Just got my Nov issue of C&D. They have a new comparision test called the Lightening Lap. They call it a new performance standard for cars and their version of the Nurburgring benchmark. The test is on the Virginia International Raceway - 4.2 mile road course. Here are some of the results:

LL1 (under 30K)
car - best lap time (min:secs), peak speed (mph), max lateral g

1) 350Z Track - 3:12.5, 124.3, 0.9
2) Evo MR - 3:13.5, 124, 0.94
3) RX-8 - 3:19.0, 116.4, 0.86
4) Cobalt SS - 3:20.6, 117.1, 0.85
5) Mustang GT - 3:20.9, 119.3, 0.88
6) GTI - 3:25.1, 112.0, 0.82
7) Civic Si - 3:26.5, 111.6, 0.80
8) MX-5 - 3:29.3, 108.6, 0.83

The 8 beat the Mustang GT, but it is a good 6.5 secs off the Z's time. Too bad they did not have the S2000 in the test.

Other categories and final order:

LL2 (30 - 60K) - Elise, Corvette, Cayman S, GT500, Charger SRT 8 (3:18.2)

LL3 (60 - 120K) - Z06, Viper SRT 10, M6 (3:10.0)

LL4 (120 - 240K) - Ford GT (3:00.7)

 

Read that article over while i was givin plasma today...found it to be pretty insightful. To no surprise, they comment on how even up top it doesn't have much, but it's cornering and agility makes up for it's shortcomings. I thought it was funny that they ripped on the GT500, and how it pretty much fell apart by the end of it's runs.

If anything, its worth a read.

 

I'm pretty shocked the Z bested the Evo, and even more shocked that the RX-8 got whooped so badly. My subscription ran out and I haven't gotten the new one yet, do they just run one lap and use that as their time?

 

i'm shocked about the Z besting the Evo as well, doesnt seem right.. i'll go pick up that issue, it'll be an interesting read. I'm not that suprised that the rx8 got whooped that much. Did alright for itself though.

 

Damn, I wish I had a scanner. Looks like a pretty good article. Still have to read it, just got the summary out here. They have all the performance breakdown by each sector - entry, avg, exit speeds etc... They ran each car multiple laps with different drivers (Csaba Csere, Mark Gillies, Robin Warner and Larry Webster) and listed out the best times each car produced that day. I am not shocked to see the 8 come in third, but the difference from the Z's time is a surprise...

 

da hell, the evo MR costs like 36k lol and i thought the Z costed more than 30k?

 

Yeah, though maybe they're going by base model costs <shrugs>. I wonder what the temps and humidty were like, the Evo would certainly have more of a disadvantage in hot humid conditions. I'd say the RX-8 being slower has more to do with long straights and a long track than anything else.

 

http://www.virclub.com/vir/index.php...=23&Itemid=106

Must have been using a modified course. Full course is 3.27 mi as opposed to the 4.2 as stated.

 

This is what they say:

"The so-called Grand Course is 4.2 miles, making it one of the longest road courses in the US"

 

The RX-8 did pretty good considering. I'm not surprised the EVO and Z whooped the 8. The horsepower advantage magnifies on the straights. Thank goodness the 8 is great in the corners. The Mustang GT performed worse than a Cobalt SS--must be that beam rear axle. Not testing the S2000 is really a bad oversight. I wonder if they could not get one from someone. I think it most likely would have slotted in the top 3.

I just wish Mazda would work a little magic and ring a bit more HP out of this engine. Please no flaming!

 

Same as the Top Gear benchmark that puts the 8, 350z, and M3 at the same speed... it depends on so many factors, the test is almost meaningless.

 

I would think this is a better comparision. If I remember correct, the Top Gear test was done on different days. So, yeah the conditions were most probably different. This test is done on the same day - multiple laps (different sessions), same set of drivers driving, etc. And they took the best lap times from that day. Don't think it can get any better than that.

 

The S2000 is dead. Why test it when a new version is comming out soon?

Mazda, where's our Super Charger.

I know you have one. Just had to stop by the other day to check it out again.

Love that Scoop.

 

Just saw an article on leftlanenews saying that the next version of the S2000 won't be out until 2010. They say the current version will go on until then. Most probably it is just speculation. R&T says that the next one will be out in 2008. 07s are in. So, don't think it is a dead model.

 

Why didn't they test the Subaru?

Seems like a bias test.

They wanted the Z or EVO to win?

The guys around here say their EVO's top out at 90 some 100 some 120 max.

Are the straights long enough for the Z to gain ground due to the EVO's limitations?

 

Just added the peak speeds too. Not much difference between the Z and Evo when it came to peak speed. Only 0.3 mph.

 

What are you talking about? Tops out at 90, 100, 120, limitations??? My Evo with minor mods is only limited by how tall my final gear is, which is around 170mph... Stock for stock the Evo should pull on a Z at any speed.

 

Interesting, I wonder if they got a doggy Evo and a strong Z. Is there any mention of weather conditions in the article? Also, the peak speed of the Stang being so much lower than the Z is odd. I guess you can chalk that one up to exit speed.

 

Car and Driver has named the RX8 to their 10 Best list multiple times, I really doubt they have bias against the car.


The only thing that disappoints me is that the Charger SRT8 beat the RX8 by 0.8 seconds. Yeah, I know it has over 200 more HP and cost 15,000 more, but come on. A Charger beat the RX8?

 

I think it was a 350Z Track, supposedly it has some aerodynamic enhancements, lightweight wheels, better brakes,and better suspension, over the standard Z. If the 8 was similiarily equipped as the z and mr, the gap would've been much smaller.

 

Nothing embarrassing to me in those numbers. I bought my 8 for driving enjoyment; handling, comfort, style, speed, and value, more or less in that order. I drive on the highway, not the track. For the track I suppose I would have bought a different car.

 

"The Mazda RX-8 turned 3:19.0, 1.9 seconds quicker than the Mustang, and the two cars were as different as steak and sushi. The rotary engine lacked punch coming out of the corners, even when we freely used its 9000-rpm capability. Its maximum straightaway speed was only 116.4 mph—2.9 mph below the Mustang's and even slower than the Cobalt SS's. On the other hand, the RX-8's taut suspension provided great body control and excellent cornering balance. Its brakes were powerful and fade-free. It turned in with sharp precision, and you could use power to rotate the car toward a corner apex. The sector times show how much the RX-8 liked the corners."

 

The Evo should have trashed the Z, something is odd there. A road course with any significant straights will put the 8 at a disadvantage, just the way it's made. As far as the Charger, that thing is a beast on the straights even for its 4,000lbs. It's only about 6k more than my Shinka so a big bang for your buck. I'd have considered it if it had a stick. Would have been much better for the family but real bad for my license I'm thinking.

 

the evo has a fairly steep learning curve to keep it quick in/out of corners...

i'd say since it's the only fi car they used they didn't know how to drive it.

 

The EVO is a rally car based off a economy car, it has horrible weight distribution, there is only a 85lb difference in weight to the Z, and they were on a race track not a rally course, so of course it lost. The Z was built off a sports car platform and was built for race tracks.