Our 4.2-mile test section, closed to traffic by the California Highway Patrol, allows judges to evaluate the contenders on a real-world road, albeit in closed-course safety. Currently, Mike serves as the lap-by-lap voice of Fox Sports coverage of NASCAR. Well, a visit to www.mazdaraceway.com tells us that the fastest official lap time is 1 minute 7.22 seconds as set by Helio Castroneves in a Penske Champ Car during qualifying for the March 10,. And with that, BDC 2018 is one for the record books: The three quickest laps in the history of the competition have been set in a single morning. Front-drive record. Several manufacturers have sent support teams to advise optimum settings for suspension, transmission, and stability control and to monitor tires and tire pressures. With each car depicted in its own imaginary laneas if placed on a humongous slot car trackit's easier to comprehend the otherwise confusing scene of 12 cars simultaneously re-enacting their single best laps. If AMG shows up with a fully kitted-out white-black-and-lime-liveried Mercedes-Benz Metris complete with an espresso machine, Porsche fires back with hydraulic jacks and tire warmers. Exciting times. VIR Aug 21, 2020 to Aug 22, 2020 . If a car relies on downforce for lap times, Laguna Seca doesn't feature many sectors where downforce becomes a factor. For more information or membership related issues - Contact: gamembers@guildfordarts.com . Even after five years have passed, the Big Nasty remains the quickest sub-$100k car that Randy has ever lapped at Laguna Seca. 2 formally filed. The C7 GS fourth-place ranking was the biggest surprise of last weeks list for many readers (and Bloggers), we knew it was fast, but 2:47 at VIR is straight-up flying! Click here to show it anyway. By then, though, with the track temperature up, the magic is gone for good, and a 1:31.00 is all Randy can manage. Less than an hour before, our resident pro driver, Randy Pobst, had flung the mighty McLaren 720S around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 1 minute, 29.78 secondsthe fastest lap ever recorded in the history of our Best Driver's Car competition. Who else can break 1:30 with a roomy four door family sedan that gets 100 MPGe? There are gasps of disbelief when the clock stops: 1:28.30. CorvetteBlogger.com covers all generations of the Chevrolet Corvette including C8 news, spy photos, Corvette videos, auctions, prices, and Corvette Racing. Although the $294,000 911 isn't anyone's idea of cheap, the Senna costs almost $700,000 more. Willow Springs is a racing venue in United States with 238 lap times.This page represents the 3.9 kilometer (2.4 mile) configuration of this track. Isn't that cheating, the more conspiratorial among you might be asking? Ooops, not roomy, not a family sedan and way too slow! - Kim Reynolds. 0:00 / 1:45 A Lap Around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Presented By Hagerty IMSA Official 226K subscribers Subscribe 433 17K views 2 years ago Take a lap around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna. To put a 1:30.3 lap in perspective, it's just a few seconds shy of the McLaren Senna, which set a production car record of 1:27.62 when Motor Trend had it at the track. Road America Jul 31, 2020 to Aug 2, 2020 . Follow your favorite team and driver's progress with daily updates This surprises Randy, who thought the lap was a sloppy affair; he'd spent the whole time busily working behind the wheel to find the balance between understeer and oversteer. Can we please add below Tesla Plaid laptime? After that, it all falls apart, the rear axle failing to provide support on corner entry or traction on corner exit. "It's a family car and a sports car at the same time," Miguel Cortina smiles. Split seconds separate fastest from first loser. On 198, it's different but no less engaging. The SS 1LEs showing at BDC 2016 was one of the major reasons that I became an owner of the model, in spite of my strong preference for Chevrolets with a Z in their name. BMWs have underwhelmed us recently, so not many editors expected the new-generation BMW M5 to feel so effortlessly fast and supremely composed. Overall, we view the seventh-generation as a rocky point in the long-standing relationship between Americas Sports Car and the editorial staff at Motor Trend, but, like so many dysfunctional relationships, it didnt have to be that way! The second American home of the legendary LS7 is the only General Motors product to ever walk away with the Best Drivers Car crown. The 505-horse Z and its killer fusion of ceramic brakes and Pilot Sport Cup rubber were only outpaced by the newer, be-winged ZL1 1LE and its massive 650 HP-rating by a hair for fourth place in the all-time GM pecking order. Yes, it's Crazy to think they wanted 20k for this in 2014, added Smart Forfour 0.9, Peugeot 108 PureTech 82, Skoda Superb Combi 2.0 TDI and Peugeot 508 SW BlueHDi 150, Circuit of the Americas - 436 lap times , 5.5 km / 3.4 miles, Willow Springs - 238 lap times , 3.9 km / 2.4 miles, Virginia International Raceway Grand East Course (post 01/2014) - 179 lap times , 6.8 km / 4.2 miles, Willow Springs - Streets of Willow Extended - 145 lap times , 2.5 km / 1.5 miles, Virginia International Raceway Grand East Course (pre 01/2014) - 130 lap times , 6.8 km / 4.2 miles, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJkNb1Kvg48, https://www.mclarenlife.com/threads/765lt-at-laguna.104127/post-1785120, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maprv1IXDHo. After sticking the soapbox dismount, we return to the action with the 2016 Z06, Z07, and its 911 GT3 RS-humbling lap-time. "Hated this car on the way down the hill!" But they are bloody quick! Such as the 992 Porsche 911 Carrera S. Porsche used its tire warmers to great effect last year, when the toasty-tired GT2 RS set the Laguna lap record and the record at Willow Springs, Road Atlanta, and Road America. Randy speaks for us all after hurling the shrieking Lambo up the hill and back: "This car makes you into a god. [VIDEO] Randy Pobst Hot Laps the C8 Corvette at Laguna Seca for MotorTrend Laguna Seca was built in 60 days in 1957 for $1.5m on part of the US Army's Fort Ord, as the Pebble Beach Road Races that began in 1950 had become too dangerous. The most significant change to the track's layout was made in 1988 with the addition of the infield section, turns three and four, as originally turn two went straight to what is . It's a driver's er, SUV. Unofficially, the fastest lap ever recorded was a 1-minute 5.88-second lap achieved by Sebastien Bourdais back in March 2007 during a Champ Car training session. Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription. Send your emails to Ford Motor Company. Let's back up. Get the full story HERE, and watch all the Best Driver's Car videos you can handle HERE. "Incredibly capable and confident and easy to drive fast," Scott Evans gushes. Electric Car Prototype Laps Laguna Seca Faster Than Mustang Boss 302 "Laguna Seca" The Lucid Air, a 1000-horsepower electric sedan, just beat a Laguna Seca lap time set by a. This year, the 315-hp Honda Civic Type R beat the aforementioned Ford GT from our inaugural year at VIR and set a new front-drive record. Also, Laguna has three major braking zones within its 11 turns, so the track is hard on brakes, and cars that struggle to put the power down don't fare well. Motor Trend therefore has a unique data set at its disposal: lap times for more than 120 performance cars, set by the same driver on the same track using the same methodology. The clock deconstructs the lap, by fractions of a second. Best Racer's Car - We stage a mini grand prix among six of our Best Driver's Cars. Mostly. F40Model Year: 2019 + Previous Generations; F20 / F21Model Year: 2012 - 2018. Plus, how much cheating could be done in full view of 60 MotorTrend staffers that wouldn't be painfully obvious? So when the V8 specialists at Affalterbach, Germany decided to . I'll be heading up there to view the test. Randy reckons his third car of the day, the Honda Civic Type R, to be one of the finest factory front-drive cars he's ever driven. Puzzled at the Vantage's sudden fall from grace, Aston Martin dynamics engineer Ian Hartley suggests changing the shock mode from Track to Sport+ and switching tires from the fresh set fitted that morning back to the ones used on Route 198. But that's racing. Laguna Seca's classic road course (now known as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for marketing reasons) winds its way around the hillsides on the Monterrey Peninsula and has long been considered one of America's best. We didn't win every game, either, as we tied one. Congrats Tesla! The Toyota beat the BMW M2 around Laguna, 1:40.57 versus 1:40.83. Call it undefeated-ish. Motortrend's 2015 Best Driver Car Lap Times (Laguna Seca) 2016 Mercedes AMG GT S - 1:35.57 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 - 1:37.43 2016 Cadillac CTS-V - 1:38.53 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 -1:38.60 (Mechanical issues) 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe (A8) - 1:39.65 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe (6MT) - 1:40.18 2015 Mercedes AMG C63 S - 1:40.50 A total of 43,085 Z51 coupes rolled off the assembly line at Bowling Green during the C7s lifespan (just 3,705 in 2017, 716 in 18, and 1,728 in 19, respectively, if you are looking for a rare Vette at a reasonable price! Home; About; Blog; Media Room. The fastest car around Laguna Seca may not be Best Driver's Car. Jethro Bovingdon.. Those of us who hadn't driven it were skeptical. It all came down to the McLaren. Lightning Lap 2023: Hottest Cars, Toughest Track, Most Fuel-Efficient Gas Cars (That Aren't Hybrid), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Given enough market liquidity, there really is no such thing as "overpriced car". During a wide open lapping session with only the current 911 RSR and Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid race cars, we chatted with Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, father of the 918 Spyder road car and architect behind the 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR racing programs. United States. This Lambo allows drivers of all abilities to revel in that experience while confidently exploring and expanding the limitsits, and theirs. Track record. The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay; Chasing the Shadows; The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: A Stop-motion Adaptation The carmakers are there to help, and we appreciate that help. What's happening here? Driving the No. The lap times are supported by hard data and represent showroom stock cars -- no cheater tires or modifications allowed. Tremendous front-end grip is complemented by a rear end that tracks faithfully, regardless of throttle condition and road surface. The monstrously fast 911 GT2 RS causes sharp intakes of breath for some judges when they arrive at corners with a wooden brake pedal and no sign of retardation. Reply 624 Dirtdickler 12y ago Congrats to Mercedes; you are now the quickest four-door. Well, a visit to www.mazdaraceway.com tells us that the fastest official lap time is 1 minute 7.22 seconds as set by Helio Castroneves in a Penske Champ Car during qualifying for the March 10, 2000 Honda Grand Prix of Monterey. laguna-seca-lap-times-infographic-motortrend-new3.jpg (894.76 kB, 1043x4100 - viewed 27 times.) However, everyone gathered around the Racepak monitor knows the Huracn Performante still has a real shot at the 2018 BDC title. Racepak president Tim Anderson says the highly intuitive graphic interface allows team members to watch, as it happens, a car's performance from anywhere in the world. On the one hand, I love that they look past the numbers in their yearly pursuit of the machine that, per head honcho, Angus MacKenzie, delivers a balance of useable performance, accessible handling, and driver-friendly design; a vehicle with a multidimensional personality that will delight and reward the enthusiast driver on any road at any time, regardless of weather and traffic conditions, but, I dont think that a Top Gear-style lap time leaderboard would do anything but add intrigue to their greatest event. The most potent, track-capable vehicle ever produced by General Motors only stopped the clock .59 before the next car down the C7 pecking order, fell a full two-seconds behind the 16-17 Viper ACR-E, and only registering the fourth-fastest time of the day during the 2018 edition of BDC. I only found out because of someone on Mclaren Life! That doesnt sit well with us! Conditions were described as "ideal" and the car used road-legal Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2R tyres. Prices are function of demand and availability. The car is stock production and the video plus GPS are below. ENTRY LIST: Click here to view the 26 IndyCar drivers racing at Laguna Seca INDY LIGHTS RACES : Saturday, 3:25 p.m., 35 laps/78.33 miles or 55 minutes (Peacock Premium); Sunday, 1 p.m., 35 laps/78 . M4 GTS on Motor Trend's Ignition (Laguna Seca Lap Time Inside) Bimmerpost Model Selection. OO @fastestlaps, https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/czinger-21c-hypercar-smashes-lap-record-laguna-seca, Quote>"The 1233bhp hyper-hybrid was sent around the 2.24-mile course, with professional racer Joel Millar at the wheel, in just 1min 25.44secs, far outpacing the previous record of 1min 27.62secs set by the McLaren Senna in 2019. A car whose name must be mentioned in hallowed a manner - the Nissan GT-R. Get our daily recap of Corvette news delivered directly to your inbox. Click a car and you'll see our comments, the hot-shoe's take, and, when available, in-car video of the lap. The McLaren's first flying lap is a 1:30.62, and to prove it was no fluke, the next time around is just .07 second slower. Top Gear Pits the C8 CorvetteZ06 Against the 911 GT3 and Ferrari 458. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. What about motorcycles? There are pleasant surprises, though, like the Aston Martin Vantage. Chris swoons as he exits the Alfa, impressed by its exhilarating twin-turbo V-6, sure-footed chassis, and sharp steering. Power isn't everything, however, and the final three cars making the cut this year did so on the quality of their chassis rather than the output of their enginesthough with 306hp from just 2.0 liters, the turbocharged four-banger under the hood of the Honda Civic Type R has the fifth-highest specific output of this year's field. A variety of racing, exhibition and entertainment events are held at the raceway, ranging from superkarts to American Le Mans racing to music festivals. Way better than I had ever hoped it would be.". Put simply, they make sure the cars are in optimum condition when it's time for pro driver Randy Pobst to lay down his fast lap. The thing about McLaren is, it can develop a bit of tunnel vision. He loves the little turbo motor's desire to rev and the consistency of the chassis, though for track work he wants a little lift-off oversteer to get the car into corners quicker. Why no Ford GT? Eyes flicker across the screen; synapses snap the calculus. The culprit turns out to be the ultra-stiff sport setting for the shocks: It's calibrated purely for track work, and using it on bumpy Route 198 means the Porsche's front wheels can be in the air at a critical braking point, causing extreme ABS intervention. The weather is a bit warm and windy. Laguna Seca (post 1988) lap times Laguna Seca (post 1988) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a paved road racing track used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, originally constructed in 1957 near Monterey, California, USA. Winner: Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport. During a post-BDC comparison test, the Z51 C7 lapped faster than the reigning BDC champ, 991 Carrera4S, AND the 731 HP Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. Let me reword that. Through it all, Virginia International Raceways 4.1-mile Grand Course has proved itself the ultimate test of modern machinery, a North American Nrburgring Nordschleife. Racepak's CL1 multichannel data acquisition unit receives data directly from a vehicle's OBD II port (including engine revs, coolant temperature, and throttle position) and merges it with any external channels you choose, plus its own highly accurate accelerometer and GPS data (including mph). Agreed. Could the sly McLaren be a darkhorse? As for the Porsche, with the tire situation sorted, the 992 popped off a remarkable 1:35.52 lap, beating the old version of itself by nearly a full second.