Virginia International Raceway, for those not in-the-know, is where Car and Driver magazine does their annual Lightning Lap feature, lapping the year’s hottest performance cars around “The American Nürburgring.” It has plenty of elevation changes, long, sweeping corners, tighter corners, straightaways – basically the whole shebang.
At the 2014 edition of Car and Driver‘s Lightning Lap, the staff set their fastest time ever for a production car: 2 minutes, 43.1 seconds in the Porsche 918. And then, Chevrolet went and beat that time with the Corvette Z06.
Okay, to some extent, that’s comparing apples to oranges; the Z06’s VIR lap time was set by none other than Jim Mero, a GM Vehicle Dynamics Engineer, and likely one of the most gifted (and experienced) souls to drive the supercharged ‘Vette to-date. And as Car and Driver reports, the circumstances of the hot lap were entirely different. But at 2 minutes, 41.3 seconds, the lap does make you think.
The Corvette Z06 which posted this insane lap time was bone stock, filled with a heavy oil weight, and with the chassis set to beast mode. We wouldn’t count on the Z06 conquering the Porsche 918’s 6 minute, 57 second lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as that wasn’t set by a journalist, either. But it will certainly be interesting to see its official time – if it ever comes at all.
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I forget where I read it, but someone said you’ll need to spend north of million if you want to knock off the new Z06. CONFIRMED.
To Be Honest; I do not think so, the Corvette is definitely Supercar but Porsche is the Top
Other video
Regards from Spain
So, they just use a slightly different start/finish line. The distance traveled is the same and the Z06 is still almost 2 seconds faster. Also, the video starts with them side by side (even though the Z06 lap timer has started already) and the Z06 quickly puts some distance on the 918.
The C7 Z06 (with its pushrods) is competing with supercars like the Carrera GT, a plug-in hybrid supercar! With a combined 887 hp and 944 lb-ft of torque from its mid-mounted V-8 and electric motors—one at each axle “all wheel drive”???
WOW!!!
Cant wait to see what the mid engine plug-in hybrid Corvette “Zora” will be capable of with its “low tech” pushrods!
Dam, gotta love my America!
Its a 908 not Carrera GT
It’s a 918, not a 908 🙂
relax. yes the numbers and times are all wonderful and nice to see good times on cars you love. but it is all nonsense. First of all, the different conditions. paths are different. managers are different. Cars are different. even two to one brand of car can vary greatly is advised.
as well as the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This is just one of the Speedway. is one of one of the car faster, slower than the second, and so on. it is actually one of the numbers in the chase frenzy. Yes I also really look at the numbers but you have to try to keep calm. I try to think more deeply and widely. which compares well to any kind of cars you should think about deeper. not just that one car will cost less and the other more. Car abilities and achievements in various categories may be similar, and it is inevitable.
Consider also the case that will soon be mid-engine Corvette, and then what.
DODGE HELLCAT is better than 918 ?
Short answer is no. The hellcat gets beat around the track by a new Mustang GT. A 50 mph rolls means nothing, there is more to driving than driving in a street line.
Think a lot. Think more. Think rationally. Think deeply. Think broadly. all of this is not so easy. many cars have four wheels, but they can be very different. similar-bodied car with four wheels atom to which another can of beer is very different. I have come down a lot of situations where a person says that two completely different cars are the same but they bind only to the fact that both are convertibles. said human being, convertibles that they are very similar, the same. However, these cars are only connected to the fact that they were convertibles.
cars are very difficult to compare. even identical machines can be very different.
and what is the class of super cars, sports cars, super sports cars and so on. Think about what kind of cars in the world. and think of the Porsche 918 which he could fall. and what machines which prices more than the Porsche 918 is available. Mclaren is probably much more expensive than the Porsche 918. I’ve heard all kinds of stories and excuses and comparisons. Some say that buying a cheap car McLaren instead. and the money will go to the races for you to compete. buy a cheap car and put it nitro. which justifies the thing at all, mclaren or porsche 918 price
Porsche 918. not something gt or 804 pla pla pla.
Go grab dodge Hellcat atom to which is also the 4 seat . Do not grab a futile McLaren P1 or Porsche 918
oops, my bad! “918” is what I meant any way, was racing out to go to lunch!
This is for sure impressive but I will keep it in mind that this was not the same driver on the same day under the same conditions.
But all the same still very impressive.
I am waiting on the ring times to be announced. I think some folks will be surprised. Same for the CTSV.