Car and Drivers Annual Lightning Lap around Virginia International-- See how your Favorite Cars Did!

car750i submitted on 10/13/2008 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 11:09 AM
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Car and Drivers Annual Lightning Lap around Virginia International-- See how your Favorite Cars Did!

What car—for the money—delivers the best combination of power, handling, and braking? That question is fundamental to the ongoing mission of this magazine and the core element of all our road tests. We should also point out that those traits are the key ingredients of a car’s fun-to-drive (FTD) quotient, something we value far more than cup holders and/or trunk volume.

But—and this is widely overlooked—the elements of FTD are also the key components of active safety, a vehicle’s ability to respond to and avoid an accident situation. The lane-change exercise, part of our comparison-test regimen, provides insight to this ability, but Lightning Lap delivers an indelible blueprint. Unless you’re a taxi driver in Baghdad, you might argue that no accident-avoidance situation goes on for three minutes, but of course our interest extends beyond dodging drivers whose text messaging overrides their attention to the road. We want to see how well a wide variety of performance cars combine their various dynamic elements in absolute terms in a controlled environment.

Controlled environment means racetrack, and for Lightning Lap that means the 4.2-mile Grand Course at Virginia International Raceway, near Danville, Virginia. This beautiful road circuit is an outstanding blend of fast chutes, blind-entry corners, and lots of changes in elevation, including a series of climbing esses that’s one of the most challenging sections of racetrack in America.

We rank our finishers strictly on lap times, taking the best run achieved by each car during our two-day event. The cars are grouped by price, and there was some very fast traffic this year in the upper groups (LL3 and LL5; there were no cars in the LL4 price category). The four fastest all lapped VIR quicker than our previous absolute record of 2:58.2/82.7 mph. How much quicker? Read on. And let the games begin.

2008 Times
LL5 MOSLER MT900S 2:45.9
LL3 DODGE VIPER SRT10 ACR 2:48.6
LL5 FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA 2:54.6
LL3 NISSAN GT-R 2:55.6
LL2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z51 3:01.2
LL2 CADILLAC CTS-V 3:04.0
LL2 BMW M3 3:05.6
LL2 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG 3:06.5
LL1 CHEVROLET COBALT SS TURBOCHARGED 3:13.0
LL2 MITSUBISHI LANCER EVOLUTION MR 3:13.3
LL2 BMW 135i 3:13.7
LL2 LEXUS IS F 3:14.0
LL2 AUDI S5 3:14.6
LL2 HONDA S2000 CR 3:15.0
LL2 DODGE CHALLENGER SRT8 3:16.3
LL2 LOTUS ELISE SC 3:16.6
LL2 INFINITI G37 SPORT 3:17.5
LL2 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI 3:19.0
LL1 DODGE CALIBER SRT4 3:20.8
LL2 VOLKSWAGEN R32 3:21.8
LL2 HONDA CIVIC MUGEN Si 3:24.8
LL1 VOLVO C30 T5 VERSION 2.0 3:26.6

2006/2007/2008 Times

Mosler MT900S- 2:45.9 (2008)
Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR- 2:48.6 (2008)
Ferrari F430 Scuderia- 2:54.6 (2008)
Nissan GT-R- 2:55.6 (2008)
Chevrolet Corvette Z06- 2:58.2 (2007)
Ford GT- 3:00.7 (2006)
Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06- 3:01.1 (2006)
Chevrolet Corvette Z51- 3:01.2 (2008)
Dodge Viper SRT10- 3:01.6 (2006)
Porsche 911 GT3- 3:01.8 (2007)
Chevrolet Corvette C6- 3:03.6 (2007)
Cadillac CTS-V- 3:04.0 (2008)
Lotus Exige S- 3:04.5 (2007)
Audi R8- 3:04.6 (2007)
BMW M3- 3:05.6 (2008)
Porsche 997 Turbo- 3:05.8 (2007)
Ford Shelby GT500- 3:05.9 (2007)
Mercedes Benz C63 AMG- 3:06.5 (2008)
Lotus Elise- 3:09.2 (2006)
Chevy Corvette C6- 3:09.3 (2006)
Porsche Cayman S- 3:09.5 (2006)
BMW M6- 3:10.0 (2006)
BMW 335i Coupe- 3:10.5 (2007)
Ford Shelby GT500 3:11.0 (2006)
Audi RS4- 3:11.2 (2007)
BMW Z4 M- 3:11.7 (2007)
Nissan 350Z Track 3:12.5 (2006)
Chevrolet Cobalt SS Turbocharged 3:13.0 (2008)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR SSTT (semi-auto)- 3:13.3 (2008)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR- 3:13.5 (2006)
BMW 135i (steptronic automatic)- 3:13.7 (2008)
Lexus IS F- 3:14.0 (2008)
Audi S5- 3:14.6 (2008)
Honda S2000 CR- 3:15.0 (2008)
Pontiac Solstice GXP- 3:15.7 (2007)
Mazda Speed 3- 3:16.0 (2007)
Dodge Challenger SRT8- 3:16.3 (2008)
Lotus Elise SC- 3:16.6 (2008)
Infiniti G37 Sport- 3:17.5 (2008)
Dodge Charger SRT8- 3:18.2 (2006)
Subaru Impreza WRX STI- 3:19.0 (2008)
Mazda RX-8- 3:19.0 (2006)
Chevy Cobalt SS (Supercharged)- 3:20.6 (2006)
Dodge Caliber SRT4- 3:20.8 (2008)
Ford Mustang GT- 3:20.9 (2006)
Volkswagen R32- 3:21.8 (2008)
Mini Cooper S (Turbo)- 3:22.9 (2007)
Honda Civic Mugen Si- 3:24.8 (2008)
Volkswagen GTI- 3:25.1 (2006)
Honda Civic Si- 3:26.5 (2006)
Volvo C30 T5 Version 2.0- 3:26.6 (2008)
Mazda MX-5- 3:29.3 (2006)

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michal1980 - 10/13/2008 11:47:12 AM

+14 Boost

anyone else find the coblat ss times amazing?!

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911gt2 - 10/13/2008 11:51:28 AM

+11 Boost

yeah! it lapped faster then the 135, Is-f, and the S5

M53R - 10/13/2008 12:00:06 PMView My AgentSpace

+9 Boost

Well done GM!

Need4Speed - 10/13/2008 1:31:09 PM

+3 Boost

For the lack of a better word...SPEECHLESS!

Kraut_god - 10/16/2008 11:23:06 AM

-1 Boost

i bet the gtr's warranty was voided by being surrounded by so many lesser cars.

merce63amg - 10/13/2008 11:58:40 AM

+10 Boost

wow. the 335 was 1 second faster then the RS4 and 4 seconds faster then the S5. very impressive.

"If understeer took some wind from the BMW 135i’s sails, it was a virtual sea anchor for the Audi S5. When this new breed of Audi coupes came along last year, the company made much of the fact that the front/rear weight bias had been improved.

Nevertheless, the entire mass of the engine—a stout, 7000-rpm 4.2-liter V-8 with a Wagnerian exhaust note—still resides ahead of the front axle’s center line, and weight distribution still suffers as a result: 56.9 percent front, 43.1 rear. And the net effect of this, magnified by a substantial curb weight (3910 pounds), is massive resistance to turn-in that increases as a function of speed.

The S5’s V-8 delivers impressive low-end power, its six-speed manual gearbox is exceptionally crisp, and its brakes are as good as any. But for all its style and speed, this car is not really happy on a racetrack."

S5- 3910lbs! yikes.

reply to this comment

carE10 - 10/13/2008 12:02:00 PM

+6 Boost

The Cobalt SS beat some very fast cars!

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M53R - 10/13/2008 12:04:51 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Wow... the M3 beat the 911 turbo?

The 335i is about 7 seconds faster than the G37..

The IS-F is is 8.4 seconds slower than the M3!

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mclaren428 - 10/13/2008 12:20:01 PM

+4 Boost

The C63 was quick also 7.5 seconds faster then the IS-F

Threepoint1415926 - 10/13/2008 6:09:58 PM

0 Boost

C63 only a second behind the M3!

Wazz - 10/15/2008 2:27:37 AM

+1 Boost

I still find it funny that the 135 beat the IS-F and the S5!

I would love to see the time of an Ascari A10 compared to these cars.

And why the hell are they racing a Volvo???

cs4444 - 10/13/2008 12:10:18 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

The dodges are fairly impressive.

Caliber SRT4>R32

Challenger SRT8>G37

nice race track by the way has a little of everything, long straights, tight corners, and its 4.2 miles thats long,

reply to this comment

SVXXX - 10/13/2008 12:10:30 PM

+10 Boost

Doesn't this answer Porsche what GT-R can do? GT3 is 6 sec behind GT-R!!!

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S4cabriofoxone - 10/13/2008 12:57:21 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

It doesn't make a lot of sense how the GT3, R8, M3 and GT-R are all faster than the Turbo around the track. It's not the AWD that makes it slow, as the R8 and GT-R had no trouble, and it's not the fact that the engine is out back either, since the GT3 was faster.

car750i - 10/13/2008 1:04:28 PM

+5 Boost

"As before, there was only one entrant in this class, this time in the shape of a Porsche 911 Turbo. Despite a strong 480 horsepower, it wasn’t that happy around VIR and ran an unexpectedly mediocre 3:05.8 time, partly because of its 3528-pound mass, partly because the power went away after a couple of laps, and partly because it really doesn’t like to dance. Although the Audi R8 was down on straightaway speed, it was undeniably easier to drive fast. The Turbo suffers from an overly stimulating amount of midcorner lift-throttle oversteer, although it’s reasonably stable as long as it’s set up early and powered through the turns. As with all 911s, the brake-pedal feel and the steering are superb, but the engine note is a bit too muted.

The Turbo was a touch underwhelming, making us wonder where the model fits into the 911 range, now that the Carrera S is so good and the GT3 so much more extreme. Still, the upcoming GT2—essentially a GT3 with the Turbo’s powertrain—might have a shot at the Ford GT’s LL4 time of 3:00.7 that we set at the 2006 Lightning Lap contest."-caranddriver.com

topneuro - 10/13/2008 12:17:20 PM

+5 Boost

And the GT-R beats Porsche, again.
Star is going to flip, again.

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supermoto - 10/13/2008 12:18:51 PM

+7 Boost

Man, the IS-F is really underwhelming!

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tom43 - 10/13/2008 12:19:53 PM

-1 Boost

Who should believe this lap times?

A Porsche 911 turbo slower than a M3 ???
Different drivers? Different weather conditions?

LoL ...

reply to this comment

mclaren428 - 10/13/2008 12:25:04 PM

+2 Boost

All the cars are driven by the same people, and they take the best times they get over the weekend. Its not like they have an novice drive one car and a race driver drive another.

cobalt ss is more impressive then the m3 beating the turbo.

truthpursuit - 10/13/2008 12:23:10 PM

-6 Boost

Fixed!!!!!!!!!!

reply to this comment

carcar3334 - 10/13/2008 12:26:40 PM

+4 Boost

how is it fixed...b/c the car you like didn't do good?

HSCenterconsole - 10/13/2008 12:35:39 PM

+5 Boost

Even though it came in third for times this year, the 430 Scuderia is by far my favorite car on this list and the one I would like to spend time on the track with.

reply to this comment

racerf109 - 10/13/2008 12:41:29 PM

+2 Boost

I second that!

bmwMotorsport - 10/13/2008 1:13:42 PM

+7 Boost

I love the M3,its so impressive, It seats 4 people, has less torque then the R8, looks like an average car, has narrower tires then the R8(wide tires is where the R8 gets its cornering speed),is 30-40K less then the R8 and is only 1 second slower over a 4 mile course.A simply awesome car!

reply to this comment

merce63amg - 10/13/2008 1:19:37 PM

+5 Boost

The CTS-V is very impressive!!

reply to this comment

M316 - 10/13/2008 1:34:22 PM

+5 Boost

Where is Star more proof of the GTR being faster.

LL3 NISSAN GT-R 2:55.6
Porsche 911 GT3- 3:01.8 (2007)
Porsche 997 Turbo- 3:05.8 (2007)

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snatchandgrab - 10/14/2008 1:15:50 PM

0 Boost

They cheated...lol

Speedoholic - 10/13/2008 1:39:30 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

M3 faster than C63 and IS-F? lol IS-F is so slow compared to the first two :P

reply to this comment

HSCenterconsole - 10/13/2008 1:59:50 PM

+3 Boost

It will be interesting to see how the Lexus fanboys (ie auto001, topneuro, etc.) spin this.

If the IS-F was only behind the M3, CTS-V, and C63, it wouldn't be that bad. However, it should be pretty embarrassing for Lexus that the Cobalt SS, Evo MR, and 135i all beat the IS-F in this year's test. I guess its back to the Fuji raceway for the Toyota engineers.

topneuro - 10/13/2008 3:04:34 PM

+1 Boost

The Lexus IS F performance is pathetic, needs an AWD system.
The Toy/Lex AND the Porsche engineers need to go back to the drawing board and the racetrack.
Will not hear any spin or conspiracy theories from me, that is Star and the BMW fanboys style.

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AgentOrange - 10/13/2008 4:23:56 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Why did they run the 135i with a steptranny?

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Janizary - 10/13/2008 7:02:32 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Probably what they had on hand from the review corral. Too bad, I'd like to have seen what the 6MT could have done.

09CTSVforMe - 10/13/2008 5:53:12 PM

+2 Boost

No comment on the American Cadillac whooping your precious M3?

Surprise, surprise.

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Speedoholic - 10/15/2008 3:56:17 PMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

Maybe our precious M3 has 100 less horsepower.
and it has the looks and the style, not chrome all over the chassis and wouldn't last for 3 years.

reply to this comment

Htay7500 - 10/13/2008 4:52:53 PM

+1 Boost

Lots of sweet cars. Amazing track times too. I should head down there but its a long ride from DC :(

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rumnyc - 10/14/2008 3:52:41 AM

+2 Boost

335 was 4 sec faster than the IS-F

Lol

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528i - 10/14/2008 3:56:33 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

CTS-v with over 550hp should kill the M3 by at lest 5sec, but it only did with 1.6 sec. well done GM

btw, where is the RS6?

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S4cabriofoxone - 10/14/2008 7:07:35 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

The RS6 isn't available in the US, it's wagon-only, and it's ridiculously heavy. It wouldn't have done very well in this test--it's super fast on the straights but I could imagine it not being much fun in the corners.

Axis - 10/14/2008 12:07:07 PM

+1 Boost

GT-R beats GT3? did I miss the Porsche in that test?

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Mate - 10/15/2008 1:23:03 PM

+1 Boost

I am personally disappointed by the Lotus's time

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