Ike

Nurburgring is not strictly a power circuit but it has enough high speed areas that cars with big horsepower will do better there. It's the type of track that will test a cars all around abilities very well, and it would exploit the RX-8s lack of power.

As for the Stig... Black Stig was F1 driver Perry McCarthy whom drove the M3 in the show. I believe the white Stig drove the RX-8. So, if my memory serves me they absolutely were different drivers.

Also, I know RX-8 owners love to bring up the fact that the RX-8 equalled the M3 and 350Z on Top Gears track, but it's a freak occurence. Hockenheim is a shorter track often used to compare cars and the E46 M3 times there are consistently faster by up to a few seconds. Lightning Lap is another example, the G35C was faster around a track in C&Ds comparison, Best Motoring has shown that the RX-8 isn't going to keep up with either of those cars around Tsukuba, etc. etc.. In short, the RX-8 loses out to those cars around a track in every example known besides Top Gear and a parking lot with cones.

Lastly, the S2000 and MS3 times I know of for Nurburgring are 8:39 seconds and I'd be shocked if the RX-8 could best those times. Now consider that the older 350Z did 8:26 and the E46 M3 did 8:22. The RX-8 isn't even coming close to matching either of those cars around Nordschleife.

RX-8Newb

^^^ i love the quotes in your signature, very amusing.

delhi

Best Motoring used to show a Civic Type-R outlapping a 360 Modena in their Tsukuba track. Do you still believe in the tooth fairy?
The only factual evidence that The Stig was a different driver are in the episodes such as Top Gear visits America (fat Stig) and Africa (black Stig). Lots of anecdotal conjecture attempting to be portrayed as facts. Fact is there are no official lap time for the rx-8 on the nurburgring.
Oh btw, there is an article out on the new Cobalt SS outlapping the M3 at the 'Ring. Draw your own conclusion on which is the better car.
It's funny how people seem so hang up on track numbers in a controlled environment when most of these measurebators haven't even been on a sanctioned race-event....

playdoh43

what episode was this? and was it stock for stock?

rotary crazy

who over sees this oficial lap times at the ring? who keeps the manufacturer from changing the brakes using better tires, race fuel, diferent tuned than the production car, etc?

Ike

A lot of those times are from various publications so at least those cars are just as stock as when an US publication tests a car.

RX-8Newb

The identity of the first Stig was revealed to be Perry McCarthy when his book Flat Out, Flat Broke was published in 2003. McCarthy is a former Formula 1 driver and test driver for the Benetton, Arrows and Williams teams, and also tested for BMW F1.

The identity of the new Stig has not been officially revealed. In a Winter Olympics special episode of Top Gear, the Stig was shown doing a ski jump using a snowmobile. According to the Swedish tabloid newspaper Aftonbladet, the driver performing the ski jump stunt was Dan Lang, a Swedish snowmobile cross driver. In January 2006, a Daily Express article reported that Julian Bailey was secretly the Stig. In January 2007, Russ Swift, a stunt driver that has appeared on the show a number of times, said in an interview that the Stig is not played by just one person.

So the old stig (black suit) was Perry McCarthy, and the new stig (white suit) is just who ever is available at the time of shooting.

9291150

I agree that Top Gear isn’t conclusive, none of this is. But lets not pretend it’s a “freak” occurrence, I think it’s entirely possible to match times with an older 350 on a regular track, i.e. C&D matched times between an 8 and a G35 6MT brembo coupe at Willow.

On a track like the ring, high speed stability would also be a factor and I don't think that's a MS3 or S2000 strength.

Either way, hp will always win out at the ring.

druck

I'm certainly no professional driver, so I'm very pleased with my laptime of 9.29 on my 16th and last lap on our recent trip. Nick from Mazda On Track who's done 160+ laps took my car out to show me how it is really done, but unfortunately we didn't get a clean lap. so I can only estimate it would have been under under 9 minutes with no yellows, and him fully committing the car as he did his own MX-5.

2fastforuride

i run a 9min. 20 at nurbur . scary track ,,eats a full tank of gas on 3 to 4 laps ..im happy been able to run in this track . im live in germany for 4 years since im in the military its awesome planning going back soon

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Jeremy with a Jag - 9:59
Sabine with a Ford Transit Van - 10:23 (138hp, 21 sec 0-60)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f95lV9ATzFw

The Ring is 99% driver. If that psychologically-unstable-but-highly-attractive-because-she-can-actually-drive woman can do that in a van... I bet she could put down REALLY good numbers for the 8.

Both arguments are correct. There are tons of corners on the Ring, but most of them are high speed corners. If a good driver can keep high speed momentum through those corners, then the acceleration from the exit is less important because the cars with lower corner speed will NEED their superior acceleration to get up to, and pass, the speed of the car with the better corner speed.

Just like most tracks, it is the higher average speed that will win out. If the 8 can hold it's speed in the 90-120 range, it will far better than a car that has a range of 60-130, even if that other car can get to the 130 faster, since they will spend alot of time slower.

Simply put however, it -IS- 99% driver, and the only true comparison will be same driver, same track configuration, same weather, same day, same time, empty track, on each of the 8's competitors.

Edit:
Another thing that came to mind. Although the Z and M3 have comparable lateral G (and other handling) numbers to the 8, I think on a track that is as demanding as the Ring the 8's incredible driving feel will contribute greatly to driver confidence, even if that same driver is confident in all 3 cars. As my sig notes, being able to place the 8 exactly where the driver wants counts for a hell of alot beyond the actual numbers, and will contribute significantly towards lap times higher than expected.

In addition, the 8's suspension -IS- softer than the M3 and the Z, and the Ring is bumpy as hell. Greater suspension travel will aid the lap times, not hurt it, since the 8's suspension travel is not excessive.

The only time that this driver feel will be a non-factor, is when the driver has exactly the same level of confidence with each car, and is able to place each car where they want every time. And if Randy didn't have that, it is unlikely many other drivers will either.

greg985

that video is nuts, she is passing bikes in that van lmao

luckygrrl

I just drove the Tail of the Dragon last month. Unfortunately I was not in my trusty 8 but in my boyfriend's WRX. Tail of the Dragon could be a lot of fun to drive, but it is hella dangerous. Not only is it 318 curves in 11 miles (most of which are blind hairpin turns), but it is a public road so anyone can drive on it including 18 wheelers. You also get a lot of ***-hats on there acting like jackasses and crossing the double yellow line. Plus it's really more of a bikers' paradise. It would potentially be a lot of fun if they closed it occasionally specifically for racing.

dos

I have always wanted to check out Tail of the Dragon. I hear its getting pretty out of hand though with all kinds of traffic, and cops.

YaXMaNGTO

WHAT-thefuck-EVER!!! What a fanboi response! This is classic... chock full of the typical RX8 fanboi excuses and subjective opinions. Classic!!!

Put up or shut up. I don't care who f'ing drives, go prove it with a TIME.

My prediction? The craptastic Cobalt SS at 8:22 is faster than the RX8 around the ring... no matter what. You will never see a stock 2004-2009 RX8 crack 8:22.

rollerbldes

Dude calm down man..

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Wow. I'm not sure if I should be sorry or not that the text I typed caused you to foam at the mouth. You may note that:
- Never once did I make a prediction for a time for the 8
- I Never stated that the 8 would, or would not be faster than another car on the Ring
- I simply pointed out the advantages the 8 has on the Ring, as a counterpoint to the clear and acceptable advantages the 8's competitors have on the Ring (more power)
- That the only prediction I actually made was the required method of testing in order to produce lap times between each car for an accurate comparison untainted by other factors.
- That I stated TWICE that lap times at the Ring are more about the driver than the car. If I gave That super Cobalt SS to my wife, she would be hard pressed to break a 30 minute lap time. On the other hand, Sabine made it around the Ring in 10:08 in a 138hp VAN.

Again, I am not making a prediction of a lap time for the 8.

+1

(For the record, driving my 8 at the Ring is on my Bucket list. I could care less about the time, I care more about the experience.)

CyberPitz

Come on guys, you all know the internet is srs bsns.