand how it ended up being 5s slower in other tests (1:28.82 vs 1:33.41 at Lausitz and 1:49 vs 1:54.6 at Hockenheim GP). 5s slower when tested by European magazines, 1s slower and 0.4s faster when tested by US magazines. Welcome to the magic of performance testing!

European Tests were both on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, here it has Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2. That should probably explain why there is such a difference
Huracán was on Trofeo R's in all tests.

 

[Grosser]

M8 Competition is slower than standard M5...Somebody f#cked up

 

[drifter1]

M8 Competition is slower than standard M5...Somebody f#cked up

Different drivers and conditions.

 

[bmwz4coupe]

European Tests were both on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, here it has Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2. That should probably explain why there is such a difference
Huracán was on Trofeo R's in all tests.

With Cup 2 it has similar tyres as Huracans Trofeo R. It shouldn’t be able to beat Huracan around a track anyway.

 

[Bridster]

European Tests were both on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, here it has Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2. That should probably explain why there is such a difference
Huracán was on Trofeo R's in all tests.

Cup 2 is only faster than PS4S by about 1s a minute a lap. So that doesn't quite explain the difference to me. And another thing, the Trofeo R is even faster than the Cup 2, or at least roughly the same; so on equal tires, how does a front engined car with a higher center of gravity, worse polar moment of intertia and weighing 200kg more beat a mid engined car around a track, while also being much slower in the straight line? Better setup, eh?

 

[bmwz4coupe]

Cup 2 is only faster than PS4S by about 1s a minute a lap. So that doesn't quite explain the difference to me. And another thing, the Trofeo R is even faster than the Cup 2, or at least roughly the same; so on equal tires, how does a front engined car with a higher center of gravity, worse polar moment of intertia and weighing 200kg more beat a mid engined car around a track, while also being much slower in the straight line? Better setup, eh?

Excactly! American cars are often faster in us tests and slower in european tests, this is probably another example.....

 

[TopspeedPT]

Tires:

2021 McLaren 765LT: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
2020 Lamborghini Huracan EVO: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP
2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect
2020 BMW M8 Competition: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R
2021 Toyota Supra 3.0: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
2021 Jaguar F-type R: Michelin Pilot Super Sport
2020 BMW M340i: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
2019 Subaru STI S209: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT 600 A
2021 Mini John Cooper Works GP: Hankook Ventus S1 Evo Z
2020 Cadillac CT5-V: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP
2020 Ford Mustang 2.3L High Performance: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4
2020 Cadillac CT4-V: Continental SportContact 6 SSR
2021 Toyota Supra 2.0: Michelin Pilot Super Sport

 

[hostboy]

Lightning Lap is basically the American Nurburgring