📰 Auto News C&D Lighting Lap

[Turk]

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/the_lightning_lap_2009-feature

Few conclusions. M3 was faster than both the caymanS and Carrera S. The Grand Sport is ridiculously fast, why would anyone buy a z06 in 2010? It wasn't too far behind the ZR1 considering the power difference and price difference. Why do they keep using the M3 equipped with a DCT when the DCT obviously isnt' working right at the track?!?!

"Although the hot-rod Bimmer is always an impressive ride, with decidedly sports-car-like agility in a class of mostly heavyweight bruisers, the M3’s lap time improved by just 0.2 second. As we found with our recently concluded long-term M3, the Sport Cup + tires don’t seem to shave a whole lot off lap times, and the dual-clutch gearbox was still occasionally reluctant to grant downshifts under braking. So drivers had to keep an eye on the dash display—never a good thing for lap times—to verify which gear was in play."

Click to read more...

 

[Bob Kazamakis]

I hear the m3 is a killer drift car right off the showroom floor.

 

[Mook]

read this at home. good stuff.

 

[sickmint79]

would have liked to see a few more cars in there, like an sti or evo

 

[Turk]

X2. Would have also liked to see a cts-v, z06.

 

[MikeyLikesIt]

Car and Driver is a joke.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/scoop-letter-from-car-and-driver-to-nissan-leaked-to-ttac/

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/car-and-driver-admits-bmw-bias-in-audi-s4-vs-335i-comparo/

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/03/b-what-b-i-car-and-driver-i-says-m3-better-than-gt-r-and-91/5

 

[Bru]

They've been swinging from BMW's nuts for 20 years. It's what they do.

 

[sickmint79]

what's with that first link? gotta be fake!

 

[Bru]

That's what I'm guessing. C&D has a questionable track record, and TTAC was just calling them out.

 

[jason05gt]

Lap times are about as valid as it comes in the performance world. The M3 did pretty damn well in my opinion. The car that suprised me was the Audi TTS.

 

[Bru]

And when they get a poor lap time there are a dozen excuses why.

 

[jason05gt]

And when they get a poor lap time there are a dozen excuses why.

This test is probably one of the best out there (magazine wise). Same cars, same drivers, same location (VIR). It's a very good comparison test to showcase car against car.

Motor Trend is copying this test with their Laguna Seca laps.

 

[Bru]

For bragging rights at vir. yes. go to a different track and the rankings will be different.